With the clock ticking before the start of a special session called by the governor, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is pressing the Alaska Legislature to return to Juneau this Saturday and focus on a package of education reforms.
The governor’s announcement Monday sharpened the focus of the Aug. 2 session, laying out a reform agenda he says is rooted in years of legislative discussion, public input, and a pressing need to address Alaska’s ongoing crisis in student performance.
The governor released a video explaining his proposals:
Among the key proposals:
- Creation of a Department of Agriculture, via executive order, to strengthen Alaska’s food security and support its agricultural economy.
- Tribal compacting with the Department of Education, allowing for more culturally responsive and effective schooling in tribal communities.
- Expansion of the corporate tax credit program that allows businesses to support education through donations.
- Authorization for the Department of Education to act as a charter school authorizer, in addition to local districts.
- Open enrollment allowing students to attend any public school with available space, regardless of home district.
- Targeted reading grants and a state-run after-school tutoring program focused on literacy.
- Recruitment and retention bonuses for classroom teachers in hard-to-staff areas.
- A long-term, predictable funding structure for Alaska’s K-12 schools, but only if lawmakers approve the associated reforms.
Many of these proposals were policy pieces the governor had wanted during the regular session. If he gets them, he’s willing to give back the $50 million that he vetoed from the education budget.
Dunleavy stressed the urgency of legislative action now, so districts, parents, and teachers can plan ahead without waiting for the next regular session in January. If passed, the legislation could be signed into law immediately.
“This is an opportunity to address Alaska’s performance issues and funding issues in K-12 education well into the future,” the governor said in his announcement. “By addressing this now, school districts, students, parents, teachers, and policymakers will have certainty.”
Education Commissioner Deena Bishop, who helped craft the proposal, pointed to the Alaska Reads Act as proof that targeted policy changes paired with stable funding can move the needle on student achievement. She said the current package would increase engagement, empower families, and help districts with long-term planning.
But will the Legislature go along?
Lawmakers are returning to Juneau under a narrow call that focuses on education reform. That means they can’t introduce unrelated legislation or take up other issues. Some legislators, particularly in the Democrat-led House coalition and soft Republicans, have clashed with Dunleavy in the past over vetoes and funding strategies.
Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bipartisan education bill with a significant increase to the base student allocation. Dunleavy vetoed a small portion of that bill, saying it didn’t do enough to address systemic performance problems. His action left Democrats and soft Republicans frustrated, and some now question whether this special session will simply end in a repeat — with the Legislature overriding any new vetoes and adjourning. Several legislators, including retiring Sen. Gary Stevens, want to get to Boston in time for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Legislative Summit in Boston, Aug. 4-6, a gathering for legislators and staff.
The question now is: Will lawmakers seize this opportunity to advance reform, or override the governor’s efforts and go to Boston to party?
The bills are set to be introduced on the first day of the special session, with hearings requested to begin as early as Sunday, August 3.
What do you think? Will the Legislature act on these reforms or override and adjourn? Let us know in the comments what you think.
What does Tribal compacting mean??
On the YK Delta, chronic absenteeism, automatic grade advancement, no homework and minimal expectations is the village norm.
Time to tighten the curriculum, raise parental expectations and push for more sweeping structural programs like the “Read by 9″. This is measured success which everyone can see.
Enough of being talked down on by college educated administrators that want the money and no scrutiny. Never mind measurable results.
Edgmon and Stevens have been telling us, ” shut up and give us the money “, then maybe we’ll talk policies…
They stole $1.6 Billion from our Permanent Fund just this year. Enough is enough.
Unless it’s MORE MONEY for unions,they’ll fight it to death. The greedy unions need more money to purchase more legislators to keep ripping off the taxpayers while providing as little as possible of value to students
Democrats love the smell of money……so, maybe.
Aww c’mon…this piece is laughable in its insincerity because it deliberately leaves out the part where Dunleavy called the special session – and spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer money to do pull it off – then cynically urged legislators not to show up.