STATEMENT on “Save Our Schools Act” voucher initiative

Statement from The Friends of ASBA regarding the “Save Our Schools Act” voucher initiative:

This is Arizona’s opportunity to stop the growth of vouchers once and for all. The people of our state have told policymakers time after time that public money must stay in our public schools, not be diverted from the state’s general fund to unaccountable private and religious schools. Save our Schools Arizona – and the hundreds of individuals from throughout Arizona who make it strong – harnessed this will of the voters at the polls in 2018 with Prop. 305, a resounding 2:1 victory against vouchers. State leaders should have taken notice and honored this outcome by not proposing additional expansion of vouchers. They didn’t and haven’t.  That is why, today, The Friends of ASBA applauds SOS AZ again for their relentless commitment to and advocacy for Arizona’s students and families and their determination to let the voice of the voters be heard again this November to end growth of vouchers for good.

 

The Friends of the ASBA is committed to filling the need for trusted information on state-level K-12 education issues. We are dedicated to providing access to information and resources on high-priority, high-impact policy issues related to education and the success of public school students in Arizona. Friends of ASBA is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. No school district funds were used in the production of this message.

Non-partisan organizations speak out

PHOENIX – The Arizona Republic editorial board and columnist Laurie Roberts have it right.

As non-partisan organizations and united advocates for children and learning, we are sorely disappointed in the views being shared by extremist politicians opposing all school district bonds and overrides. Their distorted message and misinformation campaign are out of touch with what poll after poll shows Arizonan’s want.

We strongly believe that the announcement is intended to further starve our classrooms and support efforts by those who seek to privatize education. The true victims of this irresponsible stance are the 84 percent of children who attend local district schools.

These are the facts voters should consider when marking their ballots: Arizona spends less per pupil than almost any other state, has cut more from education than any other state, and spends much less on administration than the national average.

The truth cannot be conveyed in a single political sound bite. We encourage all our elected representatives to visit their local school or district office. In too many schools they are likely to find overcrowded classrooms and overburdened, underpaid teachers, books held together with duct tape, maintenance projects put on hold, and some classrooms that have no permanent teacher at all.

We can’t help but wonder how tens of thousands of Republican teachers, administrators, district employees and parents of school children feel when a minority of members in their party are so vocally working against sustaining quality local district schools. Many of our communities are reliant on schools as the hub of employment. They are economic drivers that attract businesses and residents and provide a living for its citizens. Property values, workforce development, crime and teen-pregnancy rates, future revenues for Social Security and the overall health of the economy are tied to quality education today. Maricopa County Republican parents and guardians who love their neighborhood schools and their children’s teachers must be scratching their heads and wondering why their views aren’t being represented.

Countless Republican and Democratic state and local leaders from the governor to legislators to local mayors are sounding the call to put more money into schools. In fact, many are actually joining the efforts to pass local school override and bond elections, alongside parents and community members of all political affiliations. They recognize that children shouldn’t be used as pawns as Arizona tries to figure out how to appropriately fund education. Our children do not have time to wait. Local communities must make that decision for themselves based on factual information. Public education is not a partisan issue and it’s sad that some are trying to make it be one.

Arizona School Administrators
The Friends of the Arizona School Boards Association
Arizona Association of School Business Officials
Arizona Education Association
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