Alaska Policy Forum was pleased to be invited to the bill signing ceremony for the Alaska Reads Act, which contains K–12 reforms for which APF has been advocating since 2013. In our 2013 report, A State at Risk: The Urgent Need for K–12 Education Reform in Alaska, APF Senior Education Research Fellow Bob Griffin wrote about the Florida model of early literacy and how it could contribute to improvements for Alaska’s children. APF has continued every year for the last nine years to research and write about the importance of these Read by 9 reforms in addressing the early literacy crisis in Alaska. The passage of this non-partisan bill was a historic victory for Alaska. If implemented correctly, the reforms included in the Alaska Reads Act can transform the lives of Alaska’s children, leading not only to their personal success, but to a more vibrant economy and healthy community for us all.

 

Pictured left to right: APF Senior Education Research Fellow Bob Griffin, Governor Mike Dunleavy, APF CEO Bethany Marcum.