@difficulthuman.bsky.social
Potter, educator, mother, sister, Alaskan, living on Dena’ina land.
I used to write #akleg saying I didn’t support capital projects. What I meant was that I didn’t want to sink more state money into boondoggles that shouldn’t be built at all. But maintaining schools is a capital project I can wholeheartedly get behind. #educationfunding
Decades of deferred maintenance for Alaska’s schools is reaching crisis levels, lawmakers heard, with some districts grappling with deteriorating school buildings, failing water and sewer systems.
(From @alaskabeacon.com)
(From @alaskabeacon.com)
Alaska school maintenance backlog has reached a crisis, students and school boards tell lawmakers
Lawmakers with the bipartisan majority caucus have expressed support for more funding for schools, but point to Gov. Dunleavy’s history of vetoes as a major roadblock.
www.ktoo.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM
I used to write #akleg saying I didn’t support capital projects. What I meant was that I didn’t want to sink more state money into boondoggles that shouldn’t be built at all. But maintaining schools is a capital project I can wholeheartedly get behind. #educationfunding
Reposted
The decision comes as YMCA Alaska is looking into the feasibility of running after-school child care programs in the district.
Juneau School Board returns $1.05 million in child care funding to city
The school board unanimously approved returning the funds following multiple delays since November as board members mulled over the future of after-school child care in the district.
ktoo.org
February 12, 2026 at 12:57 AM
The decision comes as YMCA Alaska is looking into the feasibility of running after-school child care programs in the district.
Reposted
Lawmakers are holding hearings on the state of a public boarding school for students from rural Alaska, after concerns surfaced about student health and safety, dorm life and facilities.
Legislators probe conditions at state boarding school where a quarter of students have disenrolled
Sitka’s Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a state-run boarding school for students from rural Alaska, has been the subject of recent concerns about student health and safety, dorm life, and facilities.
www.adn.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Lawmakers are holding hearings on the state of a public boarding school for students from rural Alaska, after concerns surfaced about student health and safety, dorm life and facilities.
Reposted
Another addition to the website to help us built *systems* and not just have me trying to do everything alone:
If you'd like to adopt a rent that you can either *cover immediately* and fundraise for, or just pay outright, please fill out this form and we will contact you via Signal.
If you'd like to adopt a rent that you can either *cover immediately* and fundraise for, or just pay outright, please fill out this form and we will contact you via Signal.
Adopt A Rent — Stand With Minnesota
Donate your Delta Skymiles to get people home from Texas
www.standwithminnesota.com
February 8, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Another addition to the website to help us built *systems* and not just have me trying to do everything alone:
If you'd like to adopt a rent that you can either *cover immediately* and fundraise for, or just pay outright, please fill out this form and we will contact you via Signal.
If you'd like to adopt a rent that you can either *cover immediately* and fundraise for, or just pay outright, please fill out this form and we will contact you via Signal.
#AnchorageSchoolDistrict absolutely should be consolidating schools to use their resources efficiently. AND the #akleg should be adequately funding public education. #alaskasky
Anchorage School Board members are beginning to grapple with a bleak preliminary budget for the district that proposes significant cuts to nearly every department.
More school closures possible as Anchorage School District seeks to address $90M budget deficit
This year, Anchorage School Board members are telling the public not to rely on late-arriving funding to save the day.
www.adn.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:31 AM
#AnchorageSchoolDistrict absolutely should be consolidating schools to use their resources efficiently. AND the #akleg should be adequately funding public education. #alaskasky
Former Dimond star Brandon Pili will be just the fifth Alaskan to ever play in the Super Bowl when he takes the field against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Anchorage’s Brandon Pili reflects on journey to Super Bowl with Seattle Seahawks and looks forward to making history
The former Dimond star will be just the fifth Alaskan to ever play in the Super Bowl when he takes the field against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
www.adn.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Glad to see it settled, allowing everyone to focus on communicating to the public and legislators about the need for increased and sustainable funding- and the need to fix retirement for Tier 3 Teacher Retirement System members. #alaskasky #akleg #educationfunding #anchorageschooldistrict
The Anchorage Education Association voted to ratify a three-year contract with the Anchorage School District. The contract provides significant increases in pay and health care contributions for the union's approximately 2,800 members.
Anchorage teachers union ratifies 3-year contract with school district
The new contract provides raises in pay and health care contributions to union members.
www.adn.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Glad to see it settled, allowing everyone to focus on communicating to the public and legislators about the need for increased and sustainable funding- and the need to fix retirement for Tier 3 Teacher Retirement System members. #alaskasky #akleg #educationfunding #anchorageschooldistrict
Attendance is such a tricky thing to address. It takes tact and care and curiosity and respect. When we talk about student achievement and school performance we often ignore the fact that almost half of our students (depending on the school) are chronically absent. #education #attendance #alaskasky
Chronic absenteeism can affect academic outcomes and Alaska has the highest rate in the nation. Read more from @corinne-smith.bsky.social at the @alaskabeacon.com alaskabeacon.com/2026/01/30/a...
Alaska lawmakers consider strategies to boost attendance as chronic absenteeism persists | Alaska Beacon
Alaska has some of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism in the nation — state data shows that more than 44,000 students were considered chronically absent from public schools last year.
alaskabeacon.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:20 AM
Attendance is such a tricky thing to address. It takes tact and care and curiosity and respect. When we talk about student achievement and school performance we often ignore the fact that almost half of our students (depending on the school) are chronically absent. #education #attendance #alaskasky
What do you want to hear from Alaska candidates as they compete for your vote this election? Let the @alaskabeacon.com know with this form 👇 and we'll ask!
docs.google.com/forms/d/1cBp...
docs.google.com/forms/d/1cBp...
What should the Alaska Beacon ask candidates?
Every election, the Alaska Beacon sends a candidate questionnaire to legislative and statewide candidates for office before the August primary election. It's the biggest public primary questionnaire i...
docs.google.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Hope Juneau is able to find a great superintendent ready to tackle educating the public and legislators about the need for increased funding.
The application for the position closes on Feb. 5. Board members say they're hoping to make a hire by March.
Juneau School Board seeks feedback for superintendent search
The Juneau School District Board of Education is working with a search firm to collect feedback from the community before it makes a hiring decision.
www.ktoo.org
February 1, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Hope Juneau is able to find a great superintendent ready to tackle educating the public and legislators about the need for increased funding.
Thank you to the students and health care workers who organized and showed up for this walkout on Friday. #anchorage #alaskasky
Two grassroots protests in Anchorage drew hundreds of participants Friday who decried the actions of ICE officers and the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in the U.S.
‘Heartbroken and furious’: Anchorage nurses and students protest ICE actions
Health care workers say they were galvanized to speak out after federal agents shot and killed intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
www.adn.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:13 AM
Thank you to the students and health care workers who organized and showed up for this walkout on Friday. #anchorage #alaskasky
Hope folks will educate themselves about the candidates for #AnchorageAssembly and Anchorage School District School Board. These officials have significant power over day to day lives. And we have recently seen how local officials can be instrumental in pushing back against out of control feds.
Six Anchorage Assembly seats and two school board seats are on the ballot for the April 7 municipal election. https://akpub.io/4aoZ5U4
Anchorage Assembly election to feature slate of 17 candidates
Two seats on the Anchorage School Board are also up for election. Anchorage’s municipal election is set for April 7.
akpub.io
January 31, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Hope folks will educate themselves about the candidates for #AnchorageAssembly and Anchorage School District School Board. These officials have significant power over day to day lives. And we have recently seen how local officials can be instrumental in pushing back against out of control feds.
So much fun getting to root for the Pili family! #alaskasky #pilipower
January 31, 2026 at 5:06 PM
So much fun getting to root for the Pili family! #alaskasky #pilipower
Anchorage School District faces $90M deficit, proposes cutting hundreds of positions www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/01/31/a... #alaskasky #educationfunding #akleg #anchorageschooldistrict
Anchorage School District faces $90M deficit, proposes cutting hundreds of positions
The Anchorage School District is facing a $90 million deficit for fiscal year 2027, prompting officials to propose sweeping cuts that would eliminate more than 380 full-time positions and numerous pro...
www.alaskasnewssource.com
January 31, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Anchorage School District faces $90M deficit, proposes cutting hundreds of positions www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/01/31/a... #alaskasky #educationfunding #akleg #anchorageschooldistrict
Thank you to the #anchorageassembly members who voted to add the educational tax levy to the April municipal ballot. If approved by voters, it could offset a $89 million deficit by about $11.8 million. #education #anchorageschooldistrict
Mayor Suzanne LaFrance announced a proposal for a one-time, $12 million levy for the Anchorage School District. In doing so, she asked the Assembly to set aside other revenue measures, including her own 3% sales tax proposal.
Mayor asks Anchorage Assembly to set aside sales tax proposal in favor of plan to help fund schools
The proposal comes as the Anchorage School District faces an $83 million operational funding shortfall for the upcoming school year.
www.adn.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Thank you to the #anchorageassembly members who voted to add the educational tax levy to the April municipal ballot. If approved by voters, it could offset a $89 million deficit by about $11.8 million. #education #anchorageschooldistrict
A nonprofit organization has launched a marketing campaign intended to attract educators to Alaska from the Lower 48 in order to quell a statewide teacher shortage.
Nonprofit’s marketing effort aims to bring Lower 48 teachers to Alaska
The effort is aimed at combating teacher shortages and high turnover rates that are a challenge in both urban and rural Alaska.
www.adn.com
January 22, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Legislators set out new education priorities with 10 bills filed ahead of the session on issues ranging from homeschool student testing and district budgeting to curriculums and student safety. (via Alaska Beacon) https://akpub.io/49S9q9X
An early look at Alaska education bills for 2026: homeschool testing, curriculums, student safety
Lawmakers introduced new bills related to education ahead of the 2026 legislative session, and will continue debating bills from last year.
akpub.io
January 22, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Great opinion piece from @rebeccabraun.bsky.social last week about #akleg and SB113 vetoed by Dunleavy last year. Close a loophole in corporate income tax for $65 million annually! #alaskasky #alaska
Opinion: Legislators have 5 days to clock an easy win www.adn.com/opinions/202...
Opinion: Legislators have 5 days to clock an easy win www.adn.com/opinions/202...
Opinion: Legislators have 5 days to clock an easy win
SB 113 modernizes Alaska’s tax code, supports schools and passed once already. There’s no reason to fail it again.
www.adn.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:23 AM
Great opinion piece from @rebeccabraun.bsky.social last week about #akleg and SB113 vetoed by Dunleavy last year. Close a loophole in corporate income tax for $65 million annually! #alaskasky #alaska
Opinion: Legislators have 5 days to clock an easy win www.adn.com/opinions/202...
Opinion: Legislators have 5 days to clock an easy win www.adn.com/opinions/202...
Hey, Great Alaska Schools! Do you have a presence here? If not, we invite you to join us! #alaskasky #education
January 22, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Hey, Great Alaska Schools! Do you have a presence here? If not, we invite you to join us! #alaskasky #education
Excellent letter to the editor in our local paper.
My LTTE published today on ICE's thuggery.
"To those fickle leaders: May you live very long lives. May you never forget how you cheered in these moments. May your cowardice keep you awake on the coldest nights in Fairbanks."
www.newsminer.com/opinion/lett...
"To those fickle leaders: May you live very long lives. May you never forget how you cheered in these moments. May your cowardice keep you awake on the coldest nights in Fairbanks."
www.newsminer.com/opinion/lett...
January 22, 2026 at 2:46 AM
Relieved to see this compromise brought forward. I support it but hear a lot of negativity from colleagues. Really curious what Tier 3 educators think of it. Will they support it? Does it make sense for them to stay in education for this kind of compensation? #anchorageschooldistrict #education
After negotiating for more than a year, the Anchorage School District and the local teachers’ union have come to a tentative contract agreement.
Anchorage School District and teachers union reach tentative contract after months of negotiation
If approved, the three-year contract would increase teacher salaries by 5% in each of the first two years and by 4% in the third.
akpub.io
January 21, 2026 at 3:59 AM
Relieved to see this compromise brought forward. I support it but hear a lot of negativity from colleagues. Really curious what Tier 3 educators think of it. Will they support it? Does it make sense for them to stay in education for this kind of compensation? #anchorageschooldistrict #education
Reposted
When LEAVING the US. We are in fully in the "your papers, please" mode of fascism.
New— An American citizen boarding flight from Boston to Lisbon just now told me after showing boarding pass, every passenger stopped on jetway by two ICE agents demanding to take their photo. When passenger asked why, ICE threatened to detain them. If they said no photo, couldn't board/TBD detained.
January 21, 2026 at 1:46 AM
When LEAVING the US. We are in fully in the "your papers, please" mode of fascism.