Articles By: jthompson

Anchorage School District Report Card

The Alaska Policy Forum has released the report card to the community for the Anchorage School District. Each school in the District is given a letter grade based on an average of the total student score on reading and math on the Standards Based Assessment (SBA) test. This report card is for the 2011-12...
May 21st, 2013 | Recent News | Read More

Vouchers can improve the fiscal health of school districts

It is a dogma used to criticize school choice so often that it sounds like a broken record: If we allow families to choose whatever school they would like to go to, there will be fiscal Armageddon—Children will leave public schools, and it will drain away funding. So goes the talking point. There...
March 23rd, 2013 | Education | Read More

School Choice Experts to Testify at Joint House & Senate Meeting

Four nationally recognized experts on school choice will present to the Joint House/Senate Education and Judiciary Committees on February 13th at 1:30. Kevin Chavous, a national education reform leader, will provide personal experiences showing that school choice benefits all children. He is board chair...
February 12th, 2013 | Recent News | Read More

Guest Opinion: A Careful Look at Ballot Measure 1

By Dave Donley Ballot Measure One could put the state on the path to losing over $110 million dollars in annual revenue.  The real but hidden issue at dispute in Ballot Measure One is how the North Slope Borough, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and the City of Valdez tax the billions of dollars of...
August 27th, 2012 | Fiscal Policy | Read More

Parnell’s rejection of a state exchange

It’s always important to give praise where praise is due, and Governor Parnell deserves praise for making a right call on Exchanges. If you haven’t been following this issue, here’s the quick version: The proponents of Obamacare needed a way to force businesses to offer health insurance coverage...
August 1st, 2012 | Fiscal Policy, Health Care | Read More

Indiana Voucher Schools Trump Other Schools

Indiana launched a school voucher program in 2011 which provided Choice Scholarships to students whose families had household incomes not more than 150 percent of the Federal free/reduced price (FRPL) lunch program criterion. This would be about $61,000/year for a family of four in Indiana. Those students...
July 17th, 2012 | Education | Read More

What Would Dr. King Say?

What Would Dr. King Say?
Article VII, Section 1 of the Alaska’s Constitution, contains some language prohibiting funding sectarian schools. Where did it come from?  
June 22nd, 2012 | Education, Featured | Read More

Alaska Preschool Spending: Does It Work?

The Alaska Legislature is considering whether to spend the funds to set up preschool. We interviewed Lisa Snell from the Reason Foundation to find out what studies show about the results of preschool when attempted in other states. Should Alaska Create a New Program for Preschool? (2.8MB)
April 5th, 2012 | Education, Fiscal Policy, Recent News | Read More

Should Alaska Adopt a Federal Curriculum?

The Anchorage School Board voted to adopt what are known as Common Core Standards which lays the groundwork for a national curriculum. Already, the Obama administration is tying federal funding to acceptance of CCS. David Boyle interviews Lance Izumi from the Pacific Research Institute to get a better...
March 23rd, 2012 | Education, Recent News | Read More

Obamacare Exchanges Are a Poor Fiscal Decision

As part of Obamacare, the federal government requires Alaska to set up what is called a Health Insurance Exchange. Alaska Policy Forum has raised awareness of the problems it would create for Alaskans here and here. There are a lot of assumptions floating around about Health Insurance Exchanges that...
March 23rd, 2012 | Health Care, Recent News | Read More

What is School Choice?

What is School Choice?
What might school choice look like for Alaska? School choice is powerful idea that empowers parents and spurs innovation and better education choices. Watch this video for a brief overview of how it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXe-wHv5UzE
February 27th, 2012 | Education, Featured | Read More

Alaska Health Care Exchange – Pros and Cons

This document explores some responses from people who may favor of the State of Alaska building an Obamacare Exchange. (Read more…)
February 23rd, 2012 | Health Care, Recent News | Read More

How the governor can protect Alaskans from federal overreach on healthcare

The problem: How can the state stop the federal government from imposing penalties on private businesses, health plans, churches, and religious groups for refusing to pay for services that violate their conscience? What can be done: Governor Parnell should protect all Alaskans by refusing to set up what...
February 22nd, 2012 | Health Care | Read More

Alaska Native Cultural Charter School Most Improved in ASD

From the 2009-10 to the 2010-2011 school year, the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School in the Anchorage School District saw the most improvement in their performance. Based on the Standard Based Assessment test scores, the charter school saw a gain of 8.7 points. To view the change in performance...
November 15th, 2011 | Education | Read More

Alaska Federation of Natives Endorses School Choice

Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska’s grassroots movement for parental choice in education received a significant boost the other day with the endorsement by delegates to the 2011 Annual Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives, according to Jeremy Thompson, executive director of the Alaska Policy...
November 8th, 2011 | Education | Read More

Poll: Alaska Voters Support School Choice

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Voters in Alaska decidedly favor school vouchers and other educational choice policies that would provide parents a range of options when it comes to educating their children, according to a poll released today by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. A school voucher system...
October 27th, 2011 | Education | Read More
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