During the 33rd Alaska Legislature, state elected officials negotiated a much needed bipartisan solution to meet the legislature’s constitutional obligation to support a system of public schools. This was not just a political maneuver but a sincere effort to invest in our children.

The deal, painstakingly negotiated and debated, would have increased the base amount for per-pupil funding, which has remained relatively stagnant for almost a decade despite inflation growing nearly 29% during the same time period.

Charter schools would have received dedicated state-funded support services, public correspondence programs would have seen a boost to their per-pupil funding, residential schools would have received financial help to combat rising food and lodging costs, and the state funding formula for school transportation would have increased.

Let me be honest. There were aspects of the bill I was not particularly happy about. For example, fiscal documents indicated that over $1,500 per pupil was needed to address inflation (over $1,800 now), but the bill only contained an extremely modest $680 per student. Yet, at the end of the day, legislating is about the art of the possible, not the perfect.

Unfortunately, we all know what happened. The Governor vetoed this fair, reasonable, and overwhelmingly bipartisan collaboration.

The Governor’s veto was not just a setback, it was a devastating blow to our children’s future, to say the least.

As I look toward the start of the 34th Legislature, I am preparing for the inevitable deluge of misinformation about our state’s public school system’s purpose, role, and financial situation.

Our Constitution declares public school access the right of every child in Alaska, and I have sworn an oath to uphold and defend our state’s Constitution. I also hold in my heart that “it is easier to build strong children than repair broken men.”

Education is the tool our children wield to discover their potential, uncover truths, find meaning, and thrive. It is our responsibility as adults to defend the rights of children to explore, learn to read, think critically, develop morally, and become fully engaged citizens of this republic.

This path can only be actualized by maintaining local control and supporting our parents, well-trained classroom educators and school staff, and locally elected school boards.

Today, I ask all of you who care about Alaska and our future to join me in this crucial fight for public education. Your support is not just appreciated, it is essential.

Our schools are underfunded and under-resourced. They are bending under the weight of an orchestrated attack on public education.

Will you defend our children’s right to a high-quality public education that has well-trained, certified educators at the helm? An education that is well-resourced, adequately funded, and supports learning our nation’s true and accurate history. An education that celebrates our children as who they authentically are and welcomes diverse perspectives and ways of knowing. An education that prepares our children for the world and gives them the tools and the skills to shape the world as it should be.

We cannot give up. Our children cannot afford for us to step aside and be defeated. History shows us that this fight is as righteous as it is long. I am here to defend the rights of our kids, and I hope you are, too.

Löki Tobin is the Alaska State Senator for District I and the Senate Education Committee Chair.