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Republican Gov. Jan Brewer |
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Proposed Destruction Of Public Education In Arizona
PHOENIX (Democratic DAD) January 25, 2009 — As a resident of Arizona for over 4 years, I am constantly appalled at the lack of desire on the part of most elected officials in this state to create a first rate public education system. As a matter of fact, the main goal of the Republican conservative dominated legislature seems to be quite the opposite; to take funds away from K-12 public education and to funnel those funds to private schools. Arizona spends about $6,200 per student annually (ranking it #49 out of all 50 states in per pupil spending) to fund its 150 public school districts and over 500 publicly funded charter schools.
In my relatively short time in this state, approved education legislation has included school vouchers for private schools, as well as corporate tax credits for private school donations. Education legislation that has not been approved has included the request for supplementary funds desperately needed by a high school in Tempe to correct severe unhealthy air quality conditions that endangered over 2000 students, and a bill that would have allowed guns in schools (K-12 and state universities). Yes, you read that correctly, there was a bill in the Arizona Legislature to allow guns to be brought into schools (allowing guns in bars was also proposed a few years earlier, but that’s another story)!
The saving grace that has brought sanity to Arizona has been our Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, a champion of education. Her veto pen prevented many bills, that would have hurt education, from becoming law. Her ability to wheel and deal, and to not cave in to a hostile Republican conservative legislative majority, also helped to get her proposal for full day Kindergarten (called daycare and free child care by Republican legislative leaders) approved in the state.
As of this week, our beloved Governor is now the new Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration. I am happy for her. She will be a great asset to the administration. But I am sad for Arizona. Former Arizona Secretary of State, Jan Brewer, a conservative Republican is now our governor. She and the legislature are of one mind. The economy is hurting and a budget deficit for the state is projected. From their point of view, this as the perfect opportunity to further devastate public education in Arizona. Funding for education, which should be viewed as the LAST place to cut funds (especially in a state that is already #49 in K-12 per pupil spending), is now the number one item on their chopping block– to the tune of $1.5 billion dollars in cuts to K-12 and higher education.20090116capitol-budget0116.html
The shortsightedness of these elected officials is extremely disturbing. A cut of $1.5 billion dollars from Arizona’s education budget is not only a crime against the youth of the state, but an irresponsible act that does not make economic sense. It will do nothing more than create a long term economic disaster for Arizona. Shouldn’t Republicans, who are traditionally viewed as the defenders of the needs of business, know better?
Shouldn’t they understand that funds for education are an INVESTMENT in the economic future of the state. Before opening facilities, major corporations look for a good K-12 and university system to insure that the workforce they need will be available. Workers hired by these corporations create a need for more goods and services, which leads to the opening of more businesses. Citizens who are better educated also earn higher incomes, pay more taxes and have more money to spend on the goods and services offered. A well educated population is a win-win economic situation.
The Republican proposal to cut $1 billion from K-12 education ($1,000 per student) will cause massive cuts in the number of teachers, textbooks and services that will be offered in Arizona’s public school districts and publicly funded charter schools. Cutting $.5 billion from the 3 state universities in Arizona will cause tuition to double and facilities and programs to close. The ability of Arizona to attract future jobs, as well as to keep the ones we already have, will be in great jeopardy.
One has to really wonder about the judgment, intelligence, and long-term economic understanding of elected officials who propose putting guns in our schools one year and then advocate for taking away textbooks and services from K-12 education, as well as closing university programs, the next.
Public education in Arizona is in Jeopardy. You are needed to help save it. If you are a resident of Arizona I urge you to contact your state senator and representatives to let them know how you feel about the proposed destruction of public education in Arizona. Their email addresses and phone numbers can be found at azleg.gov.
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