From Alaska to the World: Insights from a Rural Educator

  “We’re not going to stop pushing for better Alaska student outcomes.” —Governor Mike Dunleavy, July 15, 2025 He says it like a promise. But in practice, it sounds more like a threat. This summer, Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a glossy blog post celebrating “student success” and “parental choice.” He praised charter schools and homeschool allotments. He applauded the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld public funds going directly to families in correspondence programs. But what the post didn’t mention was what came just weeks before: $51 million slashed from Alaska’s public school funding. That’s more than $200 per student, ripped from district budgets after they were finalized. Schools were left scrambling—facing layoffs, bigger class sizes, deferred repairs, and the looming specter of rural school closures. This isn’t reform. This is sabotage. 📉 The Cut Heard ’Round the State In February, communities across Alaska—conservative, progressive, rural, urban—rallied behind H...