RURAL LEGISLATORS COMMENT ON MOORE SETTLEMENT

Herron, Dick thankful for resolution and new path forward on rural educ.
Thursday, January 26, 2012, Juneau, Alaska – A pair of rural representatives today released the following statements after attending the announcement of a settlement in the Moore v. State education case. The State of Alaska settled with the plaintiffs, Citizens for the Educational Advancement for Alaska’s Children, or CEAAC following 10 months of negotiations and nearly eight years of litigation. Details of the settlement are available at http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell/press-room/full-press-release.html?pr=6016.
Representative Bob Herron, D-Bethel
Boy, this is a long time coming. When I was on the Lower Kuskokwim School District Board in the early 1990s, the discussion was about the adequacy level of education to rural districts. So collectively, the school districts and the parents that lived and worked in those parts of the state of Alaska decided that we had to get the state’s attention. The Kassayulie case is resolved. It has taken 13 years. The Moore case took eight years. Even with all that, today is a day of beginning, a day of celebration, but a day that means that from now on the focus will have to be sharp on educating fairly all Alaska’s students – all Alaska’s children.
Rep. Alan Dick, R-Stony River – House Education Committee Chair
You know, most people don’t realize the real significance of this, because there was an undercurrent of uncertainty, contention and whatnot. This is a day to celebrate. I really believe it’s far bigger than most people can imagine. It’s not just about money – it’s about coming up with creative solutions that are going to provide the school districts that are struggling with some real life answers. You know, most of the superintendents are so busy wrestling alligators that they don’t have time to drain the swamps. This is going to set aside some money, and some time, and some people so that they can come up with some long-term solutions and some models and templates that we can follow down the road. It’s not just throwing money at the problem; this is really about coming up with creative solutions.
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CONTACT: Rep. Herron – 907-465-4942
Rep. Dick – 907-465-4527