“To teachers and ed support professionals: I see you, I respect you & I will always stand up for you.” -Katie Hobbs, State of the State Speech 2023
For the first time in 14 years an Arizona governor prioritized public education in the State of the State Speech. Governor Hobbs dedicated nearly half of her 42 minute speech to detailing the needs of public education and outlining her plans to meet those needs.
I’ve been trying to articulate how significant this is. For educators who have watched the steady devaluation of Arizona’s public schools for more than a decade, this dedication to public education ignites an optimism we haven’t felt in a long time. The optimism stems from the possibilities that come with having a public education ally in the governor’s office.
Arizona’s public schools have been abandoned by most of our lawmakers for a long time. The results of the prolonged neglect is a teacher retention crisis, over-crowded classrooms, and a lack of critical resources. The insufficiencies are too vast to expect a quick turnaround.
However, there are some changes that could be made quickly that would alter the current trajectory of public education in our state. Not long ago the prospect of these changes occurring seemed unlikely, if not impossible. Now, I’m more optimistic about the opportunities we have.
With a pro-public education governor, these are the opportunities we have to protect and defend our public education system (which serves over 90% of Arizona’s children).
Repeal or limit ESA expansion (vouchers)
The Arizona Legislature passed universal voucher expansion during the last legislative session. The expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program (ESA) is projected to cost the state $200 million this year. Since most new ESA applicants have never attended public schools, the expansion is going to require new funding. It’s important to note the additional funding was not budgeted when the expansion was enacted into law (see slide 7). This means the money to pay for the thousands of new vouchers will have to come from somewhere. The logical conclusion is the legislature will try to siphon money from K-12 public schools to fund their reckless expansion of vouchers.
The governor has requested a repeal of the ESA expansion in her proposed budget. The likelihood of our legislature completely repealing the law is slim. However, with a pro-public education governor there is at least the possibility of negotiations to limit the number of new vouchers. This would help slow the amount of money being redirected from public schools to private schools and other unaccountable education expenses.
Lift the AEL
For the last two years, public schools in Arizona have endured funding uncertainty because of the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL). The AEL was passed as a constitutional amendment in 1980. It was part of a wave of fiscal accountability reforms being passed at the time. Being a 40 year old law, it is incredibly antiquated. It’s so outdated, charter schools are not bound by the AEL because they didn’t exist in 1980.
The AEL has been lifted on three other occasions (2007,2008,2022). Since last year it seems as if lifting the AEL has become much more politicized. The reality is that if it isn’t lifted, school districts will not be able to use the funding that was provided to them in last year’s budget. This means they will have to make immediate and substantial cuts to their budgets on April 1st.
The policies of a pro-public education governor’s office provide hope that priority will be placed on working with lawmakers to lift the spending limit before districts have to make extraordinary cuts during the final two months of the school year. Further, there is hope that common ground may be reached to advance a permanent solution to the AEL.
More equitable funding
At the urging of the previous Arizona governor, our state’s K-12 budget includes results based funding. Results based funding provides additional funding to schools that are already doing well while neglecting our neediest schools. Since student achievement results are typically correlated to the income status of the neighborhoods they serve, the added funding tends to elude the schools that need it most.
Governor Hobbs’ budget proposes eliminating the results based funding component and redistributing the funds equally among all schools. This provides rural and low income schools the opportunity to receive equal and much needed funding.
Bad bills won’t get signed
As an educator I have grown accustomed to dreading Arizona’s legislative sessions. The arrival of January means I spend the next 4-6 months nervously monitoring the bills moving through the legislative committees. Every session I know bills that harm public education will become laws. My expectations and efforts are focused solely on limiting the number of bad bills and preventing the most harmful.
With the new leadership in our state this anxiety has been greatly reduced. I feel confident the most egregious laws against our schools, teachers, and students will never be signed into law. This awareness brings me much solace. Even if the next four years fail to bring a wave of legislation that benefits public education, at least there is someone protecting it from the bad legislation.
While I find gratitude in our current circumstances compared to a few months ago, I can’t help but think about what could be accomplished with more public education allies in the capital building. We took a big step forward with the election of Katie Hobbs. For us to see greater opportunities for progress, we need to elect more public education advocates.
Nicole Wolff
I'm a California native. However, I've spent my entire career teaching in Arizona public schools, as well as instructing at the university level. My passion for teacher advocacy and support led me to become an Instructional Coach in 2013. I am currently a coach at a K-8 school in Goodyear and love the students and teachers I get to work with every day. I have spent my career actively involved in instructional improvement, chairing many committees including Response to Intervention, Academic Accountability, and Professional Development Committees. I was named Dysart Hero (teacher of the year) in 2012. I was honored to serve as a 2017-18 Arizona Hope Street Teacher Fellow. I earned a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Education/ESL from Ottawa University. I am a National Board Certified Teacher. I’m also endorsed as an Early Childhood Specialist, Reading Specialist, and Gifted Specialist. In my free time, I enjoy reading, camping, and spending time with my family.