I am deeply concerned about the Anchorage School District’s approaches to addressing the deficit. The brash proposals from an outside consultant in Colorado send a clear message for young adults who want to remain in Anchorage and raise families. Alaska continues to hemorrhage 20- to 40- year-olds, in part because of instability in critical services like public schools. Shannon Bingham does not seem to grasp this, or how the social issues in Anchorage like homelessness or crime are reduced by childhood interventions in school settings. With the COVID-19 disruptions, especially for special education students, closing would be the least responsible option.
I implore the ASD School Board to pause and reflect about potential consequences. Perhaps it could pursue a second opinion from someone with robust Alaska experience. In the meantime, the young adults are watching.
— Katey Redmond
Anchorage
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