In an effort to find out where Anchorage School Board candidates stand on some of the most controversial and critical issues facing public schools, the Watchman sent survey questions to each of the eight candidates running for two seats on the Anchorage School Board. We have updated this article to remove the responses of Cliff Murray who has suspended his campaign and thrown his support behind Mark Anthony Cox.

Our questions deal with critical race theory, curriculum choices, parental rights, sex education, transgender athletes, homeschooling and health services such as abortion referrals and contraception.

We received survey responses from four candidates (including Murray, who has since dropped out of the race). Those who failed to respond were incumbents Margo Bellamy and Kelly Lessons (both endorsed by Planned Parenthood) who are members of the school board’s leftist majority. Benjamin Baldwin and Dan Loring also failed to respond.

Running for School Board Seat A are Cox, Murray, Bellamy and Loring. Running for Seat B are Ries, Darden, Baldwin and Lessons. All registered Anchorage voters will be able to vote for one candidate for both Seat A and Seat B. Ranked choice voting is not part of the Anchorage Municipal elections.

Below are the answers we received.

QUESTION: Politically charged curriculum such as critical race theory is a major controversy in school districts around the nation, including here in Alaska. How would you facilitate robust parental involvement in the development of ASD curriculum?

RACHEL RIES: All curricula should be transparent. One such option would be posting it on a website where parents can access it anytime and keep up with lessons all year. This would include a comprehensive list of all textbooks, handouts and supplemental resources used in any class. Additionally, teachers should not be forced to teach prepackaged education plans. Teachers should be empowered to be professional educators who are respected and encouraged to engage with parents. It’s not just a curriculum issue. There is a culture issue at hand in ASD.

MARK ANTHONY COX: Alaska ranks last in the nation for educational proficiency in K-12, so radical curriculum like CRT should be eliminated as it is no benefit to our students nor community.

DUSTIN DARDEN: Jesus Christ is Lord.

QUESTION: The Anchorage School district has come under fire for allowing highly explicit sexual books in school libraries. What needs to be done to address this problem going forward?

RACHEL RIES: First, there needs to be an initial comprehensive audit of all library materials currently on hand.  Any pornographic or explicit materials needs to be removed. Then all library materials ordered need to be signed off as reviewed by the librarian who is responsible for a given library space. The same with textbooks at the ASD warehouse. Without accountability it is too easy to let items like the book found earlier this year to make its way into school libraries. I support free speech, but pornography has no place in our schools. That is a parent’s decision when or if their child should have access to those types of materials before they are an adult. My answer would be the same if that book had shown a heterosexual couple. Pornography is pornography regardless of sexual preference.

MARK ANTHONY COX: My suggestion moving forward would be to create a parent-led committee that audits the entire library catalog and reports it’s’ findings publicly. We must turn every stone for our children’s sakes.

DUSTIN DARDEN: Luke 17:2 

QUESTION: Do you support a parent’s right to withdraw their child from any activity or class which the parent believes to be harmful? 

RACHEL RIES: Yes

MARK ANTHONY COX: Yes, I am an advocate for parent’s rights. Parents operate in the best interest of their children.

DUSTIN DARDEN: Yes, save the children.

QUESTION: Would you support the use of school district resources to refer students for abortion and/or to distribute contraception to students? 

RACHEL RIES: No on abortion. There is room for a conversation with the parents at the high schools for contraception with parent consent and total program transparency.  This would need to be a need expressed by the community, not a program foisted on the community.

MARK ANTHONY COX: No. Time spent in school is for educating children to be proficient in foundational studies that will better prepare them for continuing education.

DUSTIN DARDEN: Crush the alter of human sacrifice.

QUESTION: Do you support the Anchorage School District current policy of allowing males to compete on female sports teams (and vice versa) if they personally identify as a member of the opposite sex?

RACHEL RIES: No.

MARK ANTHONY COX: No, I do not.

DUSTIN DARDEN: No.

QUESTION: Do you support the Anchorage School District’s policy of allowing male students who identify as female (and vice versa) to use the opposite sex’s bathrooms and locker rooms?

RACHEL RIES: No.

MARK ANTHONY COX: No, I do not.

DUSTIN DARDEN: No.

QUESTION: Since Covid hit, Alaska has seen a massive shift towards homeschooling. Do you see this as a positive development, and would you support expanding homeschool options for ASD students? 

RACHEL RIES: Yes. Parents have the inherent right to educate their children as they see fit. I fully support school choice. I would recommend a total program review to develop a robust school choice program where per-student spending is tied directly to each child enrolled in ASD.

MARK ANTHONY COX: I do see it as positive because it is no surprise that homeschooling students outperform our public-school students. Parents know their children best, and for parents who homeschool I would advocate their monetary support from the school board as well. Further expanding what works, like homeschooling, is essential for us moving forward.

DUSTIN DARDEN: Yes.

QUESTION: Sex education has long-been a source of controversy in schools. Do you support teaching sex education to students? Please explain your position. 

RACHEL RIES: This would depend on how the program was managed. There is a way to provide responsible sex education to high schoolers, with parent consent and a fully transparent program. Parents would need to be able to opt out with no grade retribution on the student if they are opted out. I do not support it in lower grades in any form. Childhood is a time of innocence. Every measure should be taken to treat that as sacred.

MARK ANTHONY COX: No, I do not. I do not see us as a district as the ones to talk about sex with parents’ students, and based on our proficiency scores we simply cannot afford to expand our topics of discussion outside of reading, writing, arithmetic, social studies, sciences and the arts. We must focus on educating our students so that their diploma can be an assurance that they will succeed. Sex education proficiency is not an indicator of success.

DUSTIN DARDEN: No.

TAKING ACTION

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