Democrat gubernatorial candidate Les Gara announced Monday in Anchorage that a former vice president of the Anchorage Education Association and the Alaska chapter of the National Education Association is his lieutenant governor running mate.
The news release naming Jessica Cook took pains to avoid mentioning her longtime association with NEA, which is considered one of the more radical leftist unions in America.
Cook is a lifelong Alaskan who lives in Palmer and teaches Eagle River students. She is married to an Air Force veteran. She will not campaign until the end of the school year, the two politicos said.
Cook said, “I’m running because I want a better future, with good jobs and good schools, so our children and grandchildren can stay here.”
She also said, “People are leaving [the state] because they see no commitment to public education. They see an economy that’s lost jobs since before the pandemic.”
In fact, Alaska spends more on education per student than nearly all states, $17,984 per pupil for a total of $2.36 billion annually.
Like Gara, Cook grew up with hardship. While Gara grew up in foster homes, Cook was raised by an adoptive home and by her grandparents after her mother died. Like Gara, her early childhood trauma shapes her perspective on equity, saying everyone has a right to a good-paying job, regardless of their effort, education, or interest: “People have a right to a good education, and a good-paying job with a living wage, regardless of their background, hardship, or whether they’re born rich or poor.”
Cook has three children, five grandchildren, and has two master’s degrees in education.
“Jessica brings energy, intelligence, and a needed perspective to a state where people see little commitment to public education,” said Gara, who has known Cook for more than 10 years.
“Alaskans are losing jobs and educational opportunities because of a lack of leadership. Giving away $1.3 billion in oil company ‘tax credit’ subsidies makes us poor. That prevents us from building the future of good schools, good jobs, and funding a stronger dividend than we’ve seen under this Governor. It’s wrong to give away the value of Alaska’s resources and then pit Alaskans against each other to fight between schools, a strong University, police in dozens of communities that have none, a PFD, and the things that can build a stronger state,” said Gara.
The two are the candidates running for the Executive Branch under the Democratic Party banner, with former Gov. Bill Walker still declaring himself to be undeclared as a candidate, and his running mate Heidi Drygas, a union lawyer, by his side. The Gara-Cook campaign and the Walker-Drygas campaign are treating each other with kid gloves as they head toward the ranked choice general election ballot, hoping to share voters in the number 1 and number 2 places.
According to EducationData.org:
Alaska spends the most on K-12 education in terms of percentage of taxpayer income and ranks 7th overall in the most spending per pupil. Alaska’s schools rank 6th in funding and are the most dependent schools in the nation on federal funding.
- Alaskan K-12 public schools spend $17,984 per pupil for a total of $2.36 billion annually.
- Expenditures are equivalent to 5.09% of taxpayer income.
- Alaska K-12 schools receive $401.2 million, or $3,064 per pupil, from the federal government.
- State funding totals $1.58 billion or $12,061 per pupil.
- Local funding totals $548.8 million or $4,191 per pupil.
- State and local funding is equivalent to 4.60% of Alaska’s taxpayer income.
- Alaska’s federal education funding is equivalent to 0.87% of the state’s taxpayer income.
- Funding for K-12 education in Alaska totals $2.53 billion or $19,315 per pupil.
- The difference between spending and funding is $174.3 million or $1,079 per pupil.
- At the postsecondary level, colleges and universities spend $32,630 per pupil, 31.10% of which goes toward instruction.
- Federal funding for postsecondary education averages $4,980 per student.
- State funding and local funding average $13,197 per student and $567 per student, respectively.
- Tuition accounts for 15.80% of all funding.
- 4.59% of all postsecondary funding in Alaska comes from sales and services of auxiliary enterprises.
