By DAVID BOYLE
The Alaska State Board of Education voted unanimously to save girls’ sports for biological girls. The student advisor, Felix Myers, voted against the regulation, but his vote is advisory. The military advisor, Lt. Col. James Fowley, abstained. His vote is also advisory.
Within two hours of the state board’s decision, Anchorage School Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt and Anchorage School Board president Margo Bellamy had their preplanned press release loaded into the cannon and ready to fire.
They were ready for this decision, but when it comes to students’ test scores, parents in Anchorage still do not know their students’ test results, even though the test was administered last April.
The superintendent and school board president wrote:
“With all of the current challenges facing Alaska’s public schools, it’s quite perplexing that this topic is a top priority for the Alaska State Board of Education (SBOE). Where is the data that indicates this is a widespread issue in Alaska which provides an unfair competitive advantage and/or risk to student safety? An urgent public school problem does not appear to exist. Why is this such a priority for the SBOE?
“The mission of the Anchorage School District (ASD) is to educate all students for success in life. We accept and support all students. Regardless of today’s decision, ASD will continue to provide a safe and welcoming school environment for all students. We will continue to ensure an inclusive, nurturing, and respectful school experience for our diverse community.
“We would like to applaud SBOE student advisory member, Felix Myers, for his advocacy and support for all students. The voices of our youth give a special glimpse into the values that will shape Alaska’s future.
Margo Bellamy
President, Anchorage School Board
Jharrett Bryantt, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Anchorage School District”
Bryantt and Bellamy ask why the issue of transgenders participating in girls’ sports is of a high priority for the state board.
Interestingly, the Anchorage School District has published Administrative Guidelines for Gender Identity and Transgenders for its staff and students. It’s a 10-page document that appear to be a high priority for the district.
Where was the high priority for these guidelines, which seem to have a higher priority than reading, writing, and math, the supposed core competencies of our educational system? The irony is overwhelming.
Perhaps, it was because the NEA-National spoon-fed the guidelines to all school districts across America.
Bryantt and Bellamy further say in their press release that they “applaud the SBOE student advisory member, Felix Myers” because he gives a “special glimpse into the values that will shape America’s future.”
Do these values of America’s future include the destruction of girls’ sports?
Here’s just one instance where a transgender negatively impacts an entire girls’ athletic team.
Perhaps that is the goal of the Woke agenda: Destroy girls’ sports and allow men to compete as women so that women will once again be discriminated against.
Not to be outdone, Anchorage Assembly members Chris Constant and Felix Rivera issued their own statement. They bemoan the fact that, “Today is a sad day for Alaskans.”
It’s an even sadder day for students when the school district cannot even teach our children how to read.
Constant and Rivera continue by attacking the “…small homogeneous group” of state board members. The board is made up of 3 males and 4 females so it is not “homogeneous” as Constant and Rivera say.
Unbelievably, they call the board’s decision a “blatant act of discrimination” which will not go unnoticed.
Bring on the ACLU, the NEA and a host of lawyers.
Then the Constant and Rivera duo threaten to remove the Anchorage School District from participating in any of the Alaska School Activities Association activities. They must believe they are on the Anchorage School Board.
Apparently, this duo does not really care about students and would rather keep all students from participating in any sports if they cannot get their way.
The final blow from Constant and Rivera comes when they “condemn the decision by the Alaska Board of Education.” It’s too bad these two Assembly members are not holding the school district accountable for students learning to read. And they do have a role, by approving the school district budget.
Assembly member Anna Brawley also put in her two cents on social media: “The #1 crisis facing our education system is our inability to sustainably pay for high-quality education people expect”. Talk about deflection!
If member Brawley would check out the latest ASD ACFR audited report, she would see that the ASD per student spending is at a whopping $19,150.
How much more does she want to throw at the problem of K12 in Anchorage?
The State Board of Education voted to save girls’ sports for biological girls. It also set aside a division for students who identify with either sex or gender. These align with the current Title IX law and align with the Biden Administration’s proposed changes to the law.
So, what’s the problem?
David Boyle is the Must Read Alaska education writer.
