Help get the Quality Education and Jobs Act on the ballot

by David Safier

The AEN (Arizona Education Network) is one of the best friends Arizona education has. Together with others, the group has created a ballot measure, the Quality Education and Jobs Act, to guarantee increased funding for our schools, which now have the lowest funding per student in the country.

They need volunteers to help carry petitions so they can collect 172,809 valid signatures by July 5. If you want to help in this or some other way, sign in on their Get Involved page. They also need donations, like so many other worthy campaigns and causes (sigh), but really, they need it, and really, this is a worthy cause.

The short story about the ballot measure is that its purpose is to renew the one cent sales tax we already voted in, so, since you're already paying the tax, it won't cost you any new money. The long story is more complicated. I'm trying to learn all the details, but it looks like, among other things, it will insure a boost in spending on our children's education, not just keep education spending from sinking still further. I'll be writing more about this when I know more about the details.