Education Reform Was Proposed—It Was Ignored

Senator Shelley Hughes recently shared her frustration over the Legislature’s vote to override the Governor’s veto of a $700 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA). I respect Senator Hughes’ commitment to education reform and her desire for long-term solutions. But let’s be clear: the override wasn’t a case of reform being rejected—it was a case of reform being proposed and ignored.
This spring, I personally submitted a detailed set of amendments to House Bill 57, the Legislature’s education funding vehicle. These proposals were sent directly to the House Majority and our Mat-Su Valley delegation, including Representative Jamie Allard. They weren’t just slogans. They were concrete, cost-conscious, and classroom-focused recommendations, shaped through months of direct input from educators, classified school employees, and district leaders across the state.
Our proposal included:

• A mechanism to tie future BSA increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI)—finally ending the annual fight over flat funding.
• A dedicated 75/25 funding split: 75% earmarked for direct classroom instruction and 25% for district-defined needs—ensuring both accountability and local control.
• A fix for the outdated student transportation funding formula that penalizes growing and rural districts.
• Professional development funding for both teachers and classified staff.
• Flexibility for funding student behavioral and mental health support—a need seen in every school.

These weren’t theoretical concepts. They were fully written, fully deliverable amendments. But they were never even given a hearing. For all the talk about reform, the most detailed and actionable reform plan offered by front-line education professionals never made it off the shelf.
When the Legislature overrode the Governor’s veto, they didn’t abandon reform—they ensured Alaska’s students and schools wouldn’t have to endure another year of financial instability. That vote gave districts the certainty to hire staff, purchase materials, and meet student needs now, not six months down the road.
As a conservative and a union leader, I care deeply about accountability, efficient government, and strong local control. But I also believe in public education—not as a partisan battleground, but as the foundation of opportunity in Alaska. And when schools are hanging on by a thread, waiting for relief that never comes, we have a moral obligation to act.
We’re still at the table. We still have the plan. And we are ready to work with any lawmaker—Senator Hughes included—who wants to move from rhetoric to real, deliverable policy.
Let’s stop pretending good ideas don’t exist. They do. They were offered. It’s time we act on them.

​By Rick Morgan, President, Mat-Su Classified Employees Association & NEA-Alaska ESP At-Large Director