Kelly Lessens launches reelection campaign for the Anchorage School Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29th, 2021

ANCHORAGE, AK -- Today Kelly Lessens kicked-off her reelection campaign for the Anchorage School Board, Seat B. Lessens has championed child-centered decision making on the board since being elected for a one-year term in April of 2021. Now Lessens is running for a full three-year term to ensure that as the board navigates significant challenges over the coming years, it keeps student learning and wellbeing at the center of every decision.

“The 43,500 students in the Anchorage School District deserve to have their needs at the center of local decision-making,” said Kelly Lessens. “That means striving to ensure all students show up to the classroom with their needs met, that they are supported by invested teachers and held to high expectations, that they are given the skills they need to adapt to a rapidly changing century, and that school resources are allocated to put student success first.”

Prior to her election, Lessens led a coalition of parents to advocate for evidence-based recess and lunch times in Anchorage elementary schools. Thanks to her work with the Anchorage School District Wellness Pilot, 8,000 Anchorage students received additional time for nutrition and physical activity, which has been shown to improve student educational outcomes because they show up to the class more prepared to learn.

Lessens recognizes that a good education is an all-hands-on-deck community effort. Since joining the board she has prioritized gathering input from as many places as possible, including by touring schools and getting input from educators and staying in touch with community councils. She supported a goal monitoring program to ensure the district is held accountable for its goals of increasing student outcomes, including in reading and math. And recognizing the toll of distance learning on students and families, she supported a framework to return students to the classroom while protecting their health.

“As a parent with two children in the Anchorage neighborhood schools, I know firsthand how challenging the last couple of years have been. They have left me with a deep gratitude for our schools and our teachers. I know that the decisions we make on the school board have very real impacts on students and families, and I take that responsibility incredibly seriously. I intend to do right by that responsibility should Anchorage voters entrust me with another term,” said Lessens.

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CONTACT: Ira Slomski-Pritz at campaign@kelly4anchoragekids.com or 847-212-4626

Paid for by Kelly Lessens for Anchorage School Board, PO Box 240711, Anchorage AK 99524