Opinion: Dinosaurs vs. Unicorns in Alaska's Education Debate

Conversations about how to rebuild Alaska's education system often boil down to dinosaurs versus unicorns.

Dinosaurs complain that they lack the funding needed to support an industrial-era form of education that dates back to the early 20th century, when Henry Ford developed the assembly line. Children enter school in kindergarten or first grade and are taught and grouped together with their peers until they graduate by the 12th grade. Like an assembly line, each grade group thinks, learns, and advances in groups. This industrialized system requires funding for infrastructure, transportation, teachers, administrators, facilities, debt, health, retirement, and more. This is an industrial complex that must be maintained to meet the educational needs of our children, but it does not prioritize those needs.

Unicorn companies see innovation and success in education as a universal solution without considering the long-term impact or consequences. I am an enthusiastic unicorn until I start to question all the good things in life. Recently, I listened to a TED talk by Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy. His talk was about the great benefits of artificial intelligence and how he leveraged it in the creation of his Khanmigo. Khanmigo services can provide tutoring, counseling, lesson planning, and other services that are currently underfunded or staffed in public education. I was moved and excited. I immediately downloaded it to help my grandson with geometry. Luckily, he found the answer before I arrived in Cummigo. I read in the Wall Street Journal today that Mr. Cummigo has difficulty with basic mathematics. This can cause problems with simple geometries like the Pythagorean theorem. This doesn't mean I completely abandon Cummigo, but it does point out that there is no simple solution to underfunding public education.

I have been working with middle school and high school students for several years. Some of them went to school depending on the season, so I called them “seasonal students.” Although they were all smart children, most had poor grades and poor attendance and were considered to need special support. Now, what happens to smart kids who are told they're not smart? It's not a great relationship. The way I felt about most of these students was the same as what I knew as a child. It means that caring adults who treat students with respect and academic challenge are the keys to academic success. Therefore, reducing the number of teachers and adults in the classroom will impact academic success.

I think most of us can point to issues of dysfunction and apathy as well as centers of excellence. How do we balance the education-industrial complex and the educational needs of 21st century society?

1. Defunding will not make any progress. School districts have the same responsibilities that most of us have in our personal lives. It incorporates costs such as insurance, retirement benefits, roofing, heating, transportation, mortgage (bond issue), and basic maintenance. We cannot escape our obligations. A state cannot declare bankruptcy.

2. I understand Secretary of Education Deena Bishop's decision not to provide a carte blanche for basic student assignments. There is no substitute for a great teacher, so we need to have a long-term vision for how to put the best teachers in front of the most students. You also need to understand the adult-to-student ratio that fosters personal growth.

The good news is that Congress has begun the process of allowing dinosaurs to adapt to a changing world and making unicorns accountable for their magical powers. This is the first time his two species have coexisted and actually been of benefit to Alaska students.

Nothing comes easily or quickly. It takes all of us to embrace education as a top priority for all of Alaska. Alaska did it as a young state, and we should do it now with pride. Towards the future of the north.

jennifer johnston He is a member of the Northern Confederacy and a former Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives. She lives in Anchorage.

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