Why Are You Running For Anchorage School Board, and What Makes You Qualified?

Alexander Rosales, Candidate | Anchorage School District Seat A

This being the SECOND interview from ADN, I was excited to share my answers. Easiest answer to this question... I am a proven leader without last in results, ever. My opponent is the unqualified one in this race. As part of the 2025 Anchorage School Board candidate survey from the Anchorage Daily News, I was asked: Why are you running for the Anchorage School Board, and what makes you qualified for the job? Here’s my answer, straight from the form, because I want you; parents, teachers, and taxpayers, to hear it unfiltered:

“I’m running to bring proven leadership to a struggling board. With 20 years in the Air Force, I managed aircraft maintenance across several continents, mastering logistics and team coordination. My MBA sharpened my strategic planning skills and my time in classrooms showcases I know how to fix our elementary education. As owner of Alpenglow Basecamp Rentals, I’ve driven operational efficiency and budget optimization in Alaska’s unique market. I can understand more than just English, broadening community outreach, and my Project Management Certification ensures disciplined execution. As a current ASD parent, I’m motivated to deliver results-focused governance, leveraging my diverse experience to address district challenges with innovation and accountability.”

That’s my pitch, under 1000 characters, as they asked. But let me unpack it for you here. I’ve spent two decades keeping not just planes in the sky under pressure, but the lives of those I worked with depended on my understanding of what they went through everyday. I lead from the front. That’s the kind of focus I’ll bring to a board that’s let our schools crash. My MBA isn’t just a degree; it’s a tool I’ve used to cut costs and streamline operations in everything I do. I have proven success with it for longer than my opponent has been in office. I’ve taught in classrooms, so I get what our kids and teachers need. Not more bureaucracy, but real support. Being conversational in multiple languages...? That’s not a gimmick; it’s a way to connect with more families ignored by this board. And as a Dad with two daughters in ASD, I’m not some outsider, I’m in the trenches with you.

The current board? They’re failing us. Alaska’s 49th in the nation for education, despite spending big. Safety’s a joke, Clark Middle School’s a war zone, East High School just had the largest girl fight in decades, guns are found at basketball games... Parents like me get shut down when we demand better. I’m running because I’ve led through chaos before, and I’ll do it again to fix this mess. No donors own me; I answer to you. That’s why I’m in this fight. Join me, our kids deserve Dads. Here are some highlights from X Covering some of these topics as well as my direct responses to ADN. __________________________________________________________________________ Why are you running for the Anchorage School Board, and what makes you qualified for the job?

*

I’m running to bring proven leadership to a struggling board. With 20 years in the Air Force, I managed aircraft maintenance across several continents, mastering logistics and team coordination. My MBA sharpened my strategic planning skills and my time in classrooms showcases I know how to fix our elementary education. As owner of Alpenglow Basecamp Rentals, I’ve driven operational efficiency and budget optimization in Alaska’s unique market. I can understand more than just english, broadening community outreach, and my Project Management Certification ensures disciplined execution. As a current ASD parent, I’m motivated to deliver results-focused governance, leveraging my diverse experience to address district challenges with innovation and accountability.

What’s the single most important issue facing the Anchorage School District? How would you address it if elected?

*

The Anchorage School District’s top issue is student and teacher safety, neglected by a board that silences parents. On April 9, 2024, my opponent barred parents from addressing rampant school violence... a pattern of dismissal she’s repeated for years. As a Dad with daughters in ASD, I’ve been consistently ignored when pushing for safety improvements, like many parents. This board doesn’t grasp the daily danger they’re placing our kids in. With years as an Air Force security manager, I’d deploy trained parents and use my expertise to secure schools, not just talk about it. I’d amplify parents’ voices, ensuring open dialogue over suppression. Elect me to end this reign of neglect, bringing practical, proven safety measures and real parental advocacy to protect our children and educators from a board out of touch with our urgent needs

Should the state increase funding for public schools by raising the Base Student Allocation? If so, by how much?

*

The state shouldn’t raise the Base Student Allocation until a clear link ties dollar amounts to student success, think higher reading levels or math scores. Parents demand evidence, not vague assurances. Alaska’s ‘news’ hides the harsh reality: more spending doesn’t equal better results. America leads the world in education spending yet ranks 40th out of 40; Alaska’s 49th among states. Proven cases across the U.S. show money alone fails, look at D.C. or New York. Not one extra dollar should flow until the board reins in its reckless overspending. Their three core duties include budgeting, yet they flounder, pointing fingers and feeding parents misinformation instead of fixing failures. As a board member, I’d reject increases, demanding fiscal discipline and transparency so every cent directly boosts students, not bureaucratic bloat.

Please give a letter grade, A-F, for the performance of the current school board. Explain.

*

I grade the Anchorage School Board an F+. Alaska’s languished in the bottom 10 nationally for 10 years, despite ranking 7th in per-student spending. They’ve slightly improved, listening to parents more, refining meeting decorum, but it’s negligible. Touting a 90% attendance rate (up from 89%) as ‘transformational’ is a sham, massaging data to sway parents and justify bonds while cutting sports and IGNITE. They fail miserably: not holding the Superintendent accountable, overspending wildly, and jeopardizing kids’ safety daily. Worse, they prioritize DEI and SEL over reading and math, driving mental health risks with unproven programs instead of focusing on core academics. This obsession fuels poor outcomes and high stress, not solutions. An F+ nods to minor gains amid systemic collapse, our kids need results, not rhetoric.

What’s your vision for public education in Anchorage?

*

My vision for Anchorage public education is bold: top 3 in the nation. Every graduate must be ready to succeed globally, grounded in American values—liberty, responsibility, and morals—as our Founding Fathers intended. I’ve seen more of the world than my opponent and the board, serving 20 years in the Air Force. I envision safe, supportive schools with robust parent involvement and true school choice. Outcomes must improve, tackling Alaska’s energy and food crises to foster independence, not just job prep. Kids deserve every opportunity, steeped in patriotism and ethics, not mediocrity. Our charters rank among the nation’s best, yet the ASD board stifles progress. I’m here to fix it, ensuring our schools reflect American ideals—empowering students to lead with integrity and innovation in a challenging world.

What other important issue would you like to discuss?

*

I’d address the board’s financial waste, spotlighting Margo’s role as Equal Opportunity hiring official. For a decade, her push for quotas over merit wasted funds and tanked results—look at Clark Middle School, staffed with ‘qualified’ teachers yet the most dangerous in 2024. Her decisions as a board member reflect fraud and abuse of power, prioritizing politics over kids. Some call her choices borderline criminal—hiring based on identity, not skill, while results crater. She’s raised over $50,000 for reelection, backed by donors detached from our kids’ needs, not parents or teachers. I’m unowned, answering only to families and staff. The media won’t touch this—they’re complicit. I’d slash waste, demand merit, and put students first, not agendas. _______________________________________________________________________

Here are highlights, spotlighting ASD’s current failures, amplified with recent X post trends (searched as of March 4, 2025).

Student and Teacher Safety Ignored

The Problem: The board dismisses parents on safety. On April 9, 2024, Margo Bellamy blocked parents from addressing violence—like at Clark Middle School, dubbed 2024’s most dangerous by locals.

X Trend: Posts like @AKParentVoice

(Feb 2025): “Another fight at Clark MS—where’s ASD’s plan?” and @EagleRiverDad

: “Kids scared to go to school, board does nothing” show ongoing fear.

My Fix: As a former Air Force security manager, I’ll provide opportunities for trained guardians and amplify parents’ voices.

Wasteful Spending, No Results

The Problem: Alaska spends 7th highest per student nationally yet ranks 49th. Margo’s decade of quota-based hiring and $50,000+ campaign reek of fraud and abuse.

X Trend: @AKTaxpayer

(Jan 2025): “ASD budget up, scores down—where’s the money?” reflects voter frustration.

My Fix: I’ll cut waste with my MBA-honed skills, ensuring funds boost outcomes, not bureaucracy. I saved the Air Force $2.6 million nearly overnight while providing a loud voice for the union.

Phony Metrics Over Real Learning

The Problem: The board touts a 90% attendance rate (up from 89%) as “transformational” while cutting sports and IGNITE, masking failure.

X Trend: @AnchorageMom

(Feb 2025): “90% attendance? My kid’s still failing math—ASD’s a joke” calls out the disconnect.

My Fix: Focus on reading and math, not data games, my classroom experience shows what works.

DEI/SEL Obsession Hurts Kids

The Problem: Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) over core academics spikes mental health risks and flops on results.

X Trend: @AKTeacher23

(Mar 2025): “SEL all day, but kids can’t read—ASD’s lost it” echoes staff burnout.

My Fix: Back to basics—American values and skills, not unproven fads.

Silencing Parents, Dodging Accountability

The Problem: The board ignores parents (like me) and won’t hold the Superintendent accountable for a decade in the bottom 10 nationally.

X Trend: @ASDWatchdog

(Feb 2025): “Board meeting shut down again—parents fed up” highlights the gag order.

My Fix: Open dialogue, real oversight—I’m here for families, not power trips.

Charters Thrive, Board Fails

The Problem: ASD charters rank top-tier nationally, but the board stifles district-wide progress with mismanagement.

X Trend: @CharterProudAK

(Jan 2025): “Our charters shine—why’s ASD overall 49th?” exposes the gap.

My Fix: Unleash potential with school choice and local control, not federal overreach.