Throughout my tenure on the Anchorage School Board, constituents have repeatedly raised concerns about the uncertainty surrounding public education funding.
Families and stakeholders want reassurances that our neighborhood schools will remain open, beloved teachers will be retained, and classroom sizes will support our children’s academic achievement.
I share those same concerns which is why I’ve coauthored several opinion pieces and letters in support of increasing public education funding. I have contacted our elected officials in Juneau to stress the state’s constitutional obligation to adequately fund public education and testified in support of raising the Alaska BSA. ⬇️
During its most recent session, recognizing that our schools have suffered under the crushing weight of inflation and teacher attrition, the Legislature passed a one-time boost to public education funding totaling $175 million dollars.
I was disheartened when Governor Dunleavy vetoed more than $87 million of those critically needed funds.
Let me be clear: slashing child care, early education, and K-12 funding only fuels the exodus of young professionals and growing families from Alaska to the lower 48. I’m deeply concerned the teacher retention crisis plaguing our state just became infinitely harder to address at the local level.
I remain hopeful that the Legislature will meet its constitutional obligation to adequately fund our public education system during its next session.
A Year of Successes
Transparency and accountability have been the cornerstone of my time on the Anchorage School Board and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved over the past year.
Since being elected I have:
- Spearheaded a Board policy to compel Board attendance at community council meetings.
- Co-chaired a key subcommittee that engaged in a complete overhaul of the student nutrition and physical activity policy.
- Steered $2.5 million in funding to stand up critical student mental health and counseling supports. ASD now provides more students with the help they need to navigate adolescence.
- Led the charge to implement an anonymous bullying and harassment reporting system for all ASD students, parents, and staff.
- Supported an interim goal framework, which enabled ASD to introduce financial literacy curriculum into existing high school coursework and —
- Fought to keep neighborhood schools open in the face of stagnant education funding.
I hope you’ll take a moment and review my accomplishments since being elected to the Board and read about my priorities for next term which include emphasizing and expanding independent living skills and career and technical education opportunities to support the next generation of Alaska’s workforce.
Incredible Campaign Kick Off Turnout!
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making my campaign kick off event at IBEW Hall an extraordinary success!
From the volunteers who tirelessly worked behind the scenes to ensure smooth logistics, to the donors who generously contributed to our campaigns, and to the attendees who graced the event with their presence, so many people played a pivotal role in ensuring we kicked off the election cycle strong! Thank you!
The Road Ahead
You don’t have to look very far to see the impact school board’s have on the local and state levels. Electing competent responsible leaders to the school board is more important than ever.
I remain committed to improving student proficiency in reading & math and ensuring our kids are well-equipped with the necessary skills to attain lifelong success. I appreciate your support in next year’s municipal election and for being a true champion in advocating for our children’s education. Thank you for taking this journey with me.
With gratitude,
Carl