By SEN. MIKE CRONK
As a retired teacher of 25 years and current State senator, I am writing to the Alaska homeschooling community today with a matter of great urgency and importance concerning the future of homeschooling in Alaska.
Recent legislative actions and public discourse have put your homeschooling rights and the choices you make for your children’s education under threat.
With HB 69, the House Majority, strongly supported by the National Education Association (NEA), recently blocked several critical amendments that would have supported correspondence students more equitably. This decision significantly impacts the ability of the state’s highly effective correspondence programs to provide services to families. Services that some families across the state are yearning for, and which best support the individual needs of many of students. (These limitations appear to be the intentional goal of the Majority and NEA).
The amendments sought to rectify the major funding shortfalls these programs experience, as they do not receive the full Base Student Allocation (BSA) or the additional funding allocated for students who need special education services. According to estimates provided by State officials, the funding received by correspondence programs is less than one half of the average funding provided for students in Alaska and often significantly less.
The failure to pass these amendments shows a disconcerting disregard for parental rights and the varied educational needs across our state, affecting both the current families who rely on these programs and the future landscape of homeschooling in Alaska.
It is no coincidence that the votes landed this way if you compare who the NEA supported during the election cycle: Yes, they are much the same. Parents, do you see who is trying to gain control of your child’s education?
Furthermore, the NEA’s 2024-2025 resolutions specifically target homeschooling.
Their Resolution B-88 bluntly states, “The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience” and also states that “The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.”
Such statements hurt children and not only challenge your decisions but also undermine the vibrant, diverse, and powerful educational journeys many of you are successfully creating for our children while facing significant barriers. For Alaska’s NEA leadership to tell our state that they support homeschooling is a farce. Let me reiterate that, it’s a farce beyond measure and demeaning to our educators.
Contrary to the portrayal of homeschooling in some public narratives, such as a recent short-sighted Alaska Beacon article, Alaska’s homeschooling community is not a fallback option, but a thoughtful choice on the front end, as well as a safety net for children needing a different educational setting.
Homeschooling in Alaska represents a rich history of successes, made evident by the vast achievements of correspondence students who consistently demonstrate academic excellence, placing and earning accolades at state and national scholastic and athletic events on a regular basis. Imagine what they could do if they received even a grain of the same fiscal support?
As Alaskans, we must question the motivations behind these legislative moves, public criticisms and why outside entities like the NEA are trying to tell us what is best for our children and Alaska’s future. Is it truly about educational outcomes, or is it something else? We owe it to our children to fight for their right to the education that best suits their needs, free from undue governmental restrictions, propaganda or opinions.
Let us stand together to challenge these unjust perceptions and policies. Let’s advocate for the recognition of homeschooling as a valid, effective, and vital part of our educational system. Our efforts are not just about safeguarding our rights; they are about ensuring that all educational paths are valued and supported equally.
I want to be very clear about this writing: This is not about “us” vs. “them” with regards to traditional programs, correspondence programs, charter schools and/or residential schools. This is not a win/lose proposition. This is about finding the win for all students.
Every student in Alaska is “OUR” student and deserve to be treated as such. We do not need to listen to those (NEA) who want to divide, who want to pit programs and schools against each other and we should not be a part of that discourse. All of Alaska’s children deserve the opportunity for an exceptional education – not just those they select.
I have always stated that I support every student in how they are educated. My daughters attended public schools, public charter schools, and public residential schools and flourished in all those settings.
Whether it be public brick and mortar schools, public correspondence schools, public charter schools, or public residential schools.
I urge each of you to speak out, engage with your legislators, and make your voices heard. Together, we can protect and enhance not only home school students in Alaska, but all students and how their parents choose (parental choice) to educate their children. It’s imperative that we ensure that homeschool remains a robust and respected choice for many families and another option for serving our children.
Sen. Mike Cronk serves Alaska from the Interior Senate Seat R.
Thank you Senator Cronk for the alert. Home schooling is far superior in most all ways to today’s typical brick and mortar education. Add also most often free of all the awful cultural dysfunction. We homeschooled k-12. We graduated our last student from high school in 2014. Both are college graduates who excelled through college and one has completed a masters. The academic advisor of our youngest, at a state university, sought me out at graduation and praised our homeschooling so well preparing our student for college success. The support and amazing curriculum available to home schooling families is mind boggling and any committed family can do it. The NEA is disgustingly about power and control and NOT education. I would recommend to any educator to not join this organization if they can avoid it. An excellent read —- NEA : Trojan Horse in American Education by Samuel Blumenfeld.