NEA

NEA-Alaska Legislative Candidate Questionnaire

Candidate: Gary Wilken

Office: Senate District E

Candidate responses exceeding 30 words have been truncated.

Adequate Funding

1. Do you support a needs based process for determining the level of school funding?

Yes

Explain: I'm not sure what a "needs based" process is. But I will continue to work hard for fair, adequate, and stable K-12 funding.

If you support needs based funding, how would you accomplish this?

2. Do you support a return to the instructional unit approach to funding schools?

Explain: If the Instructional unit method is similar to the 1987-1997 process - it was shown to be confusing, unfair, manipulative, lacking in accountaiblity. Funding should be understood by all, not just ….

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?

Pupil transpottion was broken. It grew 77% in 7 years and was robbing money from the classroom. The solution is to keep the district involved and responsible for the systems ….

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?

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?

Continue to work hard for adequate and stable funding, continue to recognize that a teacher has to be part of the community, and continue to work for adequate housing.

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?

No Response

Explain: I don't know enough about this to answer.

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?

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?

I do not have specifics but I will contine to support the effort to make NCLB work in Alaska. It clearly is a glove that doesn't fit all hands.

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?

Work at it and strongly support those that are trying to straighten out the Federal Government and do the right thing for our K-12 system.

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?

2. Would you support funding for additional programs/staff to specifically assist students having difficulty passing the HSGQE?

Yes

3. Would you support categorical funding for district-developed remedial programs for students who do not meet standards on Alaska’s benchmark exams?

Yes

PERS/TRS

1. Would you support a single tier for each public retirement system as a means of attracting and retaining quality educators?

Yes

2. How would you see the state’s public retirement systems meeting their increasing financial burden?

1) Pay for it out of General Fund dollars.

2) Change the system to a Tier 4 and a Defined contribution system

3) Analyse how we got into this difficult situation

Vouchers

1. Do you support the use of public money for private and religious schools?

2. Would you support vouchers?

3. Would you support tuition tax credits

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?

Yes

Explain:

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