Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1004939
8 ADVOCATE | SUMMER 2018 at the capitol F ollowing the historic statewide educator walkout, the #RedforEd movement continued with the launch of the #INVESTinED campaign. From May through July, over two thousand educators across the state sweated it out in the summer heat to collect over 270,000 petition signatures to get the Invest in Education Act on the November ballot. The Invest in Education citizen's initiative will make sure everyone pays their fair share so that Arizona students have the schools they deserve. This initiative will voter protect nearly $700 million new dollars, which will be deposited into the Classroom Site Fund. Sixty percent of this dedicated revenue will be used for teacher salary increases, and forty percent dedicated to reducing class size, full-day kindergarten, and making sure students have access to nurses, counselors, and other support staff who are critical to student success. "As educators, Arizona's students are at the center of everything we do," says AEA President Joe Thomas. "As trained professionals, we always do what is best for our students and schools. We know that our students need one-on-one attention, up-to-date textbooks, and well-maintained buildings with working air conditioning." We know that to succeed, students need to have the schools they deserve. That's why educators spent their summer staking out libraries, hiking trails, malls, concerts, grocery stores, water parks, and more to ask Arizona voters to sign the Invest in Education petition. Mesa Education Association President Josh Buckley served as chair of the Invest in Education Campaign Committee and highlighted the need for this initiative: "A look inside Arizona's schools reveals legislative neglect years in the making— outdated textbooks held together by rubber bands, rodent-infested classrooms, broken down technology, and more. Class sizes are increasing, classrooms are stocked with obsolete resources, and school conditions have deteriorated." Educators Get Invest in Education Act on November Ballot The path forward is to take matters into our own hands. That's why thousands of educators hit the streets during the hot summer months to collect enough signatures to get the Invest in Education initiative on the ballot. The Arizona Education Association requests that you stand with our students and educators and vote yes on the Invest in Education Initiative. To learn more, visit investinedaz.com.