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AT THE CAPITOL 6 ADVOCATE | SPRING 2023 2023 AEA Legislative and Policy Agenda 12/16/22 Representing over 20,000 educators, the Arizona Education Association (AEA) is the largest public sector union in Arizona. AEA is an affi liate of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest union. AEA membership spans from aspiring educators to retirees, and includes both classifi ed and certifi ed public school employees.Our 2023 priorities include: Retain and Attract Educators • Minimum Salary: • Certifi ed Staff : Demand a minimum salary of $66,000 for all certifi ed staff , include salary adjustments to address pay compression, and provide compensation incentives for rural area educators. • Education Support Professionals (classifi ed staff ): Demand compensation and benefi ts that refl ect a minimum starting salary of $18 per hour and include salary adjustments to address pay compression. • Health Insurance: Secure aff ordable, quality healthcare coverage for all public school employees and families. • Pension: Protect and sustain the ASRS defi ned benefi t pension plan for public school employees. • Mentoring: Establish a funding weight for school districts to implement a robust mentoring program that supports new educators in the fi rst three years of the profession. • Respect and trust educators as professionals: • To work collectively to determine curriculum that ensures accurate and honest education. • To ensure the safety of staff and students. Ensure School Funding Policies Are Equitable • Restore Full-Day Kindergarten: Fully restore state funding for full-day kindergarten. • Pre-K: Provide state funding to access matching federal dollars for preschool programs. • Special Education (SPED) Funding: Increase funding for students who receive special education services. • District Additional Assistance (DAA) Infl ation: Increase DAA annually to keep up with infl ation to ensure schools can aff ord textbooks, computers, and other classroom supplies. (Since the creation of the DAA formula it has never increased to account for infl ation. is would put it on an equal footing with Charter Additional Assistance which does increase annually for infl ation.) • Opportunity Weight: Increase the funding weight for schools that serve the most under-resourced students. • Tribal Student Weight: Increase the funding weight for schools that serve Indigenous students and students in tribal areas. • Junior High School Weight: Establish a new funding weight for grades 6-8, recognizing those grades require additional resources and supplies to prepare students for high school. Resources for Students to be Future Ready • Provide adequate funding for school counselors and social workers based on current research recommendations. • Provide career and technical education (CTE) funding to assist students in preparing to enter the workforce by restoring 9th grade CTE program funding and implementing CTE program opportunities in 7th and 8th grade. • Prevent the Arizona Legislature from diverting revenue away from public schools through private school vouchers and tax credits (i.e., empowerment scholarship accounts and student tuition organizations). • Defend against legislation that eliminates bilingual education or culturally relevant programs. e 2023 AEA Legislative and Policy Agenda is approved by the AEA Board of Directors. It is based on the public policy statements in the AEA Legislative Platform adopted yearly at the statewide AEA Delegate Assembly.