Local Educators and Activists Gather at an AEA-ADLCC Sponsored Roundtable and Offer Solutions to the Plight of Arizona’s Teachers and Public Schools

Before the recent revelations that Arizona, according to Consumer Affairs, is fifty first in public education spending  and that unlike public schools, holders of Empowerment Scholarship Account holders were permitted to hog in $360 million from last year’s allotments without spending one penny on 2023/24 educational expenses, local Legislators and Activists gathered to discuss advancing Public School causes in the next Legislative session at an education roundtable, sponsored by the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (ADLCC) at the Arizona Education Association (AEA) headquarters in Central Phoenix.

The Roundtable guests were AEA President Marisol Garcia, State Senator Christine Marsh, State Representative Judy Schwiebert, State House Candidate Karen Gresham, State Senate Candidate Stacey Seaman, State Representative Keith Seaman, Parent Representative Leda Devlieger, and Student Representative Francesca Martin of the Keep Arizona Blue Youth Coalition.

According to the roundtable panel, qmong the decades old problems faced by what Representative Seamen called “The (Public) School Family,” are:

• Large class sizes that compromise quality education of the student. Try grading over a hundred Advanced Placement caliber essays in two to three days so students can absorb the feedback in a timely fashion. Or even a classroom with a large special need’s population. Not the stuff that will enhance a child’s educational development. Parent Representative Leda Devlieger, a former teacher said it “broke her heart,” to see these large class sizes” and teachers having to deal with them. Senator Marsh commented that “kids are paying the price for that in the skills when they graduate or actually rephrase that the lack of skills.”
• Teachers not being paid what they deserve and are worth.
• Schools not being adequately funded. The proliferation of ESA School Voucher Accounts for wealthy families and home school extremists with less than desirable accountability and transparency  mechanisms has only exasperated the financial situation for public schools.
• Teachers having to pay for supplies for the students to use in their classrooms out of their own pocket. These supplies can range from something as simple as getting colored pencils at Walmart for Social Studies assignments (Ms. Garcia said that) to books for children to read through Amazon (Senator Marsh said that) to purchasing musical instruments at pawn shops (Ms. Seaman said that.) They have also had to open fundraising programs through Donors Choose, Go Fund Me, and Amazon. 
• Teachers too tired or preoccupied with what is going on in their classroom to coach or sponsor extracurricular activities. 
• Teachers leaving the profession either because of low pay, little support, burnout, or all three reasons.
• Title One Schools not having the same access to technology and modern education resources that more affluent schools can provide. 
• Rural School districts not being as attractive financially or socially as urban or suburban ones. 
• A still very high counselor to student ratio. 
• Republican legislators embracing culture wars like banning books and discriminating against students in the LGBTQ Community. 
• Many schools being forced to charge parents and families to send their children to full time kindergarten. 
• Poor Facilities maintenance where teachers like Senator Marsh have to use Parent-Teacher night to have the air conditioning fixed in their classroom. 

In summing up the problems that plague teachers and public schools, all the speakers pointed to the culprit in this unnecessary but planned disaster: Republican Governors, Legislators, and Jurists at the State Capitol who over the last several decades have been shortchanging children and teachers at public schools through the budget process  and blocking popular initiatives like Invest in Ed despite Constitutional and Court mandates to ensure children get the best quality education possible in the safest and best well-maintained facilities. 

In her comments, Senator Marsh said:

“These are intentional choices that have been made (by Republicans) year after year for decades. I want people to be clear on that. We didn’t just suddenly wake up and realize like, oh, you’re near the bottom of student funding. We have among the highest-class sizes. We have among the lowest teacher pay. We have among the highest student to counselor ratio. None of this was an accident…I do think though that the public is finally recognizing that we are where we are from intentional choices.”

State Senate Candidate Stacey Seaman, on Republicans trying to run public schools like a business said:

“It boggles my mind that people who perhaps consider themselves, great businesspeople are basically running the business of schools in such a manner that they act surprised when the end result is something less than they feel, it should be.”

When it was reported the day after this roundtable that Arizona, according to Consumer Affairs, is now ranked Fifty First in Public Education funding, Senator Marsh issued a statement that read:

“While Arizona ranking last in public education is upsetting, it is not an accident. This is a direct result of Republican legislators enacting policies that cut public education funding, target vulnerable student populations, and target teachers, which further exacerbates the teacher shortage.”

“Amid this news, I want to be clear that our rankings are an indication of Republicans’ failed policy decisions, not our educators, school personnel, or students. I have served in the classroom and the legislature—I know where the changes need to be made. The Democratic Caucuses will continue to fight for our young people and the livelihoods of those who invest so much in our next generation.”

In moving forward, Representative Schwiebert said:

“Our children deserve better…The best way is to improve our economy to have a strong educated Workforce…It is the backbone of a strong economy. And when we are not investing in creating that strong engine for us by funding our public schools, we are doing a disservice to all Arizonans.”

Senator Marsh, Representative Schwiebert, Representative Seaman, House Candidate Gresham, and Senate Candidate Seaman all relayed that if Democrats do prevail in taking over the State Legislature in January 2025, they will champion bills to strengthen public education. Among these measures are:

• Increase funding for public schools including raising teacher salaries
• Fund full day kindergarten.
• Reduce class sizes.
• Provide career and technical education at the Middle School level. 
• Create a School Mental Health Academy.
• Reduce the counselor to student ratio.
• Repeal the outdated Aggregate Expenditure Limit.
• Deal with extending Proposition 123 that helped increase public school funding and is up for renewal. 

Following the roundtable, both Representative (and State Senate Candidate) Schwiebert and Ms. Seaman replied to a couple of follow up questions on universal pre-school and a teachers bill of rights.

• Do you favor legislation that would set up Universal Pre-School?

Judy Schwiebert: “Absolutely… I think preschool is vitally important. The other part of that issue is childcare because that is so expensive right now and yet Preschool teachers don’t receive a lot of pay… I was recently at an Arizona Chamber of Commerce where the CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce was talking about their studies that show childcare is costing the Arizona economy and businesses in the billions of dollars every year. So, I would like to work together with some of those big corporations in Arizona and employers to see how they help us solve this problem, how can you help us fund the solutions that we need and we’ll work with also Preschool Advocates of early childhood education”

Stacey Seaman: “Absolutely… And a lot of districts, have found ways to get preschool as part of their District. Like in the Casa Grande Elementary District, they do have a preschool.  It’s a direct feeder to kindergarten. A lot of times they’re funded through grants or sometimes parents might have to pay. I think having a universal preschool program can help because you can tell the difference when the students get into kindergarten, the ones who’ve had preschool and the ones who haven’t. It’s just the socialization and the being ready to learn all of those kinds of things.”

• With what teachers are going through in the classroom, would legislators consider crafting a Teacher’s Bill of Rights?

Judy Schwiebert: “Well, that’s a really interesting proposal and I’m going to take that under consideration. I’m going to talk with my other fellow teacher legislators, and we’ll talk about that. That’s a great thought.”

Stacey Seaman: “Oh wow, that is a great question. I hadn’t considered that but boy I don’t see that it could hurt the situation because I think that there do have to be some certain standards that are set. I would be very interested in seeing what that would entail and how it would help our teachers in our schools.”

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