Steve Jobs strongly favored school choice (vouchers) for every child as a means to improve educational opportunity for all. He believed that competition from “vouchered” schools would make the public schools either improve their product or go away. His strong endorsement of freedom of choice...

By David Boyle Just recently, the Anchorage School Board approved a contract for the Anchorage Education Association (AEA) for the period 2010-13.  We expressed concern at the School Board meeting (May 24th) that the board may not have been informed of the total costs of this contract.  When asked...

(AlaskaWatchdog.org) The Department of Corrections is partnering with the Anchorage Police Department to test drive a new program intended to deal with probation violations more quickly and effectively. Commissioner Joe Schmidt said the program, Probation Accountability with Certain Enforcement, would...

By Kirsten Adams  Nearly a year after the close of the 2009 fiscal year, financial reports on the public employees’ pension systems for that year are finally complete, and ready for review by pension management. The Alaska Retirement Management Board, tasked with keeping an eye on Alaska’s multi-billion...

David Boyle from the Alaska Policy Forum asks how the West Romig renewal will affect student achievement. (5:40) ASD's next big spending project - Click here to listen

On June 14th at 6:30, the Anchorage School Board will consider approving a master plan to rebuild West High School and Romig Middle School into a community center school. The projected cost is nearly $300,000,000. This “vision” includes fitness centers, one natural and two artificial turf...

By Kirsten Adams June 7, 2010 Despite an additional appropriation in the recently approved capital budget, reports of failed designs continue to plague the more than $750 million Port of Anchorage expansion project.  The project would use an open cell sheet pile design to add 130 acres of dock space...

(ADN) The Anchorage port cost has doubled from an estimated $375 million to $750+ million, and the expected  completion date has moved from 2015 to a likely 2020. The ICRC is now seeking a new contractor to fix existing issues and complete the project. Read the article <here>

APF presents before Anchorage Municipality Budget Working Group: Better Student Outcomes; More Choices Alaska Policy Forum Research Fellow Bob Griffin presented before a budget working group for the Municipality of Anchorage on ways the Anchorage School District can improve its performance. Press Release Power...

 Competition, not spending, will improve the performance of the Anchorage School District Bob Griffin, Research Fellow in Education Policy For those who seek a better value education (better results at a lower cost) in Anchorage, policies with proven results are the only ones that should be considered....

Download a hardcopyhere (PDF). Recently, the Anchorage School District (ASD) requested community input to assist the District and the School Board in managing their budget. The question under consideration was how to close an anticipated budget gap for FY 2011. We at the Alaska Policy Forum attended...