As schools welcome students back into classrooms, there are more than 1,200 unfilled staff positions statewide.
published in June found that one in five Alaska schools would need to increase salaries by at least 50% to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Most of these schools are in rural Alaska. Unfilled positions mean fewer electives, fewer extracurriculars, and larger class sizes. Some teachers will have to pick up topics outside their expertise just to fill the gaps.
The governor has recognized the problem of poor pay for teachers by offering a bill to provide bonuses. While this could be a partial solution, it is not a permanent one. Additionally, too many unfilled positions are essential staff people who are the backbone of any school: bus drivers, food service providers, custodians and all the other personnel who keep our schools safe and welcoming for students. These folks also deserve improved pay.
Our communities, our economy and our democracy depend on high-quality public schools. Quality schools do more than ensure our students can pass standardized tests. A quality education feeds the natural curiosity of our children and gives them tools to solve the problems they will face in the workplace and in their lives. When we fund schools that provide a whole child education, we open doors to music, sports, theater and academics.
Funding our public schools is both a constitutional obligation and a moral one. As our children go back to school this year, Alaskans should expect every student to have the best education possible — whether they live in Anchorage or Angoon.is a public school teacher and representative in the Alaska Legislature. She represents coastal communities from Yakutat to Hydaburg in the Alaska House of Representatives.
The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email
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