Update: On April 2, the Senate Finance Committee cut $47 million from education formula funding for next year. This is a devastating cut that will directly impact our kids in the classroom. In January, Governor Walker showed strong leadership in protecting education formula funding and prioritizing kids in his budget. The House did the same and did not touch the BSA. The Senate Finance Committee has done the exact opposite – this new budget puts the burden of the state’s budget deficit squarely on our students’ shoulders. Enough is enough. Sign this petition today to tell lawmakers to reverse these cuts to public education.

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Investing in Alaska’s students means giving every student, regardless of their zipcode, the time and tools to learn. By nurturing students’ imagination, curiosity, and critical thinking skills today, we are growing tomorrow’s innovators and leaders. As a state, investing in education will grow and diversify our economy for our children and grandchildren.

With the cost of oil plummeting, the State of Alaska faces difficult times ahead. Because the state budget is based mostly on oil revenue, Alaska faces a projected $3.5 billion budget deficit in FY 16.

Governor Walker said it best himself in December: You can’t cut your way to prosperity. If Alaska cut its entire education budget, the state would still face a budget deficit of over $2 billion.

School budget cuts impact students. Budget cuts mean less time for one-on-one instruction, fewer after school programs, and crowded classrooms. 

Alaska schools have already faced four years of cuts. Last April, the Legislature passed a three-year plan to fund schools in Alaska. Just nine months later, Governor Walker proposed cutting $52 million over the next two years, leaving our schools with renewed uncertainty. 

Now is the time to invest in our students, to grow and diversify our economy over the long term. Countries like Finland and South Korea, which do not enjoy the rich natural resources of Alaska, have invested in their children as their top resource and have seen their economies grow exponentially as a result.

We don’t know what the price of oil will be in a year. It’s time to start the conversation about how we uphold our constitutional duty to provide all Alaskan children with a public education and set Alaska on the path to responsible, predictable, and sustainable education funding and revenue in the future.

Join us today, sign this petition to call on Alaska lawmakers to restore the proposed funding cuts to the education budget and to invest in education to grow and diversify the Alaska economy. 

This communication was paid for by NEA-Alaska, 4100 Spenard Rd, Anchorage, AK 99517. Ron Fuhrer, chair, approves this message.