Despite overwhelming public and bipartisan legislative support for improving support for public education in this state, Gov. Mike Dunleavy threatened a veto, wanting more support for charter- and home-schooling.
We have several of the most diverse public schools in the nation with populations that speak a whole host of languages, largely not true of the charter- and home-schooled.
But what if we funded our most diverse public schools with whatever they needed to educate their kids, as a demonstration project? This would mean better student-teacher ratios, ESL support, art/music/physical education, and quality meals for underfed kids. Give these teachers bonuses.
I would be willing to bet that we would do more to stabilize and then enliven not just these kids but also their families, their neighborhoods and eventually our state.
Wouldn’t it be a kick if the privileged kids in Anchorage wished they were enrolled in that Title 1 school across town because the outcomes were so good and the environment so stimulating? (Realize that this is the opposite of what Dunleavy seeks.)
— Tina Tomsen
Anchorage
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