Opinion: To improve Alaska education, we need reform and sustainable funding

The 34th Alaska Legislature has three schools of thought on public education. One supports a large funding increase for the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and nothing else. Most who started out in this camp are still there. They believe that a lack of money is the reason for the dreadful academic proficiency outcomes in Alaska.

A second camp formed around policy reforms. They observed how transformative the Reads Act has been in improving student outcomes for K-3 students and the success of charter schools. But many of these policy reform advocates recognized that schools were facing inflationary impacts and high healthcare costs. And they realized some of the reforms to improve academics would require additional funding. So a third camp was born. This camp sees a need for a funding increase, some aimed toward the BSA and some aimed toward policy reforms.

Most people in the second camp have moved to this third camp. A few from the first camp have joined as well to begin a debate about what dollar increase to the BSA would be affordable.

With the guidance of the Senate Finance Committee co-chairs, the majority of the third camp coalesced around a BSA increase of $680 and a series of policy reforms. They include banning student cellphones in school; streamlined and open processes for establishing charter schools; reading incentives; family choice across school and district boundaries; targeted career and technical education funds for high schools; teacher retention incentives; and counting all students as a one whole student in the funding formula, ending a practice of counting some at 90%.

Now let’s talk about funding. Districts need an increase that can be sustained. The $1,000 increase that the NEA is pushing is not affordable this year due to oil prices and is not sustainable in future years.

The NEA has a problem. If it really wanted to make sure the school districts had enough funding for teachers, it makes no sense that it has pushed back instead of strongly advocating for districts to opt into the AlaskaCare state health plan pool, which would free up more than $100 million.

If they cared about students, they would have embraced instead of opposed giving teachers retention lump sum payments, teacher spending accounts and teacher incentives for student improvement. They would not oppose requiring that certain funds be spent on teachers and instruction instead of administration. These are all ideas that have been offered as amendments. The NEA has opposed them, and districts have lost out.

We believe the NEA is pushing the $1,000 increase because they are about a system, not about students.

The people supporting a reasonable funding increase plus new education policies this year are most likely to get a successful education bill across the finish line, into law, and funded.

Sadly, instead, the Senate and House Majorities have walked away and struck out on their own, pushing for a large BSA increase. The governor’s veto on Tuesday was predictable.

This is not how we should be conducting business on behalf of Alaskans. Without the help of the minorities, a bill not succeed. The majorities know this.

They know they need agreement with the minorities in order for an education bill to ultimately be successful. The majorities passing an unaffordable and unsustainable large BSA-only bill was a political stunt.

Financial support for schools is only rhetoric if it’s not paired with action that will hold. We urge those who are serious about helping our students to embrace policy reforms and a sustainable increase to the BSA.

Sen. Mike Cronk of Northway is a retired teacher and a Republican who represents District R.

Sen. Shelley Hughes of Wasilla is a Republican who represents District M.

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