Political Agenda

• Maximize state funding for nationally and locally competitive salaries to attract, recruit, and retain talented teachers and staff, including incentives for difficult to fill positions.
• Revise the School Finance formula to:
• Provide a stable, dedicated revenue source less reliant on the general fund or annual legislative appropriation.
• Provide dedicated school capital funding consistent with the constitutional requirement of a general and uniform public school system.
• Ensure the formula addresses the unique financial needs of schools serving students in poverty and in rural & remote schools.
• Revise the funding formula to add funding for student mental health and well-being initiatives.
• Fully fund full-day kindergarten and include kindergarten students in the override calculations.
• Advocate to preserve and protect the voters’ original intent of Prop 301.
• Index district additional assistance (DAA) funding for inflation
• Provide funding for new space before existing schools exceed their maximum capacity and become overcrowded, and provide dedicated and flexible ongoing maintenance funding, including building replacement. Advocate for capacity standards that reflect the design of instructional space.
• Eliminate unfunded mandates and administrative burdens.
• Return desegregation funding to a primary tax levy.
• Conduct an exceptional student services cost study to assure students, including in rural or remote areas, are being funded at the actual cost of their services.
• Adequately fund the cost of student transportation.
• Provide funding for preschool programs.
• Reform current year funding to a system that provides districts with appropriate stable annual budgeting ability and technical reliability.
• Prorate funding over the entire school year among all public schools that a student has attended during the year.
• Provide funding to individual districts to implement locally directed school safety programs as well as student mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Equitably invest in technology and reliable internet access for all students.
• Adequately fund programs under exceptional student services.
• Provide funding for districts to improve student achievement by addressing social-emotional learning needs and create training programs for school staff in cultural proficiency and responsiveness.

• Ensure local control and flexibility in managing funds and programs when possible, given the Arizona constitutional requirements of a general and uniform public school system.
• Change “override/budget increase” language to better reflect what voters are being asked to support.
• Allow school districts greater flexibility in the divestiture or use of taxpayer-funded assets.
• Oppose legislative intrusion on school site budgeting decisions.
• Maintain exclusive local authority over any measure that would propose to consolidate and/or unify any number of school districts into a larger district.
• Support local board authority for student suspensions and open enrollment.
• Support policy that eliminates the use of corporal punishment in Arizona schools.
• Amend current statute to allow school board members to use the E-Qual system in addition to in-person signatures to appear on the ballot.

• Increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years.
• Enact research-based reform of the English Language Learner model of instruction that may include primary language literacy to improve student achievement that does not segregate English Language Learners from English speaking peers; integrates reading, writing and oral language instruction; and incorporates multiple assessment measures to demonstrate English proficiency.
• Fully restore 9th grade CTE/CTED eligibility and funding to allow students to explore career fields and/or certification completion.
• Allow CTEDs to serve students through age 21 regardless of graduation status.
• Support policy that recognizes, respects, and promotes teaching as a profession.
• Defend against efforts to chill the free speech rights of school employees.
• State standardized testing shall not be used for any purpose other than a year over year measurement of student growth in the tested subject.
• Support policy that protects school district employees and students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Establish financial and academic transparency for all institutions and individuals that accept public funds.
• Repeal any program that gives public funds for private schools, vouchers (Empowerment Scholarship Accounts) and private school subsidies (Student Tuition Organizations) and prevent any future expansion.
• Require comparative classroom spending audits for school districts and all other institutions that accept public funds and define “classroom spending” as both instructional spending and student support spending.
• Enforce financial requirements and seek recovery of improperly received and/or expended public funds by charter and private schools and organizations.

• Hold school districts harmless for significant enrollment losses for school year 2020-2021.
• Provide flexibility in seat time and attendance requirements for school districts for the 2020-2021 school year.
• Suspend state standardized testing requirements for school year 2020-2021.
• Enact a moratorium on school letter grades for school year 2020-2021.
• Provide districts flexibility in teacher evaluation requirements and procedures.
• Regulatory relief in the event the pandemic continues to (or does so at a future date) interrupt the academic year.
• A state-funded program designed to bulk purchase sanitation supplies (i.e. PPE, cleaning supplies, etc.) for distribution to school districts & schools.
• Funding for increased expenses incurred due to COVID-19, including costs to meet the social/emotional needs of students.
• Technology modernization and accessibility to ensure students have the technology and equipment to use during times like these with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
• Unless a public emergency is declared, maintain the right of school districts to close for safety concerns related to COVID-19 outbreak in the community.
• Protect public schools from liability if a community member contracts COVID-19 while engaged in school-sponsored activities.

• Maximize state funding for nationally and locally competitive salaries to attract, recruit, and retain talented teachers and staff.
• Revise the School Finance formula to:
• Provide a stable, dedicated revenue source less reliant on the general fund or annual legislative appropriation.
• Provide dedicated school capital funding consistent with the constitutional requirement of a general and uniform public school system.
• Ensure the formula addresses the unique financial needs of schools serving students in poverty and in rural schools.
• Fully fund full-day kindergarten and include kindergarten students in the override calculations.
• Advocate to preserve and protect the voters’ original intent of Prop 301.
• Accelerate full restoration of district additional assistance (DAA) funding and index for inflation.
• Provide new school construction funding at actual cost for site acquisition, design, and construction before existing schools exceed their maximum capacity and become overcrowded.
• Eliminate unfunded mandates and administrative burdens.
• Return desegregation funding to a primary tax levy.
• Conduct an exceptional student services cost study to assure students are being funded at the actual cost of their services.
• Adequately fund the cost of student transportation.
• Provide funding for preschool programs.
• Reform current year funding to a system that provides districts with appropriate stable annual budgeting ability and technical reliability.
• Prorate funding over the entire school year among all public schools that a student has attended during the year.
• Provide funding to individual districts to implement locally directed school safety programs as well as student mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Invest in technology equitably for all students.
• Adequately fund special education programs.
• Hold harmless all districts from repayment of budget funds occurring from lawsuits involving centrally valued properties.

• Ensure local control and flexibility in managing funds and programs when possible, given the Arizona constitutional requirements of a general and uniform public school system.
• Maintain board control of all secondary property tax levies for district schools.
• Change “override/budget increase” language to better reflect what voters are being asked to support.
• Allow school districts greater flexibility in the divestiture or use of taxpayer-funded assets.
• Allow districts the option to operate individual schools for 200-day years and increase accompanying funding.
• Oppose legislative intrusion on school site budgeting decisions.
• Maintain local school board authority over any measure that would propose to consolidate and/or unify any school district.
• Support local board authority for student suspensions and open enrollment.
• Support policy that eliminates the use of corporal punishment in Arizona schools.
• Pursue legislation to confirm the confidentiality of school and district safety and security plans, programs, surveys and training.

• Increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years.
• Enact research-based reform of the English Language Learner model of instruction that may include primary language literacy to improve student achievement that does not segregate English Language Learners from English speaking peers; integrates reading, writing and oral language instruction; and incorporates multiple assessment measures to demonstrate English proficiency.
• Fully restore 9th grade CTE/CTED eligibility and funding to allow students to explore career fields and/or certification completion.
• Allow CTEDs to serve students through age 21 regardless of graduation status.
• Support policy that recognizes, respects, and promotes teaching as a profession.
• Defend against efforts to chill the free speech rights of school employees.
• State standardized testing shall not be used for any purpose other than a year over year measurement of student growth in the tested subject.
• Support policy that protects school district employees and students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Establish financial and academic transparency for all institutions and individuals that accept public funds.
• Repeal any program that gives public funds for private schools, vouchers (Empowerment Scholarship Accounts) and private school subsidies (Student Tuition Organizations) and prevent any future expansion.
• Require comparative classroom spending audits for school districts and all other institutions that accept public funds and define “class room spending” as both instructional spending and student support spending.
• Require consistency in the recusal of a board member from a decision in which the member or the member’s employer stands to benefit financially.
• Enforce financial requirements and seek recovery of improperly received and/or expended public funds by charter and private schools and organizations.

• Provide additional state funding for nationally competitive salaries to attract, recruit, and retain talented teachers and staff.
• Revise the School Finance formula to:
• Provide a stable, dedicated revenue source less reliant on the general fund or annual legislative appropriation.
• Ensure the formula addresses the unique financial needs of schools serving students in poverty and in rural schools.
• Fully fund full-day kindergarten and include kindergarten students in the override calculations.
• Advocate to preserve and protect the voters’ original intent of Prop 301.
• Provide adequate ongoing resources to ensure district equipment and facilities are maintained and comply with at least minimum school facility standards.
• Accelerate full restoration of district additional assistance (DAA) funding.
• Provide new school construction funding for site acquisition, design, and construction before existing schools exceed their maximum capacity and become overcrowded.
• Eliminate unfunded mandates and administrative burdens.
• Return desegregation funding to a primary tax levy.
• Conduct an exceptional student services cost study to provide greater equity in funding and access for exceptional student services within the public-school system.
• Adequately fund the cost of student transportation.
• Provide funding for preschool programs.
• Reform current year funding to a system that provides districts with appropriate stable annual budgeting ability and technical reliability.
• Prorate funding over the entire school year among all schools that a student has attended during the year for any student that changes enrollment during the year but has not moved.
• Provide funding to individual districts to implement locally directed school safety initiatives.

• Maximize local control and flexibility in managing funds and programs.
• Maintain board control of all secondary property tax levies for district schools.
• Change “override/budget increase” language to better reflect what voters are being asked to support.
• Allow school districts greater flexibility in the divestiture or use of taxpayer-funded assets.
• Preserve elected governing boards as the final authority in selecting qualified vendors to provide products or services to school districts.
• Allow districts the option to operate individual schools for 200-day years and increase accompanying funding.
• Oppose legislative intrusion on school site budgeting decisions.
• Maintain exclusive local authority over any measure that would propose to consolidate and/or unify any number of school districts into a larger school district.

• Increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years.
• Enact research-based reform of the English Language Learner model of instruction to improve student achievement that does not segregate English Language Learners from English speaking peers; integrates reading, writing and oral language instruction; and incorporates multiple assessment measures to demonstrate English proficiency.
• Fully restore 9th grade CTE/JTED eligibility and funding to allow students to explore career fields and/or certification completion.
• Allow JTEDs to serve students through age 21 regardless of graduation status.
• Support policy that recognizes and respects teaching as a profession.
• State standardized testing shall not be used for any purpose other than a year over year measurement of student growth in the tested subject.
• Support policy that protects school district employees and students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Establish financial and academic transparency for all institutions that accept public funds.
• Repeal any program that gives public funds for private schools, vouchers (Empowerment Scholarship Accounts) and private school subsidies (Student Tuition Organizations) and prevent any future expansion.
• Require comparative classroom spending audits for school districts and all other institutions that accept public funds and define “classroom spending” as both instructional spending and student support spending.
• Require consistency in the recusal of a board member from a decision in which the member or the member’s employer stands to benefit financially.
• Enforce financial requirements and seek recovery of improperly received and/or expended public funds by charter and private schools and organizations.

• Provide additional state funding for nationally competitive salaries to attract, recruit and retain talented teachers.
• Revise the School Finance formula to:
• Provide a stable revenue source less reliant on the general fund or annual legislative appropriation;
• Fund the implementation and ongoing costs of AZ standards, assessments and technology;
• Allow districts the option to operate individual schools for 200-day school years and increase accompanying funding to 8% from 5% to improve student achievement;
• Establish statewide poverty weights within the school funding formula.
• Fully fund full-day kindergarten and include kindergarten students in the override calculations.
• Renew, expand and improve Prop 301.
• Sufficiently fund market competitive salaries for all non-teaching staff.
• Provide adequate ongoing resources to comply with at least minimum school facility standards to ensure school district equipment and facilities are adequately maintained.
• Restore district additional assistance (DAA) reductions.
• Enact policy that does not unduly discourage local investment in school facilities.
• Eliminate unfunded mandates and administrative burdens.
• Fully fund JTEDs.
• Protect desegregation funding from any cuts or modifications.
• Provide greater equity in funding and access for exceptional student services within the public-school system.
• Adequately fund the cost of student transportation.
• Provide funding for preschool programs.

• Maximize local control and flexibility in managing funds and programs.
• Allow school districts greater flexibility in the divestiture of property to address population and course needs.
• Change “override/budget increase” language to better reflect what voters are being asked to support
• Oppose legislative intrusion on school site budgeting decisions.

• Support policy that recognizes and respects teaching as a profession.
• Increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years.
• Enact research-based reform of the English Language Learner model of instruction to improve student achievement that does not segregate English Language Learners from English speaking peers, integrates reading, writing and oral language instruction and incorporates multiple assessment measures to demonstrate English proficiency.
• Fully restore 9th grade CTE/JTED eligibility and funding to allow students to explore career fields and/or certification completion.
• Allow JTEDs to service students through the age of 21.

• Establish financial and academic transparency for all institutions that accept public funds.
• Repeal any program that gives public funds for private schools, ESAs & STOs or prevent any future expansion.
• Require comparative classroom spending audits for school districts and all other institutions that accept public funds, and define “classroom spending” as both instructional spending and student support spending.
• Reform current year funding to a system that provides districts with appropriate stable annual budgeting ability and technical reliability.

• Strengthen the School Finance formula to equitably and adequately fund public schools:
• Fund the implementation and ongoing costs of AZ standards, assessments and technology;
• Protect desegregation funding from any cuts or modifications;
• Allow districts the option to operate individual schools for 200-day school years and increase accompanying funding to 8% from 5% to improve student achievement;
• Provide greater equity in funding and access for exceptional student services within the public school system;
• Provide adequate funding to cover the cost of student transportation;
• Provide adequate funding to cover the cost of student transportation;
• Establish statewide poverty weights within the school funding formula.
• Advocate to eliminate unfunded mandates and administrative burdens.
• Assure a more stable and reliable revenue structure to support education.
• Advocate to renew, expand and improve Prop 301.
• Ensure 100% funding for all JTEDs.
• Fully fund full-day kindergarten and include kindergarten students in the override calculations.
• Provide funding for preschool programs.
• Reinstate and fund formulas to comply with at least state school building minimum standards and restore building renewal funding to ensure school district facilities are adequately maintained.
• Provide additional state funding for nationally competitive salaries to attract, recruit and retain talented teachers.

• Uphold, preserve, and strengthen local control to reinforce the connection between the community and its elected governing board members.
• Allow school districts greater flexibility in the divestiture of property to address population and course needs.
• Maximize local control and flexibility in managing funds and programs.
• Change “override/budget increase” language to “locally controlled funding” to better reflect what voters are being asked to support.

• Fully restore 9th grade CTE/JTED eligibility and funding so students have the opportunity to explore career fields and or/certification completion.
• Allow all JTEDs to service students through the age of 21.
• Eliminate the change to current year funding and advocate to hold declining districts harmless for loss of funding and ensure funding accuracy and transparency in ADM calculations.
• Establish financial and academic transparency for all institutions that accept public funds.
• Repeal any program that gives public funds for private schools, ESAs & STOs or prevent any future expansion.
• Require comparative auditor general reports for district and charter schools.
• Require charter holders and applicants to use their local entity’s most recent demographic study and enrollment demand data to justify the need for a new school.
• Increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years.
• Advocate for research-based reform of the English Language Learner model of instruction to improve student achievement.

Long-Term Focus – These overarching issues must be addressed for public schools to excel and provide an opportunity for every child to succeed. Providing high-quality public education is the best investment to grow Arizona’s economy. The items below reflect those key issues on which we will concentrate over the next 5-10 years.

• Strengthen the school finance formula to equitably and adequately fund public schools to:
• Assure a more stable and reliable source.
• Maximize local school district flexibility in managing these funds.
• Require the same financial accountability and transparency measures of all schools and individuals that receive public funds.
• Repeal any program that gives public monies for private schooling.
• Uphold, preserve, and strengthen local control to reinforce the connection between the community and its elected board members.
• Meet the unique educational needs of every student so that all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Short-Term Focus – Building toward our long-term areas of success, the following items represent critical needs to put us on that path and will engage our energies up to the next 3-5 years.

• Reinstate and fund formulas to comply with at least state school building minimum standards.
• Provide greater equity in funding and access for special education students within the public school system.
• Allow public school tax credits to be used as determined by local districts.
• Establish financial transparency and academic accountability for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.
• Maximize income opportunities for teachers’ salaries and student support.
• Fully restore 9th grade CTE/JTED eligibility and funding so students have the opportunity to explore career fields and/or certification completion.
• Require comparative and consistent Auditor General Reports for public (district and charter) schools.

2016 Legislative Session-Specific – Building toward our long-term areas of success, the following items reflect issues that will not only move us forward, but we believe can be accomplished next year given the legislative atmosphere and current public trends.

• Fully fund full-day kindergarten and include kindergarten students in the override calculation.
• Fund inflation fully in the manner prescribed by statute mandated by Arizona voters.
• Repeal CTE and JTED cuts slated to take effect in Fiscal Year 2017.
• Change “override/budget increase” language to “locally controlled funding” to better reflect what voters are being asked to support.
• Fund the implementation costs of Arizona’s standards, assessments, and technology.
• Restore Building Renewal funding to ensure school facilities are adequately maintained.
• Allow districts the option to operate individual schools for 200-day school years and increase accompanying funding to 8% from 5% to improve student achievement.
• Increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years.
• Eliminate the change to current year funding.
• Advocate to lessen unfunded mandates and administrative burdens.
• Allow school districts greater flexibility in the divestiture of property to address population and course needs.
• Protect desegregation funding from any cuts or modifications.
• Require charter holders and applicants to use their local entity’s most recent demographic study and enrollment demand data to justify the need for a new school.