Fellow Alaskans,
For far too long, we’ve been told that the answer to our education crisis is to simply spend more — more money, more bureaucracy, more time. And yet, here we are, after decades of such thinking, ranked 51st in the nation in reading and math according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. That is not just a policy failure — it is a moral failure. And it’s exactly why I’ve been fighting every single day to change course and put our children first.
I know this system intimately. Before I was your governor, I served as a public school teacher, a principal, a superintendent, a school board president, and later worked in the University of Alaska system. I’ve seen the good. I’ve seen the bad. And I’ve seen how far we’ve drifted from the real mission: preparing our children with the skills they need to succeed in life.
That’s why I’ve pushed so hard to refocus our system on the basics — on reading, writing, and math. These are the foundations of everything else in education and life. Without them, our children fall behind not just in school, but in the workplace, in civic life, and in their ability to achieve their dreams.
It’s also why I’ve championed expanding charter schools, which are delivering real results. A recent Harvard study ranked Alaska’s public charter schools among the very best in the country. These schools are innovating, achieving, and showing what is possible when families are given real choices and teachers are given the flexibility to teach. Yet every time we try to expand these options for more families, the same forces rise up in opposition.
Let’s call them what they are: the Education Cabal. This entrenched coalition of special interests, lobbyists, and status quo defenders only seems to find their voice when there’s more money on the table. But where are they when Alaska’s students fall to the bottom of national rankings? Where are they when children graduate without being able to read proficiently or do basic math? Where were they when we needed them to support bold reform?
And let’s be clear — this isn’t about being anti-teacher. I have the deepest respect for our educators. That’s why I fought for a historic teacher recruitment and retention incentive package for our teachers this year — to reward and retain those doing the hard work. But shockingly, that very same Education Cabal helped kill the incentive. They claim to support teachers — until real solutions are offered.
Just look at what happened with the Alaska Reads Act, a major reform aimed at early literacy and accountability. It passed by one vote, at the last minute, because many in this entrenched system tried to block it. Why would anyone oppose a law designed to make sure children can read by third grade? That’s a question every parent and taxpayer should be asking.
Why does this Cabal demand that your children attend failing schools, while some of them quietly send their own children to elite private institutions? Why are they fighting open enrollment, which gives families the freedom to choose the best public school for their kids? Why don’t more legislators feel the urgency of an education emergency when Alaska is dead last in reading and math?
These are not rhetorical questions. These are the hard truths that need to be answered. And if the Education Cabal won’t answer them, then we as Alaskans must answer with action.
We’ve also fought to support homeschooling families and rural parents who know best what their children need. Alaska has long been a leader in distance learning and parental engagement, and we should build on that strength, not stifle it. The more flexible and responsive our system is, the better it serves all our families — urban, rural, Native, and military.
The fight I’ve been leading isn’t about politics — it’s about priorities. And my priority is simple: put our students first. That means supporting teachers who deliver results. That means empowering parents with choices. That means holding schools accountable for performance — not just enrollment. And yes, it means investing in education, but investing strategically, with every dollar tied to outcomes.
We have a moral imperative to do better. To stop measuring success by how much money we spend and start measuring it by how well our students read, write, and reason. We have an obligation to say “no more” to a system that protects itself before it protects our kids.
Other states have shown us the way. Mississippi, Florida, Arizona — states that were once at the bottom of the rankings — are now climbing fast because they embraced change. They focused on reading, empowered families, and raised expectations. If they can do it, so can we.
It’s time for Alaska to stop being dead last. It’s time to stop listening to the voices that only shout when dollars are on the table and fall silent when children are falling behind. It’s time to join the ranks of those who choose courage over comfort, outcomes over rhetoric, and students over systems.
This fight is not over. Not even close. And I will continue to stand with every parent, teacher, and student who believes that Alaska’s future is worth fighting for. Because it is.
Mike Dunleavy is the 12th governor of Alaska.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published Friday afternoon.
