Holding Steady at 49
Arizona legislature disappoints public education advocates
Save Our Schools Arizona is happy the legislature is done for now - but also sad because the state continues to lag behind the rest of the nation in terms of investment in public education.
More from their newsletter:
We are deeply disappointed that this budget fails to prioritize public education. At the very least, this budget will prevent cuts to public schools — but when you're funded 49th in the nation, "no further cuts" is not a victory. Our state desperately needs reforms around our unaccountable, budget-busting universal voucher program. “Another legislative session” is a year of missed opportunities in education for an entire generation of Arizona’s children. And our children just can’t wait.
The outcome, though disappointing, was not surprising:
Given Arizona’s decades-long refusal to adequately fund public education, along with the $1-billion-a-year universal ESA voucher scam and massive tax cuts for the rich that have stripped state revenues to the bone, we never expected this year's budget to provide any sort of win for public schools, teachers or students.
