One More Thing…
Urgent March 1 Deadline!
To the AZ Senate: Override the 1980 School Spending Cap NOW!
On April 1, school districts across the state will have to cut $1.2 billion from their already-approved budgets unless the State Senate joins the State House to override an antiquated spending limit. Both chambers must lift the cap with a 2/3 majority vote if we are to prevent disaster for our children, parents, communities and economy.
State Senators have just a few days left to take action. Please help urge them to vote YES to override the #AEL NOW. You can find their contact information here.
For more information about this urgent issue, see my Jan 9 Op-Ed in AZCentral here. Please ALSO stay on us to pass a referral to the voters so you can repeal or update the spending limit in November. This is no time for political games. Our students deserve fully funded schools.
Good News for Early Childhood Education Non-profits
Several months ago I nominated two local early childhood education groups for federal relief dollars. I’m thrilled that I was able to direct this funding to their vital work.
Several months ago I nominated two local early childhood education groups for federal relief dollars. I’m thrilled that I was able to direct this funding to their vital work.
A Stepping Stone Foundation (ASSF) is receiving $490,000 to fund COVID mitigation, family outreach and recruitment, and another Literacy Elevates Arizona Families (LEAF) classroom for students and their families slated to open this fall. The program provides daily preschool, younger sibling childcare, adult education, parenting education, and home visits.
Good News for Early Childhood Education Non-profits
The Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children (AzAEYC) is receiving $570,000 to support quality professional development for Arizona’s child care workforce. Their successful professional support programs foster equity, diversity, and inclusion in underserved communities, including tribal populations and educators of color.
Working Together to Provide a Strong, Educated Workforce
I was shocked to learn that there are over 700,000 working age adults in Arizona who have not yet earned their high school diploma.
That’s why I ran a bill that gained bi-partisan support in 2021 to invest in community college programs statewide that allow people to earn their GED as well as an industry credential or Associates degree at the same time. It also leveraged federal dollars and provided wrap-around services like childcare, transportation and career counseling that adult students need to succeed.
While it was passed by the House, it didn’t make it into the final budget. So, THIS YEAR, I gave the bill to a Republican and have been working with him to get it to the finish line.
This coming week, (together with two other bills that allow private groups to also provide adult education), my bill HB2658 will come to the floor for a vote. If it passes, it goes to the Senate and Governor. It’s a win for everyone – allowing people to pull themselves up out of poverty, employers to have a strong, educated workforce, and our economy to thrive because we more people are contributing. Stay tuned.
My Bills this Session
As a teacher in our community for 27 years, I ran for the State House to help make sure our legislature would invest in education. After all, iinvesting in education means that we all do better.
To that end, I’m proud to have co-sponsored a number of bills – and to have been the Prime sponsor on these, among others.
HB2816 appropriation; basic state aid; increase.
In 2020, voters again demanded better investment in our public schools by passing Prop 208, the Invest in Ed Act. By injecting about $900 million annually into our schools, It would have lifted Arizona out of the basement in education funding and reduced class sizes, and counselor-student ratios (still the highest in the nation). It also would have increased teacher salaries, and further invested in career education. However, the governor and his party have blocked it at every turn. Even if the court overrides the will of the voters, Arizona now has over a BILLION dollars in on-going excess revenue. We can afford to put that billion into public education without raising a penny in taxes. This bill says that’s what we should do.
HB2530 teachers academy; mental health professionals
COVID revealed many things, including the need for more mental health support, especially for our children. A big thank you to Superintendent Kathy Hoffman for providing $20 Million in federal dollars to help schools hire more counselors, school psychologists and social workers. This bill provides additional funding to encourage these mental health professionals to go into our schools as well.
HB2817 professional development personnel; teachers; appropriation.Teachers continue to leave the profession in droves, especially in their first five years. While teaching can be very rewarding, it’s also overwhelming and people can make much more money in other jobs. So who will teach our children? This pilot program would provide grants to allow schools with high turnover rates to hire professional development staff to mentor and support teachers in those first few years to help them and their students succeed and thrive.
Creating an Arizona Where Everyone Can Thrive
While we have a vision for an Arizona where everyone gets their chance to thrive, unfortunately, those in the majority instead prioritize special interests, attacks on schools, our freedom to vote, and meddling in our private reproductive rights.
Even though Democrats represent almost half of Arizonans, because Republicans hold just a one vote majority in the State House and Senate, they hold all the power. They chair every committee, determine what bills will be heard, stack each committee so that they always win on a party line vote, and construct the state’s budget behind closed doors. No one party should have that kind of sole control over our state.
Last year with a budget surplus largely created by federal subsidies, Republicans squandered the opportunity to invest in the people of Arizona. Instead, they created a budget on the backs of our children and working families, by imposing a flat tax scheme that would give a $350,000 tax cut to the wealthiest Arizonans and about $49 in cuts to working families. while leaving us with underfunded schools, inadequate healthcare, one of the highest poverty rates for children in the country, and no plan to address climate chaos and an evaporating water supply.
This year, bills like HB2112 threaten teachers with the loss of teaching certificate and districts with fines if students feel any sense of blame or guilt in a history lesson.
Other bills ban books, privatize schools, and expand vouchers.
Still others turn doctors into felons for providing abortions while at the same time allowing concealed weapons on college campuses against the will of the public and police.
Finally, dozens of bills from the current majority attack our freedom to vote while there seems to be no concerns about their OWN elections that brought them into office. A recent tour of the Maricopa County Elections Center revealed that the staff of Republican Maricopa County Recorder is unified in their commitment to secure and fair elections. The freedom to vote is the very foundation of every other freedom we have and want to keep.
Why I'm Running for Re-Election
I never imagined I would run for the legislature. But what I’ve learned in my first two years representing our shared values is that we MUST hold this seat if we are to win the majority and we must win the majority if we are to save our democracy.
I think of my students – and my grandchildren – and wonder what kind of world we are going to leave them. Every single child deserves their chance at their own American dream, whatever their zip code or background.
So even when we are most discouraged, we must rise up, find strength in each other, and claim our power. As President Obama said, “Our destiny is not written for us, it’s written by us.” Together, let’s make our destiny one that is bright with possibility for every Arizonan. It’s up to us.
