OPINION: Fixing Alaska school issues is essential to our future

As newly elected legislators, we bring more than 52 years of collective teaching experience to the political conversation about our public schools. We have each grappled with a system in decline from inside our classrooms and individually decided it is a system worth fighting for. The voters from our districts have given us a seat at the table as the Legislature determines how to fund Alaska’s schools. We are grateful for the opportunity to use our experience to help shape the conversation.

An educated population is absolutely essential for Alaska’s success, and in recognition of this, our Constitution mandates that:

“The legislature shall by general law establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all students of the State.”

The Legislature provided additional policy guidance for schools: “The purpose of education is to help ensure that all students can succeed in their education and work; shape worthwhile and satisfying lives for themselves; exemplify the best values of society; and be effective in improving the character and quality of the world around them.”

We think Alaskans can agree that it is important to ensure that all students can be successful in their education. Otherwise, we’re just going through the motions, warehousing children in classrooms without setting them up for life. But what do we need to achieve success in our public schools?

At the foundation, schools need qualified teachers to educate students on the basics, such as reading, writing and arithmetic. In order to function, schools must also have nurses, counselors, librarians, bus drivers, nutrition professionals and other support staff to ensure that students’ basic needs are met. Students’ success in education is improved when they have access to experiential learning through music, art, computer science, sports, drama and debate, world languages, outdoor education, and career and technical education. And public schools do welcome all students, including children who must overcome challenges to being successful in the classroom, such as those who are learning English, who require a 24/7 medical attendant, who are in foster care, children who are hungry and homeless, who are living with domestic violence — or, worse, experiencing abuse themselves.

The reality is that at current levels of funding, our public schools are struggling to fill teaching positions and buy the materials necessary to provide a foundational education to the students who come to school ready to learn, much less pay for support services, enriching classroom experiences and extracurricular activities. School funding in Alaska has stagnated for more than five years while costs have increased by 24%. Increasing costs for energy, maintenance and health care have taken money out of the classroom. Wages have fallen behind compensation in the Lower 48, and the lack of a competitive retirement system has caused dynamic, passionate, and experienced teachers to leave the profession and the state. At the start of the current school year, there were more than 400 open teaching positions across the state. Alaska cannot provide an excellent education without the ability to hire and retain quality educators.

Public testimony to the Legislature on Education has been clear. Parents across the state have seen the devastation left by underfunding our schools and are concerned that Alaska is not providing the educational opportunities to our students that today’s adults had when they were growing up. Alaska’s kids deserve better. Alaska’s teachers want to assist families to provide their children with the skills they need to succeed. In order to do that, Alaskans must prioritize and fund high-quality public education.

There are many ways the Legislature can help Alaska’s schools deliver on the promise of an excellent education for every student:

• Increase the BSA substantially and inflation-proof it.

• Provide a competitive hybrid retirement plan for educators.

• Provide transportation funding that keeps money in the classroom.

Creating a state budget is always a question of what people value. We can slow outmigration, attract new families and grow our state’s future skilled workforce and productive citizens by investing in our public schools. Alaska’s children are 20% of our population but 100% of our future, and they deserve the best schools we can give them.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, Rep. Maxine Dibert and Rep. Rebecca Himschoot are public school teachers. Sen. Bjorkman represents Central Kenai Peninsula (Senate District D) in the Alaska State Senate. Rep. Dibert represents downtown Fairbanks (House District 31) in the Alaska House of Representatives. Rep. Himschoot represents coastal communities from Yakutat to Hydaburg (House District 2) in the Alaska House of Representatives.

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