U.S. education secretary visits Mat-Su schools during 50-state history tour

What you need to know:

• U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited a pair of Mat-Su schools Thursday as part of her national “History Rocks” school tour tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
• During the visit, McMahon participated in a U.S. and Alaska history quiz event with students and highlighted the district’s focus on career and technical education. Mat-Su’s workforce preparation programs were a key reason Mat-Su was selected for the stop, she said. 
• The tour has faced controversy nationally because of its ties to conservative organizations. cMahon’s Mat-Su visit was low-profile, not publicly advertised and drew no visible opposition.

• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

WASILLA — U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon visited Mat-Su students and attended an assembly at Knik Charter School and Benteh STEAM Academy in Wasilla on Thursday morning as part of a national school tour focused on U.S. history.

Dozens of students, staff members, and officials from the state and federal education departments, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, and the Knik Tribe gathered in the school cafeteria for a game show-style U.S. and Alaska history quiz. McMahon, school officials, and Alaska Department of Education Commissioner Deena Bishop tossed T-shirts to students, handed out hats to quiz participants, and shared brief remarks.

“Listen to this – to make history, you don’t need to climb McKinley, mush sled dogs or create a reactor. It's a lot more simple, really,” McMahon told about 50 Knik Charter School middle and high school students during the event. “Your contribution begins right here in your curiosity, your courage, and your commitment to learn something new every single day.”

The trip is McMahon’s first to the state since her confirmation as education secretary last year. Her swing through Mat-Su, which also included a stop at Mat-Su Career and Technical High School, is her only planned school district visit during the trip, Department of Education officials said. She was scheduled to drive to Soldotna on Thursday afternoon to attend the state Republican Party convention in her personal capacity, they said.

McMahon said the department chose to visit Mat-Su based on the recommendation of officials in Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office and because the district emphasizes workforce preparation through its career and technical courses.

“These are all great ways to build our workforce, provide good incomes for these families, and get students right away into the workforce,” she said in an interview after the event. “While they are working, they can go on for school, or they can build on their career.”

McMahon’s tour of Knik Charter School included a visit to a subsistence class where students were learning about bears and a stop at one of the STEAM academy’s esports consoles. At Career Tech, she visited classrooms and toured several of the school’s technical education areas, including the woodshop and aviation class, department of education officials said.

McMahon’s stop in Mat-Su is part of a 50-state “History Rocks” school tour scheduled throughout the year and tied to a nationwide celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, according to a news release. The program “aims to celebrate each state’s contributions to the union and encourage students to connect with America’s founding ideals,” the release states.

The effort is coordinated with a coalition of 50 conservative and Christian education and civic organizations. Those include the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, and Hillsdale College, the release states. The release does not list any other organizations by name.

No overtly political messaging was included in the public presentation during the Knik Charter School visit Thursday.

The tour has drawn controversy nationwide because of its conservative ties. Visits scheduled in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Alabama were canceled because of backlash. Tour stops in Iowa and Wisconsin drew protesters.

McMahon’s visit to Mat-Su was not broadly advertised and drew no local fanfare or visible pushback. Although Mat-Su District Superintendent Randy Trani announced the visit near the end of a regular school board meeting Wednesday night, parents did not receive an official notification about the visit, and members of the public were not invited to attend.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com