By DAVID BOYLE

The recent court decision dissolving the correspondence school system by Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman has given the National Education Association-Alaska even more than it asked for.

The battle lines have been drawn between the Education Cartel and more than 22,000 correspondence school parents. The court’s decision struck down the allotment system in its entirety by which parents get reimbursed for choosing education materials and services for their students. Judge Zeman stated that this part of the statute violated the Alaska

Constitution because parents were using state funds to purchase educational materials from private and religious institutions. The NEA-AK filed the case to maintain and increase its power over our K12 education system.

Former NEA-National counsel Bob Chanin sums up the government union’s power:

“Which is why, at least in my opinion, NEA and its affiliates are such effective advocates. Despite what some among us would like to believe, it is not because of our creative ideas. It is not because of the merit of our positions. It is not because we care about children. And it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power. And we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them, the unions that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.” It isn’t about the kids—it’s about power. To get the real feel of the union leader’s message, watch this video:

The Education Cartel has taken on more than 22,000 correspondence students, 17% of our student population, and their parents. It fears that the growth of the correspondence schools will reduce its power by having fewer members and thus less dues money.

It sees the only way to keep power is to destroy a successful correspondence program and relegate its students to mediocre brick-and-mortar schools. It is all about power. It is about control. And it is about money.

If the NEA-AK can bring most of these students back into the brick and mortar schools, then there will be more union members, more union dues, and more union power.

Here is the NEA-AK’s president Tom Klaameyer congratulatory email he sent to supporters, “We’re still reading through the entire ruling but it’s fair to say that this is a big win for public education in Alaska.”

Here is what the NEA-AK sent out to its members: “Our goal since the beginning of this case was to uphold the Alaska Constitution and ensure public funds are used for public education.”

Nowhere did the NEA-AK say it wanted to improve student outcomes, improve opportunities for Alaska’s children, provide the best educational fit for students. Nowhere.

That is exactly why parents of more than 22,000 students chose to remove their kids from the brick & mortar schools. They wanted better student outcomes. They wanted more educational opportunities, and they wanted the best educational fit for their kids.

• Parents whose children were bullied in school left to protect their children.

Parents whose children did not feel safe left to protect their children.

Parents of special needs children left so their children would have more opportunities.

Parents whose children had gender identification issues left.

Parents who were not satisfied with the teaching of diversity, equity and inclusion left.

Parents who disagreed with the placement of sexual gratification books in school libraries removed children from school.

Parents who disagreed with the school district keeping student gender transitioning from them.

Parents who were totally dissatisfied with the ability of the government school to teach their kids how to even read.

Here is one parent’s comment on the NEA-AK Facebook page, “It is unacceptable to use our children as your collateral damage because you did not receive the funding that you requested”.

And these 22,000 students are collateral damage which the union has kicked to the curb. The Anchorage School District has seized on the court’s decision to immediately stop paying vendors for services already provided. Even though a stay has been requested, ASD wasted no time in informing vendors they aren’t going to pay them.

This is an extreme position that will hurt vendors, parents and especially the 2,000 ASD correspondence students. ASD’s decision disregarded DEED Commissioner Deena Bishop’s direction to all school district superintendents which states, “Therefore, your school district may continue to administer its correspondence study program, including paying outstanding invoices and other administrative duties at the present.”

Seems as if the Anchorage School District values money more than a child’s education. That should be no surprise. The battle lines have been drawn. It’s time for parents to put on their armor and defend their children’s futures. It’s well worth the fight. Children are much more important than saving the institution of K12 public education.

Even Vladimir Lenin knew the importance of controlling the education of children, “Give me four years to teach the children, and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”

And Wilma Mankiller, chief of the Cherokee Nation, said, “Whoever controls the education of our children controls the future.”

Will you allow the Education Cartel to control Alaska’s K12 education system and our children? Or will you stand up to defend our children? The choice is yours.

David Boyle is the education writer for Must Read Alaska.