Parents should have a much greater role in how and where their children are educated. The Alaska Family Council supports legislation and, if necessary, a Constitutional amendment that would create a system of educational vouchers to provide financial assistance or tax credits to families who wish to provide an alternative education to their children outside of the public school setting.  In addition, because the vast majority of the youth in Alaska attend public schools, our organization will seek to support and promote those policies that strengthen Alaska's public schools and oppose those policies that do not. In particular, the Alaska Family Council agrees with an assessment recently made by Focus on the Family regarding several current problems public schools now face -

• Violence and the use of drugs are much too commonplace. One way to turn this tide is for administrators and teachers to establish a greater respect for authority, provide consequences for bad behavior more consistently and initiate more control and structure in classrooms at earlier levels through high school.

• Regardless of the political affiliations or interests of individuals, public school teachers are required to support and be a part of a National Education Association (NEA) that is extremely one-sided and active in advancing a socially liberal political agenda.

• Too many people believing that a lack of funding is the primary issue facing public schools. Public funding of our schools has actually doubled in the last 30 years without any significant improvements in student performance.

• Many public schools have served more as laboratories for social experiments than those related to science. Although there are exceptions, the advancement and promotion of homosexual and sexually promiscuous lifestyles is not at all uncommon in today's public schools. Presenting alternatives to or possible flaws with the theory of Darwinian evolution is generally not acceptable while student's views and rights regarding deeply held religious beliefs are becoming increasingly censored.