By LUCAS SMITH
House Bill 69 is not the education bill Alaska’s public-school students and teachers deserve. HB 69 does nothing more than increase the Base Student Allocation. That is a proven recipe for disaster.
HB 69 is unfair to the Anchorage School District’s dedicated students and teachers, and fails to consider current constraints and realities. Time and time again ASD Superintendent Bryantt has demonstrated where his allegiance lies and it is not to ASD students and their education. It is also not to ASD’s dedicated teachers.
On Feb. 25 the Anchorage School District held a special meeting to approve the fiscal year 2025-2026 Preliminary Budget and authorize an upper limit spending authority of $866,250,188. Where was Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt on Feb. 24? He wasn’t in his office fretting over how to improve student outcomes. He was in Juneau lobbying the Alaska Legislature on the subject of competitive wages for teachers.
In a special meeting of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly held on April 2, 2025, Superintendent Bryantt was offered another opportunity to clarify the intent of ASD’s proposed budget.
Bryantt was asked, “How are you going to take some of these funds and try to improve the current programs… beyond the charter schools that are doing well?” Bryantt neither expressed a shared concern over student performance and outcomes, nor revealed even a hint of interest in providing any detail about a single improvement focused initiative. Instead, in what could be characterized as an arrogant lecturing retort, Bryantt spoke at length in support of defined benefits for teachers.
Are you middle aged? The child whose education is compromised today in favor of tenured teachers’ defined benefits packages could one day be the public defender assigned to your case, or your primary Medicare physician. Even if you don’t have kids enrolled at ASD, you have a dog in this fight!
At the outset of this legislative session, the Legislature’s education committees were given ample fair warning with strong encouragement to begin work on producing an education bill focused on improving student outcomes and test scores through innovation and choice, and with incentives for students and teachers. As an example, and a mighty good starting point, Governor Dunleavy proposed HB 76, a simple framework with sensible mechanisms for reforming and incentivizing Alaska education. Although HB 76 was received by the legislature on Jan. 31, the bill’s first hearing happened just days ago, on April 9.
HB 69 passed the House on March 12. The minority caucus offered more than 50 amendments to improve HB 69. Nearly all were turned down by the majority caucus lead by Republican Chuck Kopp of House District 10.
HB 69 must be vetoed, reminding both the legislature and Superintendent Bryantt that student outcomes do matter, and both teachers and students should be rewarded for achieving them together.
Do not allow the legislature to pass an education bill that simply empowers Superintendent Bryantt to throw money at the teachers’ union. This benefits no one. Tell the Alaska Legislature and tell your legislator we want all options on the table – incentives, choice, innovation – not the same old tired flavor of education most of us seem to be gagging on.
Alaska requires a long-term fiscal solution, and with that solution, perhaps then, and only then, might we all be willing to consider serious investment in public education; but definitely not now, and not through HB 69.
Lucas Smith is a parent in Anchorage.
What you allow will continue. It’s a reflection of what you let slide, and what you don’t. Every time you let someone cross the line, you redraw it. Until eventually, there is no line. That’s where we are with ASD. They have been allowed to cross the line, i.e. produce less and less with respect to student outcomes….and we just redraw the line to make the acceptable outcomes lower. Until now, when we are among the worst performing school districts in the country. What’s the solution? I suggest firing the top 20% of ASD administrators and hiring someone with a demonstrated ability to turn around a failing school system. Give them clear metrics that define what success looks like. Structure their pay such that as the desired metrics are achieved they are rewarded appropriately. Thoughts?
Mark, Every point you make is valid, accurate, and visual.
It is not just the Anchorage school district,(Which I agree from all reading reports has a stinking odor or your Anchorage assembly, equally smelly by print reading)
Here in Ketchikan the School Board spends an ornateness time with “Policy” but rare is the topic of academics or achievement by struggling and failing students discussed.
Challenging the obvious is not a friendly goal, as with the rest of the state, two areas of constrictions and non-success are:
(1) Parents, high percentage, are two parent workers with careers and little time for the children making the school system a duel babysitting service as well a hoped for education. Many are the parents with struggling children, no time to attend board meetings, other attractions taking remaining times,
and trust, trust something will happen positively at some point . a common held trust with both teachers (Move him/her along, just not ready) and parents.
(2) The power of the teachers union (ANEA) with the legislature and their inbred desire to maintain the current curriculum’s throughout the Alaska community schools. In a nutshell, resistance to change due to the vast majority of teachers having been taught in their own K-12 schooling with the same tools but were in that 45-50% that succeeded with a flawed curriculum (Whole Language-Sigh Word). Until the legislature mandates in clear language, the teaching of phonics K-3 period, not “quasi phonics” or “exploring the world of word sounds”. you can expect the continued level of failure for a cost that is totally out of this world. (And no PFD)
PS: the acceptance of the READ program has too many escape clauses to allow the “Freedom to Teach”philosophy that is rampant in Alaska schools.
In its present form,will not suffice as the alternate and hoped for reading improvements, not going to happen.
Cheers
The problem is a lack of accountability in some districts caused by a community that is not involved ! The Parents should be in the School boards face but can not be bothered. So we get what we deserve.
Thomas,
In total agreement, well stated.
Cheers
Remind again what happens to parents who get in the School boards face and what the difference is between a school board meeting and any other delphi meeting especially when getting more money is the subject?
.
What can one possibly say in a school board meeting that’ll persuade them not to steer million-dollar contracts to union-only shops, not to groom children for sexual mutilation, not to harbor illegal-alien children?
Not sure what’ll change for the better until people regain control of their grand jury and election systems.
The State.
Bureacrats.
Tax dollars.
Incompetence.
And the children suffer – not from feelings, gender affirmation, lack of knowledge about climate change, or DEI.
They suffer because they grow up to be functional illiterate.
Well, it is all on the Governor to veto this bill. I am not certain, but there appears to be a lack of public opinion messages, phone calls, emails, letters in sufficient numbers against increased funding to make the Senate and House. You can be sure that the unions, schools, teachers, all have sent their messages and testimony in for the bill.
Since it is a free-for-all doing the same thing over again with increased school funding, don’t expect anything to change except you get a smaller permanent fund dividend.
The T plan (Tavoliero) was presented over a month ago. It is the ultimate alternative!