Deep Dive: The flaws in Dunleavy's two-tier education system
The governor's proposals would leave most students out in the cold in educational environments that are both figuratively — and literally — condemned.
It's Tuesday, Alaska! I'm still dragging, but feeling a bit better.
In this edition: The second of a two-part deep dive into Gov. Mike Dunleavy's education policy demands and how they are designed to funnel what little resources we have to those who don't really need them. We'll look at the shoddy vibes-based justifications, a study that illustrates how socioeconomic status is more predictive of educational success than school type, and how most legislators just aren't buying it.
Current mood: 🤧
The flaws in Dunleavy's two-tier education system are obvious and many
In a bit of fortuitous timing, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on the governor's education bill, Senate Bill 82, on Monday that went a long way toward illustrating just how unserious and poorly justified the policies are.
Legislators zeroed in on the $75 million the governor wants to add toward homeschool funding, with many thoughtful concerns about accountability given the fact that more than 80% of homeschool students opt out of testing. Committee Chair Sen. Löki Tobin brought up a good point about how the Alaska Constitution requires the state to provide a quality education to all students, and we can't really say we're meeting that constitutional duty when just a fraction of students are testing.
Education Commissioner Deena "AI Did My Homework" Bishop gave characteristically vague and specific-free answers. She said she heard from some programs that they knew the testing results would be higher if everyone just tested. Low graduation rates, she claimed, are because some districts are pushing kids with chronic absenteeism and other learning challenges into homeschool programs. She couldn't even justify the need for funding — the testimony of two homeschool programs said they already break even, or better. They're not facing the same funding crisis as everyone else.
"We just want to ensure that our children are valued in our public education system," she finally said about why Dunleavy wants to put 40% of his proposed additional funding into homeschool programs that serve about 17% of Alaska's students.
So, vibes.
While all the talk of anecdotal success stories and parental involvement may be good for those who can take advantage of it, it was hard to overlook the kind of educational system everyone without engaged parents and the means to take advantage of these programs is left with. Bishop continued to defend the lack of funding for an increase to per-student funding through the base student allocation, arguing that targeted investments are more appropriate — even if they are already doubling down on a system that, by most accounts, isn't facing a funding crisis.
Sen. Tobin was blunt in her assessment of Bishop and Dunleavy's positions.
"$75M to correspondence programs but none to our schools like Sleetmute, which is currently condemned and students are learning in a condemned environment," Tobin said. "Good to hear."
As the hearing laid out, the governor's legislation would leave most students out in the cold in educational environments that are both figuratively — and literally — condemned. Let's continue to break down the flaws in his claims, particularly around charter schools, and how legislators are holding the line for equity in education.
More nuanced understanding of why charters do 'well'
