NEWS: Gara: Non-Education Session Adds More Layoffs to Three Years of Massive Layoffs
ANCHORAGE - Today Rep. Les Gara (D-Anch), a lead sponsor of legislation to start reversing the last three years of over 600 layoffs to teachers and educators across the state, called the “three-year” education bill that passed “two, and likely three more years of layoffs on top of the more than 600 teachers staff Parnell and the GOP have cut since 2011.” Since 2011 Alaska schools have lost over 600 teachers and staff due to flat funding.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Honoring Students of America’s Most Diverse High School - Here in Alaska!
Last Thursday my aide Rose Foley and I spent our morning with 2,000 people. I know, it’s not how most of you start work, or want to start work if you like a quiet cup of coffee in the morning.
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NEWS: Gara: More Teacher Layoffs Won’t Fix Alaska’s Near-Bottom Graduation Rates
JUNEAU – Today, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) responded to a recent study that found Alaska ranks near the bottom of state rankings in high school graduation rates. Gara, who joined other Democratic lawmakers in pushing to reverse Alaska’s course of educator cuts, tied Alaska’s slow progress on improving graduation rates to three years of teacher and staff layoffs, a problem the Legislature failed to address this session.
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NEWS: The ‘Education Session’ that Wasn’t
JUNEAU – Today, on the ninety-fifth and final day of the 28th Alaska Legislature, House Democratic Leader Chris Tuck released the following statement on behalf of the House Democratic Caucus.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Wrong priorities: No Money To Improve Schools When They Want a Shiny Bridge
ob isn’t rocket science. And passing an education bill - the stated reason for the extended session - isn’t rocket science either. There is little reason this work could not have been done by Sunday, the official end of the 90-day session. Yet GOP leaders said they needed extra time, at a cost to you of about $30,000 a day.
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NEWS: It’s Not Rocket Science - Prioritize Education Not Bailouts and Boondoggles
Today Representative Les Gara said the solution to helping Alaska’s students is to re-prioritize spending away from last-minute oil refinery bailouts and controversial megaprojects and put it into education.
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