Alaska Home Educators Alliance

The Honorable Governor Sarah Palin
Governor of Alaska
P.O. Box 110001
Juneau , Alaska 99811

Dear Governor Palin,

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We, the members of the Alaska Home Educators Alliance (AHEA), hope that you seize this opportunity to achieve your educational goals.

Madam Governor, you wiped the Creamery Board clean when they performed poorly and ignored your wise requests. The Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development has ignored opportunities to implement your education policies as well.

AHEA conversed with the Commissioner in May of 2007. Written requests from home educators to the Board of EED went unanswered. Additionally, Alaskan homeschoolers enrolled in statewide correspondence schools testified before the State Board of EED on June 7, 2007 . Senator Dyson also testified on June 7th offering to be on a task force that would look at correctly implementing statutes he helped to write. Even though Senator Dyson made clear that his comments quoted in the 2005 Deputy AG's memo were interpreted erroneously, no action has been taken by the DEED. With the exception of Pat Shier's offer to chair a task force, our Alaska State Board of EED has not acted to right the current belief that there is a need for more legislative action.

We hope that you will speak to the members of the Alaska State Board of EED. Ask them to screen applicants for the Commissioner's position who appreciate the following and hold them accountable:

Your new energy policy for education and the important part parents play in the education of their children.
The need for safety and lower costs in education.
That one size does not fit all and the importance of pursuing your agenda for alternative and vocational education.
The important role of statewide homeschool correspondence programs and the necessity of reversing the inequities caused by the 2004 regulation changes.

We thank you for appointing Mr. Shier, who is working to fulfill your promises for new energy in education.

Assistance from you prior to the September 21 st Alaska State Board of EED meeting could result in the successful correction of regulatory inequities or, with your urging, the Board could honor Senator Dyson’s request and develop a task force that will meet in July and August of this year.

We refrained from initiating any efforts until AGIA was accepted because we understood that was a priority; however, the action of the State Board of EED on June 7th is a clear indication that we need your support immediately. We trust your answers to the AHEA questionnaire and look forward to any opportunity to discuss your support. Thank YOU!

New Energy Needed in Education