December 11, 2019
Dear Governor Dunleavy and Alaska Legislature,
It is with great urgency, high interest, and critical care that we, the undersigned superintendents of Alaska
school districts, declare Alaska’s students are presently in a reading achievement crisis. National tests, state
assessments, and local reading data all provide clear evidence that too many of Alaska’s children are not
reading at acceptable levels of proficiency and are far below their peers across the nation. While there are
great examples of successes, the failure of a large number of students to read successfully is a story that
must have a new ending.
Literacy is a fundamental right of all students and must be a no-fail mission for all Alaska stakeholders. School
boards and districts, policy makers and business leaders, along with parents must rally together to support
the learning that is essential to gain competency in reading—from birth to three, pre-school to graduation,
and into adulthood.
We, superintendents, support the work begun by Commissioner Johnson to engage the 31st Legislature to
pass a reading bill to hold Alaska’s schools and other stakeholders accountable for critical, evidence-based
teaching and learning of the five components of reading (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency,
Vocabulary, and Comprehension). All students in our state deserve high quality curriculum and instruction
based on the science of reading.
This need for collective support rises above outward blame, self-service, finger pointing, finances, and
personal agendas. The time is now for our state to come together as a whole to ensure the children of Alaska
learn to read with fluency. Our children have waited too long for the adults to act on their behalf.
The following superintendents are seeking action, grounded in law, to ensure all students learn to read.
All means ALL.
Sincerely,

Deena M. Bishop, Ed.D.
Anchorage School District

Larry LeDoux, Ed.D.
Kodiak Island Borough School District

Andrew (Hannibal) Anderson
Lower Yukon School District

Michael Hanley
Aleutian Region District and
Chugach School District

Monica Goyette, Ed.D.
Mat-Su Borough School District

Bernard Grieve
Kuspuk School District