Arizona Leaders and Educators Show Appreciation for the American Rescue Plan

State Leaders and Educators held an Education Townhall sponsored by the Arizona Democratic Party on Monday, May 17, 2021, to show appreciation for the education provisions of the Biden/Harris American Rescue Plan.

The attendees were:

• Arizona Democratic Party Head and Legislative District 30 Representative Raquel Teran.
• Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman.
• Phoenix Union High School Governing Board Member Naketa Ross.
• Camp Verde School District Governing Board Member Thomasene Cardona.
• Tempe Union High Governing Board Member Brian Garcia.

In her comments, Chairperson Teran reminded the audience that no Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan and that “Democrats are working for Arizonans and for everyone across the country. At its core, the president’s American Rescue Plan is a multipronged approach to deliver economic relief and stimulus to families across the country.” She also noted that the education provisions of the plan will help “Arizona schools build back better.”

Superintendent Hoffman and the three governing board members noted that the schooling provisions of the American Rescue Plan would give districts what Ms. Ross said were the “relatively flexible” and  “thoughtful and strategic” options to fund:

• Closing the learning gap caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic by offering options like free summer school, extended school days, tutoring, and enrichment and credit recovery programs. No one on the panel knew for sure what the actual learning gap was but they all agreed there would be one and it would vary depending on the local area and the socio-economic-digital access position of the child and their families.
• Hiring counselors and social workers (which the Superintendent has already directed funding toward) to help students overcome any social or mental distress caused by the pandemic.
• Hiring and retaining teachers. The Superintendent made it a point in her comments that the federal funding in this regard was vital given the state legislature and Governor funding most students on the lower distance learning funding scale. Noting that the federal funds are one-time fiscal infusions, she called on the state to “step up.” Unfortunately, the Superintendent made these comments before she knew about the Republican flat tax proposals that were leaked out the next day.
• Investing in school technology like closing the digital gap and creating more broadband hot spots in local areas. This was a major concern with Ms. Cardona with the Camp Verde District who said her community “had problems with consistent hot spots” and called on the “need to rebuild a better infrastructure for broadband in the community.”

Superintendent Hoffman noted that “the American Rescue Plan will provide us with the critical resources to safely welcome all of our students back into the classroom” and “this investment is critical to lift up our communities and ensure that we are reaching those who are most impacted by COVID.”

She also saluted the expanded child tax credit provisions in the American Rescue Plan, saying that it will lift “122,000 Arizona children out of poverty” and help combat issues such as food insecurity in families.

The American Rescue Plan has provided a lifeline to Arizona schools that the Republicans in the State Legislature and Governor’s office have largely failed to do this year.

With the new Republican proposals surfacing that shows potential cuts into Invest in Education-Proposition 208 receipts, it is vital that Arizonans contact their legislators and express their desire to fully fund the schools of the Grand Canyon State because the funds from the American Rescue Plan will run out while the needs of Arizona children and educators will not.