An Eagle River town hall meeting with legislators on April 13 was focused largely on education issues. There were lots of union members and officials there from the National Education Association-Alaska wearing “Red for Ed” shirts.
In attendance were Rep. Dan Saddler and Sen. Kelly Merrick. Rep. Jamie Allard was stuck in Juneau as the co-chair of the House Education Committee, with committee work that weekend.
With about 50 people in the room, and with a question-and-answer format, one teacher rose and called out Allard’s children, who have attended Eagle River schools.
“Hi, I’m Erica Arnold. I’m a lifelong Alaskan, Chugiak High School graduate, proud public school teacher at Ravenwood Elementary. I was very much looking forward to also speaking to Ms. Allard, so disappointed that she’s not here, specifically because her children went to Ravenwood – and when her children were in third grade, there was a class of 18 of third graders. Right now, what we have is classes of 28, 29, third grade is 30 and 31 kids in the class…”
Arnold was using the children of Rep. Allard to make the argument that more baked-in permanent funding, through a base student allocation from the state, is needed for schools.
A few in the audience were shocked that a teacher would dive into the school records of a sitting legislator’s children, and then give those details out to the public. One attendee told Must Read Alaska, “The only way she could have known that is if she had been rummaging around in those children’s records. These are minors and are being brought into a political discussion, and should never be brought in for any reason, but especially since Rep. Allard wasn’t there.”
Another noted, “It’s dirty politics to bring in someone’s kids like that.”
Parents have recourse, however, when teachers misbehave. The Professional Teaching Practices Commission is set up to respond and handle such ethical violations. Alaskans who feel a teacher has violated the code of ethics, such as teacher Erica Arnold doxxing (giving out private information) about children of a legislator or anyone else, can file a complaint.
From the Professional Teaching Practices Commission website at the State of Alaska, Alaskans can view the Code of Ethics that a certificated educator is required to follow and may file a request for an investigation on this Complaint Form. Be sure to include all information with asterisks and reference the subsections for violations with the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession.
But they are leftists, rules of society do not apply to the. All means are justified by their ‘noble’ ends.
According to the numbers NEA publishes, ASD has 16 to 19 kids per teacher. There is a lot of funding, the money is being stolen.
Those numbers you quote are probably averages, assuming you didn’t make them up.
Any government, local or otherwise, has to keep records, especially when it comes to money. We’d all be interested in the facts you have on the thieves who have stolen the money you speak of…
Those numbers are most likely an average.
I have had children in the ASD system for over 22 years and there have never been under 20 students in any of the classrooms.
Doxxing kids. Of a legislator who wasn’t there. Just when you think the communists in the teacher’s unions couldn’t sink any lower. Don’t worry, boys and girls, it’s okay. The NEA-AK will protect this teacher. It’s not about the kids, it’s not about education, it’s about protecting and getting all they can for the teachers and the school administration.
I went to elementary school in Nevada. I knew in first grade that seven times give equals 35 because we had five rows of seven students. My guess is the quality of education that I received then far surpassed the level that students now receive. It’s NOT about classroom size, but the skills of the teacher.
Teachers will use anyone, including their own kids, to get what they want. I was walking my dogs one afternoon at Service High School. There was a kid running about. He came up and me and asked if I noticed his ripped sweat pants. I hadn’t really, as I make it a practice not to walk up to a kid that is by himself. This kid was maybe 10 years old, maybe 12. These days you cannot be too careful. He went on to say that his parents are teachers and they cannot afford to buy him new sweat pants! Wow! They even indoctrinated him!
I don’t believe this fable.
Wowww😳
This type of disclosure is highly inappropriate!
This just proves how emboldened teachers and school officials have become. So much for privacy!!!
Erica Arnold may claim to be a “proud public school teacher” educated in Alaska public school but she just exposed her unprofessional behavior for all to witness.
If she has to lower herself addressing children to intimidate legislators who are too busy to attend useless “union rallies” she is part of the problem and not a solution.
Did Merrick’s union thug put her up to the task of belittling Allard using her children in an attempt to build a stronger union base to fleece more public money for their pathetic poor performing education system that Arnold is a product of?
Allard just started working on the grossly failed system which will take years to repair/replace and certainly wont happen by wasting more taxpayer dollars on and I never heard anyone speak about the use of the PFD to support mafia style union thugs to indoctrinate children when it was created.
Her addressing Allard using numbers from when her children were in school sounds like Joe Biden placing all the blame on the open border mess with freely flowing drugs and criminals on his predecessor…Ignorance at its best example.
Back in the days when we had brilliant leaders come up with a plan to distribute the PFD to the residents maybe they had the wisdom to foresee a day when public indoctrination could become an issue and the PFD could and should be used to offer an alternative to families who deserve more for their children than what Bellamy/Bryyantts s**tshow has to offer.
Don’t think she had to dive into school records to find this information. Most teachers, students and parents know the students in their schools, especially if their parents are well known in the community. I don’t think the sharing of this information was malicious. Some of these comments are.
Read my opinion again.
I never mentioned anything about diving into school records.
Her use of Allards newly elected legislative position to call her out on the growing numbers of class sizes from a decade ago is the same rhetoric heard from the fake POTUS about blaming the disaster of the entire border on his predecessor which everyone has seen and many have died because of it.
You may call it a malicious comment but it is just a common tool the leftists use daily to point fingers and place blame on anyone but themselves for the complete and disgraceful failure of Alaska’s public school system.
If the system is broke it needs repaired or replaced.
Dumping more money into it will never achieve that because of the greedy unions.
I agree with everything you’ve said, I just don’t think we should jump to the conclusion that this was an intentional act. Presupposing what some people’s motives are is, I think, part of the problem with our social dialogue these days. Everyone will be offended by one thing or another in someone’s comment, including spelling. I just want to see more old fashioned debate among ourselves without the name calling presuppositions and expected outcomes.
This issue has no similarities to what’s going on at the boarder, our public school system is not “broken” and allard was not being called out. A simple comparison was made she might relate to, there was no “tool the leftists use daily…” to place blame on anyone. You are making things up due to a clouded echo chamber you really should try to get out of.
Here’s an idea. Let’s put this teacher’s kids information out there in a public meeting that has to do with political choices. Let’s see how she likes it. Although come to think of it maybe she doesn’t even have kids so doesn’t have a clue what it means to have your kids paraded out in public for the union label.
I hope Rep. Allard files a complaint against this so-called educator immediately and that
the Commission finds her “guilty” and she is punished immediately and appropriately.
There is no call for this in public discourse. Kids are off limits!
She’ll NOT ONLY file a complaint.. AND this isn’t over.. for those who KNOW, Jamie, she will not let this lie down…As you remember how she handled the Assembly on several occasions.. JUST as a bear protects her children, she’ll protect her children. They have not just attacked her, they have attacked her family.. She has been held up by her commitment to the legislature.. I am just waiting!! for the explosion of defense for her family. People may??”attack” her or her husband, but you do not attack her family.. As schools have not been been relevant in teaching “school subjects” and more interested in teaching/or allowing the “WOKE” junk, parents are waking up and sending their children to people whom “teach” the basics and that may mean other educational opportunities.
Sounds pretty aggressive, did I miss something? Where was the attack? Please (intelligently) define “WOKE” for me…
Jamie, we’re behind you whatever you decide!!
File the claim yourself if you think it holds water.
She didn’t need to “dive into the school records” to find this information. As a teacher, I receive a class composite photo every year. I can look back at 22 years of classes (they are on the bulletin board by my desk) and count how many students I had in class that year. No “rummaging through records” to see that information.
SM. Exactly.
SM, you are in the wrong profession if you think dragging a lawmaker’s kids into the argument is appropriate. You and Paola should be nowhere near children.
Nothing will happen to her because she is on the lie cheat steel side and they own the law.
Additionally, we have yearbooks every year for our school. Anyone can look at a yearbook and count the class size.
SM, What else did she dig around and find and who did she reveal that information to? Inquiring minds want to know.
How about if we just post little random items about Erica Arnold’s life, such as the assessed value of her house, how many square feet it is, how much she pays in taxes, or about that speeding ticket in Wasilla. No big deal, right? Public information. Anyone can look it up.
Yep. Public knowledge. Anything else?
This whole “think of the kids” charade has to end. More public school funding is not a solution to a leaky system that doesn’t improve education. This is a bunch of teachers and faculty lobbying for money they don’t deserve. I personally would not put the blame entirely on them, as the entire modern curriculum is a joke to begin with, so maybe instead of throwing money down this pit of despair, we should look at curriculum that works, NOT adding more resources to a failing system.
@Erica Arnold
Eagle River is a pretty small comunity 😉
For shame! I hope Ms. Allard files a complaint
I am not so sure that the meeting was scheduled so as not to allow Rep. Allard to be in attendance. Sounds like something Kelly could have worked out.
Rep Allard and her husband Could get an attorney and file against this woman for her violation. Teach her a lesson. Only press a law against the woman teacher if the Allards have a case and it can be won in safety of their children as well as everyone else children who don’t have the financial resources to hire an attorney.
What law was broken?
This article is meant to make a stir, of like minded people, regardless of how vague and opinionated. The complaint of “doxxing” is a reach by definition, and the route of misguided, poorly informed, off topic, attacking comments is sad to say the least.
A healthy debate of facts turns the article (and in turn dismisses most of the comments) on its head. But a healthy, factual debate isn’t what most who agree with this article can comprehend.
YT Please state your facts then, so we can have a healthy debate….or are you just here to make veiled insults and feel superior, without having to actually defend your position??
I am defending a good teacher who was making a good point. The article does nothing but stoke a fire. What laws or even guidelines were broken related to any acronym that has been thrown around in this chat? Mrs. Arnold won’t be fired, and probably won’t even receive a reprimand. Not due to any nefarious “swamp” some would like to think, but because a valid point was brought to someone’s attention.
YT, yes Mrs. Arnold made an argument. It should have been made WITHOUT the mention of ANY student by name or family association. She deliberately singled out Rep. Allard’s children to make this personal, as in “your kids had a better classroom environment” implying that Mrs. Allard was somehow SOLELY responsible for the current state of affairs. That is blatantly ridiculous.
What all here fail to see is that there are adequate funds. Sadly the vast amount of funds are dedicated to administrative and other ancillary programs, requiring the need to economize on the backs of the teacher and children. The people really to blame for this are the school boards and districts, who are more a jobs program these days than an educational institution. Throwing more money at it has no effect if it is not allocated in a more appropriate way.
Mrs. Arnold was unprofessional for bringing up ANY student, as it is not germane to the overall argument.
I think she should be Fired!
Again, administration is where cut need to take place.
2,400 asd teachers
2,200 non teachers
Source:
‘https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?ID2=0200180
ASD needs the flip the script from their chosen path of social emotional learning curriculum that stresses everything but reading, science, writing, and math skills. What they are done is set the education system back to needing basics again. Anchorage voters are either apathetic or uneducated, take your pick.
Do you really think ASD isn’t teaching reading, science, writing or math? This “blame it all on woke” is getting out of hand. In this instance, I think the uneducated is you, Trevor.
Fire Her!
From a cannon!
Way to keep it civil Chuck! I bet you’re a Trump fan, right?
My comment wasn’t allowed, but I stand by it.
Ha.ha., I would have loved to read it..
How about suspending Her!
The number of students in elementary school classes is public information. The teacher did not have to look at confidential student records to find information about class sizes.
That is not the point. The point is this school teacher should no better to use underage children as a prop to try and make a point. The education system in Anchorage is broken and highly political and needs to be revamped to increase the education of the children. That does not require any additional funding but rather a hard look at where the funding is being allocated. The current ASD is to lopsided to administration and not to classroom based, along with a hard set curriculum to one standard and not allowing the teacher in the classroom to deviate for the best outcome of their class and students.
But President Trump making veiled threats to judges, prosecutors, jurors and their families is ?
Who?
Also public information is her court record. Shall we dance with that?
Well, sorry, but I don’t see that this is a big deal. Anyone can look up class sizes for any year they like.
Are you deliberately obtuse?
The point here isn’t class size. If this teacher would have stated that back in (pick a year) the class size was 18 and now it is 26, we would not have this discussion. Yes anyone can look up class sizes, but it takes considerable effort to seek out individual students. These kids have a right to privacy and in my opinion this was a clear FERPA violation. She should have made her point without invoking Rep. Allard’s children.
I missed something. Were Allards kids called out by name? I am wholly against the teacher unions using students to harass parents. The unions have been using students since I was in ASD. Teachers would tell us to be sure and tell our parents how they should support teachers issues. These topics are best left for the adults and children should be enjoying their youth without the subliminal anxiety filled comments teachers instill in kids who have barely begun to experience the world they’re being asked to make sweeping judgments on.
Considerable effort? Did you consider that she may have been the teacher for these kids in the exact class she referenced? You are making an awful lot of assumptions about her degree of “research” and intent here. Maybe she’s a family friend.
Louise, your comment is ALL assumption. I do not not know nor care what relationship Mrs. Arnold had with the Allard family, if any, as it is not relevant to the point she was attempting to make. In my opinion children are OFF LIMITS.
It is further clear that you are not familiar with FERPA. Among other aspects FERPA protects the privacy of students, so their educational status etc. may not be disclosed unless permitted by the parent or guardian (the public images of individual students policy is an example).
Anyone can look up Erica Arnold’s information, too. Let’s go there.
I wonder what actual percentage of teachers are in agreement with this movement. If the majority are just afraid to speak out , maybe now would be a good time. These crazies have been talking and doing things as though they represent all of you. It may be harmful to list ASD on your future resumes if this group continues.
Well heck, I attended Public School in Alaska from just after Statehood until I dropped out in my Junior year of High School and I seem to recall our classes were almost always plumb full. Being Mathematically Challenged I use the 20 digit system to count, and my classes always exceeded the number of all my toes and fingers plus another double limit of Deer and a limit of Black Bears, would that be about 30? But then that was back when every family had 5 to 10 kids, we had 8 in my household. I guess were pretty impoverished because that was before Oil $ and School Administrators were pretty scarce as was the need for Police on Campus and a host of Social Workers and throngs of School Head Shrinkers too. We must have been pretty primitive since we would bring our shotguns to school after the morning shoot and then grab them for the afternoon hunt.
Our teachers were professional however because we never heard about their Union or heard them bitching about their measly paychecks. Most of the men teachers spent their summers commercial fishing and such to augment their incomes. Looking back I think our schools and teachers were pretty special because when I went to college down south I figured out real quick that I could hold my own with the kids from Washington and California.
ASD has become a target-rich environment for you.
ASD has made themselves a target-rich environment.
ASD is nothing but a Democratic attack dog. There are the same number of children in school in other towns that have half the schools. They have twice as many schools as they need, twice as many teachers, administrators and union thugs. They don’t care about your kids (COVID should have taught you that) they only care about putting your tax dollars in their pocket. Pure and simple greed and they’ll use anyone (kid or adult) to get their $$$
It slays me that a teacher will go into the teaching profession knowing full well what teachers make and then start complaining about it. Let’s keep in mind that they work nones months out of the year and they get great benefits. I’ve had people tell me that some teachers have to get summer jobs. Gasp! Most people do indeed work twelve months a year. Not nine.
Edit – “nine” months.
More like 10. If you teach in the bush, you may need to vacate the housing for summer repair. Turn off utilities. That costs money to travel and set up a place to live for 2 moths.
Erica Arnold is a phenomenal educator and person. This article should never have been written. When you are at a school for over 10 years you know who has come and gone. Class sizes at Ravenwood are anywhere from 27-31.
That’s not a secret, it’s a reality!
She has no business bringing up someone’s children to make a political point. That is not someone who puts children first.
…and?
As an educator I would expect Mr. Arnold to be able to make a factual point without using a personal attack. It is unprofessional and petty. Simply knowing who students are and who their parents are is immaterial to the argument at hand, instead it reeks of gossip and gotcha! Not a good look for ANYONE, who claims to be an educator.
The typo fairy strikes again! Correction MRS. Arnold!
Taxpayers (many of them with children) are footing the bill.
They deserve results and a quality education which ASD has failed.
Parents deserve school vouchers.
So the teacher’s union shows up at a local town hall as a large group to intimidate the families of Eagle River. All while taking away much needed funding from our homeschool families in the middle of the school year and demanding more money for themselves? The local teacher’s union leader is a joke. I’m voting no to all of their financial increase requests until they remember to put children first.
So the teacher’s union shows up at a local town hall as a large group to intimidate the families of Eagle River.
All while taking away much needed funding from our homeschool families in the middle of the school
year and demanding more money for themselves? The local teacher’s
union leader is a joke. I’m voting no to all of their financial increase requests until they remember to put children first.
Looking at the demographics, Eagle River public school 1st-4th grade population has grown some 24% greater than that of the Anchorage proper population of the same grades. Without any more specifics, my guess is that the Ravenwood Elementary School is more of a unique situation rather than the norm.
As previously mentioned in an earlier comment, these teachers are aware of the salary a teaching job for ASD pays. Strange to think someone would take a teaching job, knowing the wage, and do it while not caring for the education of children. Maybe they enjoy the challenge & struggle to solely fight for money, but the job itself doesn’t interest them.
Yeah, that’s why they go into teaching. Not for the money I can guarantee it!
Of course teachers care about the kids! The position is thankless, selfless, and similar to most who go into the nursing profession. They are both caregivers, and do their jobs regardless who the patient/student is.
If you think teachers are doing the job for money, then you don’t know a teacher. I know of teachers who spend their own money just to have what they need in the classroom due to the lack of funding.
And for those complaining about vouchers, suck it up if you want your kids in private or home school. I don’t have any children but am proud to pay taxes related to public education. If you can’t understand why, public education is for the betterment of our society as a whole.