Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION IS KEY

As a candidate for the legislature, one of Amy Schwabenlender's top priorities is investing in education. Amy keeps hearing the same concerns over and over again: school districts are facing funding cuts that will impact classrooms learning; teachers are asked to do more with less; parents face difficult choices on their child's educational options.
Amy knows that to improve the employability of the state's workforce, the issue begins before our children even enter school. Amy knows that schools need more flexibility in deciding how to invest their resources in alignment with educational achievement. Arizona's education system should support this flexibility as well as build in accountability through measurement of results that matter, outcomes of educational performance as opposed to seat time.
"We must demand more for the children of Arizona by supporting the public education system and the teachers who work tirelessly in the classrooms."
On behalf of our children, Amy plans to advocate on the legislative floor for several solutions.

Advocate for working families, by helping parents get access to simple tools and techniques for encouraging reading at home. 69% of children in LD 20 have working parents. Arizona needs to invest in working families and ensure access to quality childhood education programs.

Advocate for early education programs, by investing in teachers and classrooms to make reading a reality; by 3rd grade children must be able to read at grade level in order to advance to 4th grade. Although some gains have been made, 72% of Arizona's 4th graders are reading below grade level with the reading gap between higher and lower income levels widening.
Advocate for improving accountability in spending, by giving schools between 4th and 12th grades more flexibility. Schools should be able to invest their resources in alignment with educational achievement. Our education system should support this flexibility as well as build in accountability through measurement of results that matter, outcomes of educational performance as opposed to seat time.
Advocate for more professional opportunities, such as supporting career and technical education programs (CTE), by giving young adults the option to pursue vocational programs, community college, state or private universities. An educated workforce is increasingly critical and our education system needs to prepare youth for their freedom to choose what to do after high school graduation. Young adults should have options.
Advocate for innovation. As technology continues to advance more and more jobs, Arizona will require an educated workforce, which connects jobs and education in various fields. 85% of high-growth, high-wage jobs in Arizona will require some form of higher education and work experience, while an alarming 35% of Arizona's working adults hold an associate's degree or greater, and in some parts of the state less than 50% of high school students graduate. Innovative programs staffed by qualified teachers with adequate funding are needed to improve not only graduation rates but to ensure that students graduate with skills matching the needs of employers.
Advocate for funding common core standards and allocating more resources for teachers. Common Core helps prepare our students for a competitive work force, help sets expectations for our students, and becomes a standard guide for teachers that provides flexibility.

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