“Our founders included this clause to protect Alaska students. They wanted to ensure that they weren’t being brainwashed by a dogma that destroyed their culture or went against the wishes of their parents.“
Greg Sarber in a recent Alaska Watchman article on why the Alaska State Constitution has an education clause preventing “public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution.”
Many Alaskans are unaware of how public education unfolded in the history of the Great Land. Russian influences and a man named Sheldon Jackson created an environment that eventually led to a clause in our State Constitution intended to stop forced religious assimilation and unequal treatment of students.
As you can read here, there was indeed justification for such language. Today however, in an ironic turn of events, the forced assimilation is still occurring but in a way the founders of our state likely could not have seen or understood.
Today, I’m fortunate to have a discussion with Greg Sarber on this history along with where we might be headed. Change is coming. Like it or not.
I hope you can tune in.
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