Praises Palin for education funding

Governor Palin has accomplished many great things during her first year in office, from sweeping ethics reform to moving Alaska one step closer to a natural gas pipeline and revising the state’s natural gas tax structure to bring Alaska its fair share in tax revenue.

However, as a lifelong Alaskan educated in Alaska schools, I am also proud of Governor Palin’s reaffirmed commitment to Alaska’s education system.

Governor Palin has said throughout her first year in office that our Constitution directs the state to provide appropriate educational and other services to all of our children, including those with disabilities. The three-year plan for education funding Governor Palin rolled out last week calls for investing more than $1 billion each year in public education, and forward funding to ensure local school districts can budget for their school year in advance and teachers won’t have to worry about pink slips in the fall. It also significantly increases the base student allocation for students, including our intensive-need kids.

Thank you, Governor Palin, for upholding our constitutional mandates and for your commitment to Alaska’s education system, our educators and our kids.

Ivy Frye

Palmer