Arizona Education Association

Spring 2015

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10 Spring 2015 | AEA Advocate AT THE CAPITOL Arizonans Protest Proposed Education Budget Cuts By Lisa Irish with Arizona Education News, azednews.com Arizonans are telling legislators what they think of Gov. Doug Ducey's proposed education funding cuts in a series of events in March at the Arizona State Capitol. On February 25, 2015, hundreds of people protested education funding cuts outside the capitol at a grassroots event organized by Brooke Robbins Kistner, a Peoria mother of three, with help from Lisa Eisenberg Best and the Terramar Parent Teacher Student Association. "Our district schools have faced massive cuts over the past five years," Kistner said. "The current proposed budget cuts amount to several million dollars for most districts. There is nowhere left to cut that won't have a severe negative impact on the outcomes of our students." Governor Ducey's proposed budget was the last straw for her, Kistner said. "He ran on a platform of money to the classrooms," Kistner said. "It would seem he tricked voters into believing he would do good and not harm to the education budget." Teachers in some district schools have not seen raises in five years, and that is unacceptable, Kistner said. "Our hard working educators deserve better. Our kids deserve better," Kistner said. "We want to create awareness (with this protest) and let our Legislators know that we do not approve." It's important for people to understand "what their particular district is facing and then contact their legislators to voice their opinion," by email, a phone call or through the Arizona Legislature's Request to Speak system, Kistner said. "Our communities have watched over the past six years as the funding to schools has been cut, while expectations have grown and teachers have left the profession at an alarming rate," said Jen Darland, a Tucson mother of two, who will attend the protest. "It's more than being economically competitive. It's about making sure our state leaders are properly aligning the state's spending with the priorities of its citizens." Darland said she hopes that community members will analyze what is spent in the classroom and what is not, and then "actively engage with our elected representatives to push for solid and sustainable funding for the teachers, classrooms and school resources our children need to be prepared to make Arizona competitive for generations to come." The day before, nearly 150 Arizona K-12 public school leaders discussed with legislators what their schools are doing well and what resources schools need to continue that during the Arizona School Boards Association and Arizona Coalition for Quality Education's Day at the Capitol. "I believe it's extremely important to let our legislators know our feelings and opinions," said Teresa Reyna, superintendent of McNeal Elementary School District in a rural area of Cochise County. "Without our input, legislators

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