In a recent joint letter, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers calls on Democratic state governors to reject the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, which aims to expand school choice in Alaska and around the nation by incentivizing private donations to support educational expenses for families – all without directly appropriating government funds or creating traditional vouchers.

Alaska’s Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy enthusiastically signed on to have Alaska participate in the first-of-its-kind federal tax credit scholarship program – creating a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for Alaskans who donate to qualified scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs) – up to $1700 per year for individual contributions.

Alaska’s participation, however, could be in jeopardy if a Democratic candidate is elected governor in November. In fact, this is what the June letter, signed by NEA President Becky Pringle and AFT President Randi Weingarten, seeks.

Of the 17 candidates running for Alaska governor, only two are registered Democrats – Tom Begich and Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. While NEA’s Alaska branch has not issued a formal endorsement in the governor’s race, both of these men have close ties to the teachers’ union and have received support from the NEA in the past.

This puts Alaska’s participation in the school-choice program firmly in the crosshairs.

The letter demands that Democratic governors essentially slam the door on school-choice tax credits, claiming they would hurt the status quo educational establishment by diverting money away from traditional government-run schools for the benefit of private education.

Incorporated into President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act, the program allows approved nonprofits to benefit from tax-deductible donations. This includes private schools and other educational entities, which can use the contributions to award scholarships to students who might not otherwise be able to access alternatives to failing public schools.

Slated to take effect in January 2027, the program requires state governors to opt in. Once the program begins, it benefits families making up to 300% of Alaska’s median gross income. This money can be put towards tuition and fees at private, charter, micro, and home schools, as well as towards dual-enrollment courses, educational therapies, tutors and supplies.

Despite the fact that approximately 70% of Alaska’s public school students cannot perform basic math or reading skills at grade level, NEA-Alaska has long fought against Alaska’s increasingly popular homeschool, correspondence, and private education programs that seek to expand school choice options.

The national letter follows this trend by treating a modest school-choice program as an overt attack on so-called “equitable” education for all.

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