Valley Voices leader chairs Alaska Voices for children

Kris Moore, the chair of Valley Voices for Children, a grassroots group dedicated to providing excellence in schools in the local area, has accepted a co-chair position with Alaska Voices for Children, a new grassroots group made up of local education leaders across the state. Alaska Voices for Children, or AVC, is a result of a desire to unify the different education advocacy groups in Alaska to provide one, steady voice to the legislature in an attempt to have adequate funding for school districts across the state.

"It's a natural progression, efforts being made state-wide have been roped together," said Moore.

AVC is in its early planning stages, with nearly 20 people involved from groups such as Alaska Kids Count, Alaska Association of School Administrators, the Anchorage School Board, First Alaskans Institute, Citizens for the Educational Advancement of Alaska's Children and National Education Association Alaska.

"The support is large, everyone is finding out where they fit," said Moore. "They don't care who carries the message, they just want the message to be heard."

Right now AVC is focusing on getting legislation passed to increase education funding for this year; once that is completed, the group will work on deciding what the next step is to get funding cut in past years back in the school districts budgets.

"We are happy with what is happening, you can't look at this year and not be happy with the success," said Moore. "When I really reflect on things, it's awesome what has been done, what is being done and the vision of the future."

Moore will be attending a workshop in Nebraska at the Rural School and Community Trust to make contacts with people who have put together unified advocacy groups in their own states; once she returns, the group is planning on a strategic planning meeting for June 10 and 11. Moore has already made contact with a strategic planner who is willing to volunteer her time for the planning session; the group is now looking for other people in the state who are willing to jump on board.

"It's kind of an open door right now to anyone who thinks they have a place in this," said Moore.

While a number of VVC members are involved with AVC, VCC still remains as a grassroots group dedicated to making sure the children of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District have the best education possible.

Contact Jen Ransom at jen.ransom@frontiersman.com