Bob Griffin, a member of the Alaska State Board of Education, didn’t imagine his confirmation hearing in front of hostile members of the Senate Education Committee would be friendly. But he might not have suspected that the committee, led by Sen. Loki Tobin, would grill him and make accusations against him for over 40 minutes.
Tobin, who uses the pronouns “she/her,” accused Griffin of spreading misinformation. Then, relaying rumors she had heard from education industry sources who are hostile to Griffin, she accused him of attending meetings and claiming he was a representative of the Department of Education (he is a member of the department’s governing board), and she accused him of advocating for the illegal and misuse of public funds.
Griffin took the questions one by one and answered them with civility.
“No I have never advocated for the misuse of public funds,” Griffin said.
“That’s curious to me,” Tobin argued. “You were just talking about how you’re supportive of allotments but that was just knocked down by a superior court judge as being unconstitutional usages. So it’s difficult for me to marry those two statements together.”
She was referring to a decision by Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman that eliminates funding for 24,000 homeschool and correspondence school students across the state — a decision that has been appealed to the Supreme Court.
The committee hostility to the governor’s appointee to the Board of Education may portend a tough confirmation hearing in a joint session of the House and Senate, to take place around May 10 and before the May 15 adjournment. Griffin needs 31 votes between the House and Senate to keep his (volunteer) position on the state Board of Education.
Watch the grilling of education advocate Bob Griffin at this link.
Bob Griffin is an Alaskan treasure.
He’s the only one trying to hold ASBE accountable to the students and citizens.
Not the unions.
Bob Griffin is a man of honor, character amd integrity. He has devoted much of his life to understanding and discussing the best practices of education. Of course, bought and paid for politicians like Tobin want to derail his confirmation. Bob stands for the children. Which she/her has absolutely no idea that is the foundation of education.
I am sick of hearing about this ridiculous pronoun BS! This crap should have absolutely NO PLACE in our children’s educational institutions!
MRAK appears to be more focused on Senator Tobin’s gender than Bob Griffin support of private school funding over public schools that is contrary to the Alaska Constitution.
I doubt MRAK gives one fat rat’s behind about pronouns. I suspect lil’ Loki started she/her diatribe by announcing them. Any more strawman (-person?) argumenys you’d like to promote?
If a family elects to have their educated in a school, any school or home school situation why shouldn’t the funding go to educate that student. Taking the student out of one school does not increase the financial burden on that school, it deceases it. If the state has decided it will spend X amount of money per student, why is the public school that isn’t teaching that student entitled to that money?
If public schools were academically competitive and didn’t engage in political and social indoctrination this would be a non issue. As it is, private schools and home schools produce far better results for far less money. Of course , there are reasons for that, special education is very expensive and much of that is done in public schools, private and home school families have demonstrated a commitment and engagement to support the success of their students which often translates to better academic performance. Those families shouldn’t be financially punished for that commitment, they should be compensated as fairly as the public school kids.
Is it contrary to the Alaska Constitution to use my children’s PFDs (allocated public funds) to pay for their Christian private school? If not, why?
At every level, Liberals are showing they are only interested in one thing. Distraction and meddling. It’s appalling that during a confirmation hearing they take this opportunity to basically waste time. Not surprised. They all act like spoiled little kids not getting what they want. Would be nice to see the Governor grow a pair and tell them where to go and to not allow such nonsense during a confirmation hearing! Dunleavy??
Daisy, ever heard of the separation of powers?
Gov. Dunleavy appoints and the legislature confirms. He has no say in how they do that. Instead of bashing the governor you should take the uncivil Senator Tobin to task, who apparently does not afford respect to fellow Alaskans and spreads gossip.
> Liberals are showing they are only interested in one thing.
First of all they are not liberal- they are leftists. Authoritarian leftists to be exact. Words are important.
Secondly, they are interested in only one thing, but it is not “Distraction and meddling”. It is Power. Obtaining it by whatever means and then holding by any means. There is no limit.
They must be driven off or removed. There is no negotiating with them, even though I wish there was.
BEARS REPEATING:
> Liberals are showing they are only interested in one thing.
First of all they are not liberal- they are leftists. Authoritarian leftists to be exact. Words are important.
Secondly, they are interested in only one thing, but it is not “Distraction and meddling”. It is Power. Obtaining it by whatever means and then holding by any means. There is no limit.
They must be driven off or removed. There is no negotiating with them, even though I wish there was.
And every Republican senator that chooses to align with these people in a caucus needs to go. But alas, the problem is the people keep reelecting them and Dunleavy won’t campaign for their conservative opponent to get rid if them. 🤦♂️
Congratulations Alaskan voters, we now have our own “squad” led by the fine she/her Loki Tobin backed up by Forrest Dunbar Andrew Gray team of misfits.
All they need id a proHamas flag to make it official.
Go ahead and tell me your pronouns and watch me turn around and walk away. I refuse to pander to your mental illness 🤪
Bob Griffin is a man of integrity. He has shone the light on Alaska’s K12 education system. He provides data, research and information . The other side resents that with only anecdotes and opinions. The education cartel fears facts and data. He is mostly responsible for the Alaska Reads Act which will help our Alaskan children learn to read at grade level by 3rd grade. His legacy will at least be the Alaska Reads Act.
Keep fighting, Bob. There are thousands of kids and parents behind you protecting your back.
Makes up a bunch of BS and calls it “research” and you’re upset because he’s being called out on it ?
If APF was a think tank y’all would be stuck in the shallow end.
What BS is that, exactly?
There is no such thing as a good democrat, they tend to be unethical, nasty and it seems that they are mentally insane.
The hostility of Democrat leadership today is expected. They are a mile or two miles short from dominating the state Entirely! They are taking territory and Tobin and men and women like him MUST stay strong, and follow the law and good etiquette. If the Alaska Republican Party can take take territory back from what they lost, take notes from the democrats today how to push hard, intimidate, and take territory by force when total domination is in their grasp.
Still your Alaska GOP chair you need a man not a woman to been elected and you don’t need a 25 year old man. Their inexperience to unify different members and recruit new members and their inexperience around others of different backgrounds will set the Alaska GOP back. Govenor Dunleavy and Tobin need help from the AK GOP in diplomatic relations with AK Democrats to get him and others through future confirmations.
I’m thinking Senator Tobin is a solid “maybe”’on the vote for my confirmation.
As an old fighter pilot, I always remember: The flak is always the thickest when you’re over an important target.
Good luck to you sir. The state needs some sane voices in the education delivery industry. Certainly not getting that from the teacher’s unions and their hacks.
Brrrrt! Cheers –
We have enough Rs in the House and Senate to confirm Mr. Griffin, so if the likes of Senator Kelly Merrick (Eagle River) or Senator Jesse Bjorkman (Kenai) paid for and endorsed by the NEA don’t, show them the door and get them voted out. In the meantime send emails and support Mr. Bob and get him confirmed!
I am embarrassed that Chugiak and Eagle River didn’t do their homework and look at her house record. She is doing the exact same thing in the senate. Heads up. If an elected representative of the people has a union leader spouse they will never vote for a smaller government, a sustainable budget or competitive contracts for state employees or services.
We will definitely send our support for this awesome man. We agree with Micah about leftists. Dennis Prager defined them in a similar fashion;. He said that the hatred that they have for all people and things good, they destroy. NFL, Disney, all this “wokeness” trash. They fall hard and need to be removed and driven away. They even hate themselves. Tobin provides no good role model for anyone worthy of it. The greed of this clique in the Senate led by Gary Stevens who abandoned the R after being elected by Republicans and our own Click Bishop, union all the way as well as others in the “caucus” took advantage of their positions, lying their way into office and ruining the organized structure of the legislature for their own personal gain. Alaskans lost all these years as the “caucus alias clique” have continued to steal the PFD and push their own agendas on “We the People.” it would be useful to review the true history of our government and the three branches not one branch, the self appointed justices legislating from the bench on behalf of the NEA not service of the State of Alaska. These leftists are taking revenge on the Governor’s appointees. This committee is seething with hate and having tantrums because they did not successfully override the Governor’s veto. The unions prop up these reprobates who would not make it on their own. Keep praying for Alaska’s government and that of the U.S,
Bob Griffin is a man of great character and honesty.
Sen. Loki Tobin on the other hand is of highly questionable ethics, character and standing. Senator Tobin does not scare me at all —it’s the people who vote her/she/it into office that keep us on this backward agenda of destruction and transformation.
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