As a member of the KPBSD delegation to the AASB Legislative fly-in and Youth Advocacy Institute, a local student testified in front of the Senate Education Committee in support of an increase to the Base Student Allocation.
Soldotna High School Student Body President Jeren Nash opened his statement by stating that an increase in the BSA needs to happen to preserve Alaska communities and schools.
Jeren Nash shares his dream of becoming a teacher in Alaska. But whenever he shares this information, he’s met with individuals questioning his decision. He wonders if changes can be made to have people get excited about his decision, rather than turn it down.
The Student Body President then talked about a recent experience teaching elementary schoolers a lesson, and how he taught them about imagery and how their five senses played a key role in writing a story.
“I was able to experience a sense of joy not only teaching these kids but by providing a safe space for students to learn and engage with each other. I realize that’s why we do it. When a child realizes they’re capable, capable of learning and growing. When anyone realizes that they’re able to flourish, despite what some other people might say, that is what education is here for,” says Jeren Nash.
He says that seeing the wonder on the children’s faces is something he will never forget. Instead, it motivates him to keep pushing for a raise in the BSA.
“Funding schools is much, much larger than education. It is for generations of Alaskans to come. We need to support our communities. I’m unable to directly affect the BSA increase, but I’m going to try my best to prepare myself for teaching with the resources that I have,” says Jeren Nash.
River City Academy Principal within the KPBSD, and Jeren Nash’s father Shae Nash, spoke after his son to explain why a BSA increase is so critical to students, not only for the learning experience but for personal life situations as well.
Shae Nash explains that a representative for middle college students had told his son before that the key comments of being a teacher are reading, writing, and arithmetic.
However, Shae Nash knows that there’s much more to being a teacher than just school successes.
The principal then shares a personal situation of how his son was struggling with thoughts of suicide.
The person who came to his son’s aid was a different middle school college mentor.
Shae Nash says that they were able to get Jeren to the emergency room, where they learned that Jeren had a tumor in the back of his brain. Then were life-flighted out of Anchorage and had the situation safely taken care of.
“And that was because of a teacher, whose job wasn’t reading, writing and arithmetic….So I want to just support all in what you want and hopefully you can come up with a way that we can save jobs like that through BSA increase,” said Shae Nash.
Audio and Image Courtesy of KTOO and Gavel Alaska