By ROBERT SEITZ
Recent news from Juneau has Rep. Rebecca Himshoot of Sitka introducing legislation, which if passed, would increase Alaska’s public school funding by more than 35%.
House Bill 69 represents an increase of nearly $464 million each year to the state general fund. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is reported to have said that he would support increasing Alaska’s education budget by about $200 milliion, provided it is tied to some policy reforms.
Rep. Himshoot has responded that she would not support the push for the policy reforms “because in my mind we have an obligation simply to fund.”
I have stated in other commentaries that the funding of Alaska’s education system must be tied to some criteria so that Alaskans, who are paying the bill, can be assured they will get good value for their money.
The public education system is failing Alaska. Reading and math scores a still way too low and have been for a long time. There are indeed some good programs within various school districts, which produce students who excel.
I was educated in the Alaska public education system, in the 1940s and 1950s, in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Homer. I remember being told a number of times when I was in high school that Alaska was first or second in the nation academically.
I have tried to confirm that but cannot find any articles that address much about the Alaska school system at that time. I do have some confidence that there is some truth to that claim.
Many of my teachers were World War II veterans. I never had a teacher who taught anything that was contrary to what was common knowledge or understanding. Parents were very involved in their students school work and activities. We learned to read and write and do arithmetic. We studied American history, world history, finances, English (literature and grammar), algebra, trigonometry, general science, biology, physics, and chemistry.
I was taught truth, was exposed to literature that was generally not degrading, and generally positive about formation of America, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. All that I was exposed to in school way back then gave me confidence that America was a good place, a place worthy of pride.
During my education I was made aware that there were those who were evil, who deprived people of their just due, who were dishonest and unjust in dealings, and who prevented citizens of their opportunity to “pursue happiness.” It is my experience that the evil in the land is due to the actions of individuals who consciously intend to do wrong. There is nothing systematically wrong or prejudiced with American, but with some of the individuals who live here.
Since my time in public school I have watched the school system deteriorate as many focused on teaching what is wrong with America, rather than what is good and right. I have seen relaxed standards of performance for students under the guise of compassion for those who struggle with school work, when the struggle is where the value is. New math was not a miraculous development, as it was not easier to learn or to teach and no parent, who learned arithmetic and math the old way, could not be a help. Memorization was discarded. I have spent the last 40 years or so encouraging young students to memorize the multiplication tables, but have met resistance because their teachers did not promote that activity.
Now we have public school teachers pushing Marxist philosophy, that gender is fluid, and that America is a land of white privilege. Anyone who teaches in this manner does not deserve a defined benefits retirement package. I have talked to many people about who their favorite teachers were, and all named the one or ones who made them work the hardest. My recommendation is that the retirement rate for each teacher should be by the vote of their former students.
I have said all of this to say that anyone who thinks that “because in my mind we have an obligation simply to fund” is on the wrong track and is totally dishonest in the discharge of their duty to the State of Alaska.
So again, I strongly urge legislators to consider criteria that would have to be met to allow an increase in funding for the school system. One of the problems may be that the teachers in place are not qualified to teach what needs to be taught and should be replaced with teachers who are veterans or who have demonstrated great capability and understanding, who have a love for America and an understanding of the struggle that was made to form this republic.
The burden is going to have to be laid to the local school districts and their representative school boards. Many of the school boards in this state have accommodated or advocated for some of the misguided policies which are now in place in many districts. Many classes, when I was young, had significantly more than 30 students, yet the students learned because the teachers knew how to control their classrooms and the students did their work.
Gov. Dunleavy is right in his insistence on reviewing and changing policies for the Alaska school system.
Robert Seitz is a very long time Alaskan and engineer.
