Lon Garrison, Executive Director
As we gathered for AASB’s annual conference last week, whose theme was “Coming Together for Students,” I found myself reflecting on a year defined by extraordinary challenges — but also extraordinary resolve. Alaska’s school boards, superintendents, and district leaders faced one of the most difficult periods in recent memory. Yet in every region of our state, and in every district — large and small, urban and rural — I continued to see three key strengths at work: resilience, perseverance, and commitment.
These aren’t abstract ideals. They are the qualities school board members demonstrate every day as they serve their communities, support their educators, and keep students at the center of every decision.
Resilience in the Face of Unrelenting Pressure
This past year has tested Alaska’s public schools in ways few could have predicted or sustained without exceptional resilience.
School boards and their districts endured another long and exhausting legislative session as we worked to secure sufficient and stable funding. Public schools remained the subject of pointed criticism from the Governor’s Office, including repeated claims that local school boards do not care about student achievement but instead maintain a system focused on spending money rather than improving student outcomes. Of course, this is patently false. Many of you have been confronted with declining enrollment, forced school closures, and a transportation system strained by the lack of bus drivers and unreliable air service.
District leaders are navigating crumbling facilities, condemned buildings, and a near-complete absence of capital or major maintenance funding. Teacher, administrator, and staff shortages continue to stretch systems thin. Natural disasters—fires, floods, and typhoons—have disrupted communities and overwhelmed local resources. And on top of these local challenges, we face national concerns: potential cuts to Title funding, the possibility of major federal program restructuring, and the impacts of a federal shutdown.
Layered over all of this is a persistent narrative that public education is failing.
And yet, through every challenge, Alaska’s school boards have remained steady. You have demonstrated resilience not as a slogan, but as daily practice.
Perseverance When the Work Feels Endless
If resilience gets us through the moment, perseverance keeps us moving forward.
School boards have continued to show up—meeting after meeting, year after year—even when the conversations are contentious, personal, or simply exhausting. Many of the decisions you are asked to make involve no perfect answers—only the least harmful choices for students and communities you care deeply about.
You endure late nights, long agendas, and hours of public testimony. You navigate difficult relationships, high expectations, and the competing demands of state mandates, federal requirements, and local needs. And despite all of this, you persist in your work, committed to improving student learning and maintaining the health of your schools.
Your perseverance is a quiet kind of leadership, but it is powerful—and essential.
Commitment to Students, Communities, and Democratic Governance
At the heart of everything you do is commitment.
Commitment shows up in the emails you answer when you’re tired and the conversations you have, even when they’re uncomfortable. It shows up in the advocacy you do on behalf of your district—in Juneau, in your community, and in the relationships you build with parents, students, and staff.
It shows up in the time you invest in yourselves—attending workshops, participating in retreats, learning about governance, and growing as leaders.
And it shows up in your steadfast belief that, despite its imperfections, local governance remains one of the most powerful tools we have for serving our communities. Democracy is hard, often messy work. But every time you take your seat at the board table, you affirm your commitment to that work and to the students who depend on it.
Your presence at this conference is a clear reminder: we come together for our students.
AASB’s Commitment to You
Just as you remain committed to your communities, AASB remains committed to you.
We continue to advocate for increased and stable school funding. We are working hard to protect federal programs and Title funding essential to Alaska’s most vulnerable learners. We tell your stories to policymakers, partners, and the public so that the realities you face are understood, appreciated, and acted upon.
Our staff is dedicated, well-trained, and deeply invested in helping districts create the conditions in which students can thrive. We offer training, resources, and services not just for boards—but for schools, communities, families, and youth—because improving student outcomes requires attention to the entire system.
Each year, I hope you leave our annual conference with something meaningful: a new tool, a new connection, a new idea, or a new colleague you can count on when challenges arise. These relationships and shared commitments strengthen not only your boards but the entire network of public education across Alaska.
As your Executive Director, I think about these challenges—and your strengths—every day. It has been an incredibly tough year. But just like you, AASB has stayed the course. We’ve continued our work, grounded firmly in our mission:
“…to advocate for children and youth by assisting school boards in providing quality public education, focused on student achievement, through effective local governance.”
Thank you for your leadership.
Thank you for your resilience and perseverance.
And most of all, thank you for your commitment to Alaska’s students.
