Editor’s Note: This story was updated 11/10/2025 to reflect that Kathrine Hardy’s friend (not daughter) discovered the disclaimer pasted on the pamphlet of American founding documents.
What does it mean when a government-funded institution refuses to endorse our country’s Supreme Law of the Land and the documents forming the basis of our national identity? Not only did Anchorage School District refuse to endorse the American Constitution and Declaration of Independence but took pains to sticker an “Anchorage School District does not endorse the materials or viewpoints expressed in them” disclaimer on the documents. Such a blatant attack on our most foundational documents which detail America’s most dearly held values and shapes the American identity requires explanation.
Which viewpoints contained in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence does ASD take umbrage with? As one of our most powerful societal institutions, American public education represents America’s principles and has a sacred duty to train future generations in those values.
MRAK was informed of ASD’s anti-American disclaimer by Kathrine Hardy, whose friend discovered the disclaimer pasted on a pamphlet of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence sent home with school kids.
Kathrine’s friend shared the following post on Facebook:
Today my daughter brought home a pamphlet with the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. On the back was a sticker saying that the Anchorage School District “does not endorse the materials or viewpoints expressed in them.”
I was honestly stunned. These aren’t controversial documents, they are the foundation of our country and what our students are supposed to be learning about. Why would a school need to distance itself from the very principles we are built on?
I fully support transparency in education and just want to understand this policy better. Parents deserve clarity. If outside materials are being sent home, especially involving American founding documents, the messaging should be thoughtful and not confusing to families.
I’ll be asking the district for an explanation.
ASD must answer for this action. ASD staff spent American taxpayer money to print the stickers and apply the disclaimer to America’s founding documents. Why?
Kathrine Hardy has also informed staunch Constitution-defender Hillsdale College of the situation. She stated in an email to MRAK: “These are our founding documents, and this needs to be shared.”
Indeed, America and Americans are in trouble. Socialist ideologies gain greater ground where spiritual beliefs and identity find a breeding environment in academia—- teachers an educators can be the most deleterious culture to America’s constitutional preservation. One might scout our remaining democratic world today to find a common tread of divvies ness that finds itself within educational culture. Change the culture or lose your nation!
After over eight years of battling: critical race theory, opposition to the Pledge of Allegiance, opposition to requiring regular playing of the National Anthem, lack of support to regularly sing the Alaska Flag Song in schools, mandating the use of failing national Common Core curriculum, mandatory grade promotion, never voted on “Administrative Guidelines” allowing biological boys to play girls sports, violations of Roberts Rules of Order to silence individual Board Members, opposition to ensuring meaningful recognition of Constitution Day, preventing a parent from reading to the Board a book in a school library (reported nationally by Fox News) opposition to requiring schools to recognize 9/11, opposition to requiring schools to recognize Pearl Harbor Day, opposition to require schools to recognize the Emancipation Proclamation/Juneteenth, and the wrongful assertion that George Washington was an atheist – I say to you – welcome to the fight.
My final term on the School Board ends in April and I am running for the Anchorage Assembly Midtown Anchorage seat in April 2026.
As always and unlike any other elected official I know of – I am required to state that I am speaking only for myself and not the Anchorage School Board or Anchorage School District.
Dave Donley
Have some guts, Dave. Don’t let the totalitarians control you. Just say what you mean without that sniveling disclaimer. What can they do to you? What are you afraid of?
🤦♀️It’s not cowardice to distance his comments from the body he serves on. It’s standard decorum. And actually gutsier, because he’s presenting his *own* views. Obviously, the school board itself doesn’t agree with his position.
You should rightfully be speaking for the board. The children need to learn what it means to be American. Parents don’t send their kids to school to learn to be anarchists.
What is the solution? Do we need new people on the School Board?
The whole of the ASD administration should be summarily dismissed and this information should be forwarded to the DOJ so they may be prosecuted for seditious acts against the United States of America.
I wholeheartedly agree. Despicable!
Let’s start with the Dunleavy Administration and then motley crew of liars . Its a cesspool of bad apples and we understand how leaching fields work. It all runs downhill!!
Do you think Dunleavy had anything to do with this?
Dunleavy has had to fight the same crap democrat run coalitions or he would have been far more successful
Dunleavy isn’t the problem.
you people love big government so much, it’s pathetic.
ASD continues their subtle advice to homeschool your kids.
Well…if the Anchorage School District refuses to endorse America’s Supreme Law of the land, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, you need to ask yourself, what do they endorse??? PARENT’S…PULL YOUR KID’S OUT OF ANYTHING RELATED TO THE ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR GOD’DSAKE!!!!
Agree here as well. Why any thinking parent would leave their kids in ASD schools is mind boggling. We homeschooled k-12. It was not difficult academically, but managing the finances was always a challenge of creativity. We lived frugally, did not have the luxuries of a double income, and still live in the same small house, albeit the kids are grown. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Ours are now well adjusted educated adults, both, and their spouses, clear thinking conservatives with common sense and work ethic – and knowledge of our nations heritage and foundation. Just imagine how our culture could be put back on track if most parents sacrificed and educated at home?
Maybe the corrupt Marxist PS system would straighten out as well and return to the control of local communities and parents where it should be.
They were hired under the authority of the Anchorage School Board, which was hired by the voters. We should not waste energy and time focusing on symptoms but rather on problems. The problem in this case: Voters. Most straight-thinking voters fail to realize the problem sits across from them at their dinner table.
Who did this!!? This is a declaration of war!
Overall, in following the politics of Anchorage from (Thankfully)S.E.Alaska, this action pretty much says what Anchorage reflects in the actions of the elected bodies. The challenge being how to keep this mentality from spreading to other like thinking communities (Juneau,Fairbanks, and soon, Ketchikan???).
Cheers,
A.M.Johnson-Ketchikan
Fairbanks is already there
It is time to fight back against our school board, assembly and Mayor. They, for the most part, no longer support the American ideals this country was founded on.
You’re killing it up here. Now time to bring back suzanne downing and go nuclear on the degenerates.
ASD needs to take more than a reality pill.
This statement is. Lets start “Defund ASD”
How about defund the Dept. of Education?
To my knowledge that is already underway and considering schools did not collapse while the Dept. of Educations has been shut down for over a month, it is time to do away with it.
So let’s start local. If the ASD thinks that our founding documents no longer apply to them, then they are no longer entitled to its rights and privileges either, namely remuneration and receipt of tax funds collected under the authority of said documents.
Am I still in America. How can these ingenerates just start doing and putting down wherever the hell they want ???????
Next they will put ” we endorse” on Mao’s Little Red Book
Better not hear a peep about their precious 1st amendment ‘rights’ anymore. Or their right to federal tax dollars. Or their right to police protection. Or their right to a fair trial. Or their right to vote. Or their right to representation in Congress. The jerks who decided this should be stripped of their citizenship. And sent to a third world toilet bowl.
You would be surprised how many in the state legislature feel the same as the ASD, and feel the same toward the Alaska constitution. Meanwhile, the federal government needs to stop endorsing (subsidizing) the ASD. Where is Trump when we actually need him?
What did anybody expect them to say? To me, that sticker attached to those documents reveals all anybody needs to know about our school system and its administration. If only I weren’t forced to contribute to it. The whole thing is anathema to this American.
Then they dont need our money either, let them pay their own bills without Federal support. No support for Federal Law no support for you. Suck it up Anchorage your school system is in the tank and should no longer receive support from tax money.
You have a problem Anchorage a bunch of traitors teaching your children.
The public schools and Unis are rife with this ilk!
I’d like to know if this was some kind of a mistake and/or whether all the pamphlets had these stickers. I find it difficult to believe ASD would promote such a thing. I have my grievances regarding ASD, but this would take the cake, if true.
I’m betting since the copies were donated by Hillsdale College, some functionary “followed protocol” and put a sticker to denote they were not produced by ASD itself. The “noon-endorsement” is of the provider, not the documents. Still asinine, still concerning, still a sign of the lack of sound leadership at the highest levels of ASD and the school board.
If this is the case that they dont endorse Hillsdale, ASD needs to respond and say as much publicly. Each member of ASD needs to be asked separately in a public meeting if they personally endorse all of each of the Declaration of Independence, The US Constitution especially including the first 10 amendments (The bill of rights) and also the Alaska state constitution. If they will not, they deserve a recall.
That was kind of my thought, too. Not that it makes it any better, but they saw Hillsdale College and mindlessly put on that diasvowal without paying attention to the fact that it was merely an acknowledgement of who printed the pamphlet, and ignoring that it merely contained copies of the declaration and the constitution.
We have freedom here in the US. The documents & law that guarantees that, as best it can be guaranteed, are the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights & the Constitution. If a Public School cannot or will not support those basic principles then no public money (Borough, State or Federal) should be provided to them. Period. They can support amending those documents or changing them, that’s free speech. But what was done here, that’s a no go.
Don’t all of the School Board members and ASD execs take an oath of office to defend the Constituion of the US and State of Alaska from all enemies foreign and domestic? If so, they’ve publicly jettisoned that oath and tendered their resignations. Cheers –
Excellent article. Thanks for making all aware of this important occurrence that could have slipped under the radar
I’m sure there’s a union that would fight the termination of the group of people behind this.
These people need to be weeded out of what used to be an education institution. It has become a full on indoctrination bureaucracy.
Two major changes since me and my siblings went to school. One -we had males as some of our teachers. Two- there was a piece of wood with holes in it that would occasionally make contact with a behind of a disruptive student.
Every school board member swears an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Alaska. Refusing to endorse either violates those oaths. Recall the entire Board.
Mark, I resent any allegation that I would not honor my oath of office and not support the Constitution. My 25 years of service in elected office representing my hometown of Anchorage proves the opposite. I absolutely endorse the Constitutions of our Constitutional Republic and State.
Dave Donley
Obviously speaking only for myself and not the ASD or School Board.
Spare us your “resentment”, Dave!
.
You haven’t seen “resentment” from parent/taxpayers over your part in voting for this racket, creating a construction monopoly controlled by labor unions, limiting competition on construction projects over $1 million to those companies hiring union labor!
.
Remind again which part of the Constitution or your oath of office says voting unanimously to create a construction monopoly controlled by labor unions, limiting competition on construction projects over $1 million to those companies hiring union labor is okay?
.
Talk about that, Dave, then you won’t have to worry about speaking only for yourself and not the ASD or School Board, since “unanimous” means every one of you was in on it.
(https://mustreadalaska.com/anchorage-school-board-votes-for-construction-monopoly-by-labor-unions/)
you people love big government so much, it’s pathetic.
Look who NYC just elected.
The stage has been set for the last 30 years.
Anyone who seriously voted for Kamala can’t be trusted.
The country is hurtling towards revolution.
If the Left is honest with itself – they know who will win – this is the most armed populace in history, you’ve sent millions in the last 30 years to fight foreign wars and the majority of those soldiers aren’t Lefties, and we have a culture of hunting with young children and a belief in our founding principles, The US Constitution.
Beware.
So, yes to political violence?
Individual liberty is offensive to communists.
They WILL again be overcome by the LIBERTY and TRUTH that were gifts from Almighty God. We will shine that holy light and relegate them to the outer darkness. They will fight the whole way.
Gird your loins.
Parents shouldn’t need to pull their kids of of the Anchorage School District. The libararian, the principal and the superintendent must be called to task for this. Alas, the School Board and Assembly are full of socialists who agree with the sticker and its placement. Imagine the next school board meeting where thousands of concerned Alaskans peacefully enter the room and refuse to leave until this is dealt with. Imagine so many that the School Board Members could not leave until the librarian and principal and, yes, even the superintendent are fired. More people rallied for “Maryland Man” and illegal aliens…
I called and left a message for the superintendent. Her number is 907-742-4312. This is treason in my book. These liberal sobs stole our PFD for the schools and this is what they preach. Over my dead body.
Alaska Tom. You start the petition. I’ll happily sign it. Their not welcome here anymore.
“…….. “Anchorage School District does not endorse the materials or viewpoints expressed in them” disclaimer on the documents. Such a blatant attack on our most foundational documents which detail America’s most dearly held values and shapes the American identity requires explanation………..’
No explanation is necessary. A federal investigation is required by law, because this is treason. I hereby request the U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska to investigate who within the ASD is responsible for and cooperated in this treasonous act and demand their immediate termination. Those incredibly foolish employees should be thankful if the U.S. government doesn’t seek criminal charges.
I am surprised that so many people are “shocked” by this admission.
Just a couple years ago Biden’s team of misfits came up with the plan to end federal funding for schools that refused to allow boys pretending to be girls to use girls bathrooms as well as showering with them after taking over girls sporting events.
Absolutely nothing was heard regarding pushback from ASD over that.
Please dont complain if your children are still voluntarily enrolled in ASD.
Complaints about being forced to pay for this corrupt ASD empire should be prioritized.
How about we wait and listen to what they have to say about this, instead of AIIIEEE ANTI-AMERICAN YAAAAAHHH!
None of you know ANY of the details! You’re just REACTING! STOP REACTING FIRST, IDIOTS!
For all you know, this could be some stupid hoax and you’re being played a fool!
IF they CANNOT defend this, or disagree with this sentiment, then go ahead and lose your shit.
“……..How about we wait and listen to what they have to say about this……….”
They need to explain it to the U.S. Attorney. The games need to stop.
Who is “They”?
What time do the Anchorage School District Walk-Outs and protests start? How many patriots are willing to finally take a stand?
Were’s Suzanne? She could rally the troops more than anyone. This cancer is spreading throughout the country. Scary times indeed!
Are these ASD people protesting our founding documents or were they protesting the sender, Hillsdale College? If they were protesting Hillsdale, why not be more specific, such as we endorse the documents but not the sender? The way the sticker reads now, they have all renounced their oaths and should be terminated. Immediately.
Holy Shit. The education system is filled so much rot and infested with commies who hate this country. Anchorage School District needs to be defunded and investigated.
McCarthy was right all along!
How would we feel about a similar pamphlet being distributed by the Democratic Socialists of America? It is a good thing for ASD to distribute copies of the constitution, but it’s a little bit shady to include branding of a partisan group. It seems like this is a reasonable compromise by ASD that gets the material into students’ hands while providing some appropriate distance between ASD and Hillsdale College. At least, can we acknowledge that ASD should be very careful before sending out pamphlets branded by either the Heritage Foundation or the DSA? (Yes, I know that Hillsdale is a separate entity from Heritage, but they are pretty closely intertwined).
Dan, ASD had a choice here.
ASD chose to distribute outside material to students. One would assume that not every Tom, Dick and Harry can just walk up to ASD headquarters and have their pamphlet given out to students. I bet these were vetted by staff we pay. They could have approve this pamphlet “as is” without quantification. If the label attached was supposed to refer to Hillsdale College as the printer, it was a complete communications failure by said staff, which makes you wonder about their qualifications. The reference to “materials and viewpoints” clearly alludes to the content, NOT the distributor.
I would really like to know what the occasion for this distribution was and the grade level of the students.
I would have no issue if the DSA printed the constitution and declaration of independence for students to have as a reference. (One wonders though if it would come with the same label). I believe every person should have a copy of these documents for reference and to understand/be aware of the actual wording. It makes for better communication and a more harmonious society when all can read the original text for themselves.
That’s a reasonable take. I agree the messaging is flawed. But, it remains obvious to me that ASD needs to do *something* to distance themselves from the publisher and the level of outrage in this piece seems a bit disproportional to the error.
We all know that the ASD isn’t actually disclaiming the constitution, right? I guess that they have a standard sticker that applies to all outside materials. Should Anchorage really put together a blue ribbon committee to re-evaluate their sticker policy? Print a second sticker for kosher materials by a non-kosher publisher? Start a big argument about what publishers are ok? Seems like much ado about nothing.
Dan, interestingly the ADN reports today ASD stating that this label is supposed to be only applied to flyers and posters. ASD further claims in the report I read, that this “sticker” was placed by the “requestor”. Unfortunately they do not elaborate on WHO this requestor is.
I am making the assumption that a teacher requested these materials for a class and Hillsdale College donated these pamphlets (also according to ADN Hillsdale seems to do that every year). At the least some additional training on outside material policy is required.
Unfortunately the message implies that the ASD has objection to the content. Words Dan have meaning and at the very least ASD needs to apologize and set clearer guidelines for handling these items.
Words have meaning, but we are also all in this together. Let’s give each other some slack.
Sadly no Dan.
We should really hold our institutions to a higher standard than “just good enough for government work”.
These people teach our children AND take the largest chunk of property tax collected in this town. We need to expect better and not acquiesce to spurious action for the sake of “getting along”!
My mileage varies.
At any rate, it has been reported that the pamphlet includes a politically oriented forward, so perhaps ASD made the right call to begin with
if the ASD does not endorse the Constitution, then they need to find new careers and work. We don’t want nor we should we employ people who think Marx is more important than Jefferson.
There were some really good candidates in the last school board election. They all lost to very marginal candidates who happened to be endorsed by the unions.
The booklet came from Hillsdale College, what else is in the booklet besides the Declaration of Independence, and the US Constitution?
Has anyone considered that this is standard practice for all pamphlets or materials that come in before they are sent to students and families? Yes, I understand it shouldn’t be controversial; it is still a paid pamphlet by Hilldale College, and ASD is likely just following their policy on this one. Does anyone need a jumping-to-conclusions mat?
“………Has anyone considered that this is standard practice………”
We’ve come to expect this type of Long March garbage as “standard practice”.
They should, by law, be required to endorse those materials and the views expressed in them.
The ASD just hates Hillsdale College. If Antifa, BLM, the ACLU, CAIR, or any other left wing NGO had published it, they would fully endorse it.
I think a lot of people who’ve commented miss a basic point. The attack, and it appears to be one, on the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, contained in the disclaimer did not come from the political left. Far from it. It was part of a pamphlet that came out of Hillsdale College, which is quite far to the political right.
Huh?
Printing the founding documents verbatim by Hillsdale College,
then ASD attaching a disclaimer sticker is somehow Hillsdale’s doing???
Explain, Please!
You miss the point. The ASD and not Hillsdale (which you misrepresent as far right) afixed the traitorous comment. Reading comprehension problems Stevie?
Thanks for the report Natalie. For years, I’ve asked my friends and neighbors why we should continuing supporting the ASD. This puts the nail in that oblong box of my protestations.
Meanwhile, at the state level, the morons are pouring it on:
But you don’t want me to share those articles, so I’ll leave it at this…
If the position of ASD is accurate, which I hope it is not, then it does not endorse the Federal government which the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were designed to create. If it does not endorse, then it does not seek recognition by said government nor desire funding from such. According to Section 504 of the American Disability Act that if a school district is not availing or abiding by special designed education plans toward a Free and Appropriate Public Education for special needs students then it looses all Federal funding for the entire district. Therefore, if ASD does not retract its supposed position in a formal manner (e.g. full page in the ADN and permanent statement on ASD website) then the Federal Government should remove all Federal funding for ASD immediately. What say you?
Q: What additional text/commentary do these booklets contain apart from the text of the two historical documents? Is it possible there is added text from the Hillsdale staff that raised concerns from the District?
Hillsdale has always had a reputation (starting at the top with Larry) of looking to add overtly religious tones to U.S. history, including discussions on the Founders and their written legacies – despite the Constitution having been ratified as a wholly and deliberately secular guiding document.
[…] On Veterans Day, we give special acknowledgment to the heroes who have fought to defend the American nation. Tragically, some of the kooks running our schools won’t even endorse the documents that define it: […]
Hang on a second, is this an automatic sticker that gets put on all pamphlets that ASD doesn’t produce? If so then Must Read Alaska should have clarified with the school district before going to print. If that’s the case shame on Must Read Alaska for making a controversy where there was none.
Conservative/Christian parents who still have their children in the cesspool called public school are part of the problem. Yank your kids out of there! Make ASD hurt for its dereliction of duty and fostering of a leftist agenda throughout the entire curricula.
Once again a false narrative by the far right. Hillsdale College put the stickers on the pamphlet, and they included their BS interpretation. Don’t MRAK won’t correct their falsehoods.
One of the first rules of journalism is not to take at face value a Facebook post and parrot it to your readers. The pamphlet included the Declaration of Independence but also a preface by Hillsdale College that was a pitch for its college as well as propaganda espousing a particular point of view. Had they just distributed the Declaration of independence and Constitution it would have been fine, but they crossed the line, prompting an appropriate disclaimer by ASD. MSR can better provide a conservative view point by using facts, not reprinting a Facebook post.