By their own admission Anchorage’s brick and mortar public schools are plagued with student fights, foul language, emotional outbursts, disrespect of teachers and embarrassing academic scores. You can add to that the purchasing of pornographic gay novels, promotion of critical race theory and a far-left school board intent on turning local schools into propaganda machines for all thinks woke.

The problems are, as the left is fond of saying, “systemic” and deeply rooted in career educational bureaucrats who run the district’s curriculum committees, equity programs and myriad departmental teams – all heartily defended by the powerful teachers’ union.

Brave parents who dare to challenge the status quo are to be commended, but it’s time to drain the swamp. In practical terms that means removing children from a system that feeds off of their enrollment. For every child disenrolled, the district loses approximately $18,000 in state and federal funding. Since money is the only talking point that seems to get through to educational bureaucrats, it’s time for parents to consider statewide home school programs, private education and, for those who can swing it, independent homeschooling.

Until the financial swamp dries up, the district will just forge ahead with indoctrinating students while failing to teach reading, writing and arithmetic.

Click here to support the Alaska Watchman.