Alaska Gubernatorial Candidate Criticizes School District for Veterans Day Omission

A Republican candidate for governor in Alaska has expressed dissatisfaction with the Anchorage School District’s decision not to recognize Veterans Day on its official calendar. Instead, the holiday is labeled as “Student Release Professional Development Day.”

Bernadette Wilson, who is campaigning to become the next governor, described the school district’s decision as “absolutely unacceptable” for neglecting to acknowledge Veterans Day.

She raised concerns about what she sees as an ongoing issue of indoctrination and “woke ideology” permeating the education system. “There’s definitely a lot of effort being put into indoctrinating kids right now,” Wilson stated. “You can see it in the declining test scores of our children, as well as in the coercive ideologies coming from school districts.”

While the district didn’t formalize recognition of the holiday, they still issued a message on social media expressing gratitude to veterans. The post read, “The Anchorage School District is deeply grateful for the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of our veterans in our schools, families, and communities. Your service and example inspire our students every day.”

In addition, Wilson pointed out a troubling incident where the school district recently included a disclaimer on pamphlets regarding the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, asserting that the district “does not support” the views expressed in these foundational documents. Afterward, the district acknowledged this disclaimer was added by mistake.

Wilson accused the district of carelessly undermining its support for these documents. “They cannot afford to accidentally sidestep their allegiance to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence,” she remarked. “Educators claiming, ‘That was an accident,’ is not a luxury we can afford. It wasn’t an accident; they got caught, and that’s where this so-called apology comes in.”

According to Wilson, the same district that altered Veterans Day’s designation is now trying to dismiss the disclaimer controversy as an error.

The Anchorage School District has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding this matter.

As for her plans if elected, Wilson emphasized the need to “empower parents” in educational choices. She mentioned exploring legislation such as education savings accounts and promoting options like charter schools and homeschooling co-ops, believing these could provide families with better choices.

“We need to keep the conversation going to help parents make the most of the options available,” Wilson concluded.