A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION FOR EVERY ARIZONA STUDENT REQUIRES COMMITMENT AT ALL LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP IN OUR STATE
Too many Arizona students are graduating high school underprepared to succeed, whether their next step is career training, community college or university. This is happening at a time when 85% of Arizona’s high quality jobs require some form of additional education after high school.
It’s time to raise the bar. Arizona’s economic prosperity and our individual quality of life depend on it.
All Arizona students deserve a world-class education that prepares them to have the greatest options in life. While this already exists for some students across our state today, it still does not for most.
By supporting high expectations in education, you can help every student succeed. Here are 4 bar-raising issues happening in Arizona education that every informed voter should know about:
- Arizona is implementing more rigorous K-12 academic standards that prepare all students to graduate high school ready to succeed in college and careers.
High school graduation is no longer sufficient in today’s economy to attain a living wage job. All students should have the opportunity to attain a postsecondary education. Arizona’s new Common Core Standards will help us reach this goal, but teachers and students will need broad community support and additional resources to make the transition successfully.
- Arizona passed a law called “Move on When Reading,” which requires that students who are failing in reading at the end of third grade to be held back (if they score Falls Far Below on AIMS).
The research is clear: children who cannot read proficiently by the third grade almost never fully catch up and are less likely to graduate from high school. Access to high quality early childhood education is critical to ensuring students are reading on grade level.
- Arizona began grading the performance of schools on an A – F scale.
“Oh, that’s a great neighborhood. It has good schools.” Sound familiar? The quality of your local schools matters. It impacts your property value, the desirability of your neighborhood and opportunities available to your neighborhood kids. Find out what your local schools are graded and support their success.
- While expectations are on the rise, education funding in Arizona has dropped.
While money isn’t everything, it is a crucial element to ensuring that Arizona’s students achieve world-class outcomes. High quality teachers and schools for all students will require strategic investment of new and existing resources. Education should be an investment that we’re willing to make.
Sign up – Join the movement dedicated to world-class education for all Arizona students.
Study up – Learn more about Arizona’s education issues, like Common Core Standards, school letter grades and Move On When Reading
Speak up – Join thousands of Arizonans statewide in sending a unified message that education is our top priority. Share the Expect More Arizona message with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and hold your elected leaders accountable to make decisions that help build world-class education in our state.
Show up – Make sure you are registered to vote and use your vote to prioritize education – in every election.
