#AskDuceyWhy teachers are "fleeing" Arizona
We
need to #AskDuceyWhy he and other Republican leaders aren’t doing more to keep
teachers from leaving Arizona. Headlines proclaim teachers are “fleeing”
the state “in droves.” This could lead to a shortage of experienced teachers
that presents a serious problem for future students.
Some
of the problems are included in a
report the Arizona Department of Education recently released, which
indicated thousands of teachers have left the state in the past five years. The
report states, “Without immediate attention to ensure that all Arizona
classrooms are guided by effective teachers, who are properly prepared,
compensated and respected, our students will not meet their full
potential.”
The
report further highlights the potential economic impact if this trend continues,
stating, “Arizona will not be able to ensure economic prosperity for its
citizens and create the workforce of tomorrow.”
In
an interview
with KJZZ, Mesa Public School teacher and Arizona Education Association vice
president recently said that he’s heard teachers say that they can’t afford to
teach here and “districts in other states are recruiting because they know the
crisis that we are having.”
It
appears that teacher pay is part of our crisis.
The
Phoenix Business Journal reported last month Arizona spends the least amount
of money on teacher pay in the country, and Arizona is also at or near the
bottom of national lists for classroom instruction spending, per pupil spending
and school administration spending.
The
ongoing cuts to education funding have already taken a toll that goes beyond
teachers leaving the state. If the Republicans continue to neglect funding for
education, what might Arizonans expect to see?
- Lower test scores – “The more money invested, the higher the test scores,” said ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy Senior Policy Analyst Dan Huntington.
- Increase in classroom sizes - a former Phoenix Elementary School District governing board member said in a recent interview that the state budget cuts meant schools had to increase their classroom sizes and freeze teacher compensation.
- Student safety impacted – some schools could have to scale back facilities maintenance, security guards and shared nurses.
With
so much at stake, why aren’t Republican leaders investing more in education now?
We can’t afford to wait.
