Governor releases agenda for special session

Gov. Mike Dunleavy outlined specific policy priorities lawmakers will tackle when the Alaska Legislature reconvenes in special session on Saturday, August 2, in an online news release published Monday.

Earlier this month, the Governor issued a call for a focused session on education reform and his update ensures legislators and the public know the agenda.

“If they act on these items, policies to improve performance and long-term funding can be achieved well into the future,” the Governor said.

The reform package answers Alaska’s chronic education-outcome crisis by implementing evidence-based solutions:

-Executive order creating a Department of Agriculture to focus on food, security for Alaska and growing our agricultural sector.

-Tribal Compacting between the state Department of education and select tribes to create better performing schools.

-Expansion of corporate tax credit program for education.

-Authorize the Department of Education as a charter school authorizer in addition to local districts.

-Open enrollment allowing public school students to enroll in any public school that has room including outside of a student's resident district.

-Grants for reading improvement and for a new after school reading tutoring program.

-Recruitment retention payments to classroom teachers to reduce turnover, especially in areas of the state that suffer from chronic teacher turnover.

-Long-term certainty in funding for K-12 schools if agreement is reached on policy.

“This is an opportunity to address Alaska’s performance issues and funding issues in K-12 education well into the future. By addressing this now, school districts, students, parents, teachers, and policymakers will have certainty and will not have to debate this issue during the regular session that begins in January,” Dunleavy said in the release.

Bills will be introduced on the first day of the special session, August 2. Bill hearings are requested to begin Sunday, August 3. Any bill that clears both chambers during the special session can be signed into law immediately, giving students, parents, and teachers certainty before the new school year begins.

“As a lifelong public educator, teacher, principal, and superintendent, I know strong policy paired with reliable funding has positively demonstrated increases in student achievement, as evidenced the Alaska Reads Act,” Dr. Deena Bishop, Commissioner of Education, said in the release, adding, “The reforms the Governor is advancing are proven elsewhere to boost parent involvement, student engagement, and academic performance. Together these measures give districts a predictable multiyear funding stream, enabling them to engage in long term strategic planning and ensure an excellent education for every student, every day.”

Dunleavy is urging legislators to prioritize these bills and deliver results in the special session, emphasizing that these policies build on years of public input and legislative debate.