Strong Schools Organizations Pledge
Arizona’s economy and its homegrown workforce need strong public schools to be able to compete regionally, nationally and internationally. Today, our economic strength is being drained because:
- Our students receive 31% less in per pupil funding than the national average,
- Lowest-in-the-nation teacher pay has left thousands of classrooms without qualified, full-time teachers,
- Expanded ESA voucher subsidies biased toward high-income families is exacerbating an already large achievement gap.
Therefore, we endorse:
- Increasing revenue to create sustained and dedicated funding to expand and stabilize our workforce of qualified teachers, provide critical tools for classrooms, and repair and maintain school facilities,
- Repealing the taxpayer-funded ESA voucher expansion because Arizona cannot afford to fund two education systems: one public, one private.
We believe in fostering a strong, vibrant Arizona economy, which is why WE SUPPORT STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS.