Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1207683
It has to be us. Throughout the past year of listening to educators and researching voters that conclusion kept revealing itself. It has to be us to lead the change we know our students need. And now we have our opportunity. On January 13, 2020, AEA and a coalition of public education supporters filed the Invest in Education Act for the November 2020 ballot. INVESTinED will raise $940 million annually for our students and schools. These dollars are dedicated to compensation for certified and classified employees, class-size and workload reduction, a mentoring system for new teachers, and expanding course offerings in Career and Technical Education, Advanced Placement, and other accelerated academic programs. INVESTinED's funding is voter-protected, which means politicians can not touch it and governing boards and superintendents cannot divert it. In other words, the funding goes where INVESTinED says it goes. Permanently. But why us? Why after a long day of work does this "opportunity" fall to us? Because you know what's at stake and what nearly $1 billion in new school funding would mean for your students. Your students deserve smaller class sizes and a qualified, certified teacher in their classroom. They deserve schools with a nurse, librarian, social worker, and enough highly skilled education support professionals to meet their needs. Because you and your family are familiar with the daily sacrifices you make for your students and your profession. You and your colleagues deserve respect for the work you do inspiring future generations. You deserve the support and resources you need to be successful. You deserve to be paid as a professional. And most of all, because as an educator your voice is listened to, trusted, and powerful. It is critical for your community to hear you describe what Invest in Ed will do for our students and schools. They will listen to you. They stood with you during the walk out, and they will support funding the schools you and your students deserve at the ballot box. There is no more powerful force than educators united with their community, speaking as one voice, standing up for their students. There is no one else who can lead the change we know our students need. It has to be us. 4 ADVOCATE | WINTER 2020 IN SOLIDARITY by Joe Thomas AEA OFFICERS Joe Thomas President Marisol Garcia Vice President Angela Philpot Treasurer AEA STAFF Luis A. Heredia Executive Director Sheenae Shannon Editor Roxanne Rash Graphic Design Advertising The AEA Advocate is published by the Arizona Education Association, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1532. Phone: 602- 264-1774 or 800-352-5411 Fax: 602-240-6887. Email: sheenae.shannon@arizonaea.org. AEA's website may be found at www.arizonaea.org. Permission to reprint any material originating with this publication is granted provided that credit is given to the AEA Advocate. The AEA Advocate (ISSN 0194-8849) is published in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer for $3.50 per year by the Arizona Education Association, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1532. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, Arizona. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the AEA Advocate, 345 East Palm Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1532. Moving? Please let us know before you go. Simply clip your mailing label from the back of the Advocate and send it along with your new address to: AEA Advocate 345 East Palm Lane Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1532 Joseph H. Thomas, President Arizona Education Association