NEA-Alaska Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
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Candidate: Harry Crawford Jr. |
Office: House District 21 |
Adequate Funding
1. Do you support a needs
based process for determining the level of school funding?
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Yes Explain: Funding should reflect real needs, and some schools need more to provide
any parity in education. The current
system seems to not accurately reflect those needs. |
If you support needs based
funding, how would you accomplish this?
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I support education and will continue to do what I can to support
excellence in education whether it's increasing the present formula or
re-writing the whole law. |
2. Do you support a return to the instructional unit approach to funding schools?
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Yes Explain: I think this means that a school needs to provide all the teachers and classes that it takes to accomplish the mission. I would support full funding. |
3. The recent changes in funding for pupil
transportation have had negative impacts in a number of school districts. How would you address this issue?
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I would restore funding for pupil transportation. It was a stupid cut, and I opposed it. |
4. Will you commit to working with NEA-Alaska
and other groups in developing a long-range plan to supplement current funding
levels and achieve adequate funding for schools within a decade?
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Yes |
Attracting & Retaining Quality
Educators
1. Fiscal uncertainty has caused many “new to
the profession” educators to leave Alaskan school districts and even leave the
state. What would you do to eliminate this annual event that has cost our state
so many valuable educators?
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I would provide more money for higher base salaries and also incentives
based on years taught to get new teachers locked in. |
2. Would you work to amend state statute to make
sure that district claims of financial shortfalls are verified by independent
third parties when dealing with the layoff of tenured teachers?
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Yes Explain: Financial shortfalls have become leverage
in negotiations, and I would favor independent varification. |
Elementary
and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB)
1. Would you support categorical funding so educators (teachers and instructional aides) can receive professional development to meet the standards set by ESEA/NCLB?
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Yes |
2. What amendments to the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) do you believe need to be made
to make the law workable in Alaska?
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Unfunded mandates would have to have federal
funding. End the monetary penalties
for at risk schools. Find a way
through distance education to provide highly qualified teachers. |
3. What are you willing to
do in concert with NEA-Alaska and other organizations to amend No Child Left
Behind to be “Alaska friendly” and to gain full funding of the Act?
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I would be glad to join NEA in their efforts to
fully fund and make NCLB " |
High Stake Testing.
1. This past year, some students did not receive
diplomas for the sole reason they did not pass the High School Graduation
Qualifying Examination (HSGQE.) Would
you support amending the law to allow schools to assess student knowledge and
abilities through a variety of means and not just through a single test?
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Yes |
2. Would you support funding for additional
programs/staff to specifically assist students having difficulty passing the
HSGQE?
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Yes |
3. Would you support categorical funding for
district-developed remedial programs for students who do not meet standards on
Alaska’s benchmark exams?
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Yes |
PERS/TRS
1. Would you support a single tier for each
public retirement system as a means of attracting and retaining quality
educators?
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Yes |
2. How would you see the state’s public
retirement systems meeting their increasing financial burden?
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I would make the plan a defined contribution plan
and guaranteed benefit so that the state would not be able to short-fund
their contribution. Similar to any
iron worker's retirement. |
Vouchers
1. Do you support the use of public money for
private and religious schools?
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No |
2. Would you support vouchers?
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No |
3. Would you support tuition tax credits
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No |
Safe Schools
1. Students and staff must feel safe and secure
in our schools for learning to take place.
Would you support funding for programs/staff that have been demonstrated
to increase student and staff safety?
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Yes Explain: I would be glad to look at whatever you have as I want my kids and their teachers to not only be safe, but to also feel safe. |
Note: …. indicates the
response has been truncated.