Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1508868
AROUND AEA 7 FALL 2023 | ADVOCATE Fighting for Rural Public Schools M ost Arizonans support their local public school–whether they're a parent, a grandparent, a proud alum, or just a member of the community. at's especially true in rural Arizona, where private schools are few and far between, and where public schools are such important hubs for community life. Unfortunately, our rural public schools are also under threat. Rural districts have faced years of budget cuts dating back to the recession. And many struggle to retain passionate and highly qualified educators in the face of low salaries, high housing costs and tough workloads. What's more, Arizona's disastrous ESA voucher program poses a particular threat to rural districts because of their smaller student populations. If the ESA voucher program continues to grow out of control, it could mean school closures or educator layoffs in many rural areas. is fall, with support from a dedicated grant from NEA, we launched a paid media campaign to li up the importance of rural public schools and encourage Arizonans to take action to protect them. We interviewed teachers from Casa Grande, Prescott, Yuma, and Clarkdale- Jerome and produced short videos about them, their schools and why they choose to teach in rural Arizona. We also put together radio ads, print ads and explainer videos about ESA vouchers in English and Spanish. Check it out and share! bit.ly/protect-rural-schools-az