As the Alaska Legislature gathered in Juneau on Aug. 2 for a special session focused on public education reform and increasing Alaska’s food production and security, there were reports that legislative leadership would gavel in to hold two veto override votes before gaveling out and departing the capitol building for the airport. That’s exactly what happened.
In the lead up to the override votes, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, called out lawmakers with the following statement.
No hearings on bills to improve Alaska’s dismal student test scores, no effort to lift the public school system from 51st in the nation, no tribal compacting to improve educational opportunities for our rural and Native students, and no apparent desire to prevent high school seniors from being unprepared because they don’t have the skills needed to compete for good jobs in the increasingly competitive 21st century economy.
That is a shame.
They say if we only spent more of it the scores would improve. That is the same excuse that has been made for decades.
The Alaska Reads Act passed the Legislature in 2022 by one single vote. Three years later, reading test scores prove that policy improvements make all the difference. The problem is some lawmakers don’t seem to care. If they do, they wouldn’t squander every opportunity they’ve had to continue that improvement in other core areas like mathematics and writing.
Instead, the public discourse is all about money. They say if we only spent more of it the scores would improve. That is the same excuse that has been made for decades. As soon as more money is approved, the special interest groups and unions get very quiet.
Alaska’s per student spending is among the highest in the nation. Since 2019, the state has increased K-12 public education funding by more than $1.5 billion. The budget I signed this summer contained a BSA increase of $500 per student, even with my partial veto that’s still the largest BSA increase in state history.
Here is the question I have for lawmakers who have resisted any meaningful education reforms. If the legislature is not responsible for public schools – who is? I encourage Alaskans to ask their representatives and senators the same question.
We know what is needed to improve educational outcomes for students. The policies have been vetted and discussed for years. I am ready to work the next 30 days with senators and representatives, school board members, superintendents, teachers, anyone who wants to make our school better.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
9 Comments
A big thank you to the republicans that support children, intelligence and learning by overriding Dunleveay’s veto: Jeremy Bynum, Chuck Kopp, David Nelson, Justin Ruffridge, Dan Saddler, and Louise Stutes. In the Senate, the overrider Republicans were Jesse Bjorkman, Cathy Giessel, James Kaufman, Kelly Merrick, Bert Stedman, Gary Stevens, and Rob Yundt.
Lotta happy Alaskans today
I hope that dunleavy himself reads this!!! Mike your a lousy actor, trying to be seen as taking a high road position that gives the illusion that you have done what is right while portraying the legislature as the only thing that’s wrong and needs to ” come to the table and give reasonable solutions”. IF REASONABLE SOLUTIONS IS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT,THEN I DEMAND A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF THE ALASKAN MARXISTS GOVERNMENT! I DEMAND YOU GOVERNOR AND YOUR COMPLICIT ANNE ZINC TO BE ON TRIAL BEFORE A RESTORED GRAND JURY FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN ALASKA! (COVID) I DEMAND THAT YOU MIKE, AND YOUR CHOICE LT GOVERNOR NANCY DALHSTROM GO ON TRIAL FOR ABDICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN REGARDS TO ELECTION FRAUD! I DEMAND ANSWERS AS TO WHY YOU ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE U N AND THEIR CULTISH AGENDA THAN YOU ARE ABOUT ALASKAS ECONOMY, TRANSPORTATION, FISH, FEDERAL OVER REACH, AND YES, AS YOU REPEATEDLY STATED, WERE 51ST IN THE NATION, AN EDUACATIONAL DESPOT!!! WHAT HOPE HAVE YOU MIKE DUNLEAVY GIVEN TO THIS GRAND STATE YOU HAVE LED??? LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND YOU WILL SEE A RASH OF DECLINE WHICH IS WHAT YOU, AND YOU ALONE, ARE KNOWN FOR!!! MANAGEMENT FOR DECLINE MUST END!!!! RESIGN! AND WITH THAT, I GIVE YOU AN INSINCERE SMIRK AS I WALK AWAY!!!
Agree
thank you, Governor for your efforts on our behalf!!! We are Christ followers and we pray to Jesus that your veto will stand and that those who are rebelling and opposing your good efforts and other leglslators’ good efforts will lose according to the will of Jesus Christ. . Those legislators who are in rebellion are demonstrating that they want the money for their own purposes but not the accountability. These rogue legislators have stolen our permanent fund to use for their bloated funding bill. We pray to Jesus that the PFD is put back and that those legislators and assistants with good character and integrity will control the outcomes and efforts put forth in Juneau. Again, thank you, Governor. You care about “We The People” and our voice.. We are the bosses of the legislators but the dishonest legislators do not respect that. They just want their way. We pray to Jesus that they do not get their way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
Thank you, Governor!!! We pray that your veto will stand and those who want to rebel and steal our PFD for a blocated funding bill with no accountability will fail.
It would appear that Gov. Dunleavy DOESN’T SEEM TO CARE:
1) About election integrity from RCV and mail-in ballots
2) the numerous overthrows of the state constitution generated by the judicial branch
3) his oath to use Art. 3, Sec. 16 to defend the constitution. Dunleavy quote, told me twice and 6 mos apart: “It’s going to take me a while to wrap my head around this.”
4) about Grand Jury independence
5) about the tendrils of the Deep State that he has cooperated with during his tenure
By-gosh and be-gone, Michael Dunleavy. A confused and inconsistent man who has messed up his state and his would-be supporters.
whole heartedly agree Bob
To paraphrase former VP Dan Quayle, Dunleavy should resign with his head between his legs.
Gᴏᴏɢʟᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛʏ! ᴇᴀʀɴ + ʙᴜᴄᴋꜱ ᴡᴇᴇᴋʟʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜᴏᴍᴇ! ᴀ ꜰᴇᴡ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜꜱ ᴀɢᴏ, ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴᴇ, ʙᴀʀᴇʟʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ. ɴᴏᴡ, ɪ ᴇᴀʀɴ + ᴀ ᴅᴀʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ ꜰʟᴇxɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ! ɴᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ? ɴᴏ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ.
ᴊᴏɪɴ ɴᴏᴡ➤➤ rb.gy/8zxujp