NEA-Alaska Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
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Candidate: Tom Wagoner |
Office:
Senate Q |
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?
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Yes Explain: In most cases a needs based process would work well especially in |
If you support needs based
funding, how would you accomplish this?
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First I would not hire a outside resource as was done with the cost of
living study two yrs. Ago. We have
competent individuals working in DOE. Districts and the … |
2. Do you support a return to the instructional unit approach to funding schools?
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No Explain: We should be able to make the current system work with some modifications in certain cases. One modification I will work on when re-elected will be the area cost … |
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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There are some inequities in transportation
funding which are traceable to the decisions made two years ago. These differences can be addressed district
by district. |
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 will work with fellow legislators to return |
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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Explain: Absolutely! |
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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The thing that bothers me the most is the method
used to determine if a school is successful & highly qualified. The number of standards or categories a
school is … |
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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Introduce joint resolutions for distribution to
D.C. & work with our congressional delegation to improve the program. |
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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Perhaps. This is more complex than a simple yes or no answer. If you or anyone else has a workable solution I would work for legislation to address the situation. |
2. How would you see the state’s public
retirement systems meeting their increasing financial burden?
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The Public Retirement Systems in the state are in
no danger at this time or in the future.
The critical problem is that of health care which is increasing by … |
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 Only for post high school work. |
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: We have few problems in the KPBSD area involving safety & security. However I know there are problems in some areas in our state that need safety & security. These … |
Note: ... indicates the
response has been truncated.