Alaska Accused of Education Discrimination

Wasilla parents are leading plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming that the state of Alaska violated its own constitution through engaging in discriminatory practices that unfairly funded and distributed education money throughout the state. Kristine and Gregory Moore, of Wasilla, were joined in the lawsuit filed in state superior court by several other parents, the National Education Association of Alaska and two rural Alaska school districts. The lawsuit charges that the state does not invest enough money in its schools to provide an adequate education for all students, and the funding it does provide fails to adequately meet the needs of poor, minority and special- needs students. "Not all kids are going to go to college and those kids need to be able to explore other educational options," Moore said. "We need to make sure our kids have access to their individual talents because every kid is different."  [more ]