Stormy forecasts on the election front have likely worn just about every voter out. But when it’s over, it’s over and we all must move on…and we will. That is an American legacy that must never be tarnished and gives us great hope and confidence for a fresh perspective on November 9th and beyond. And no issue will face greater challenges than what we will do next in our public education system.The need to have thoughtful, engaging and comprehensive discussions on the public education system in Arizona has never been more apparent. Years of the state and the nation battling a confounding and disruptive recession has left our core state services challenged like never before, in spite of successful efforts to at least partially insulate public education finances with a temporary 1 cent sales tax increase that has now expired. The long awaited recovery in General Fund Revenues has proven elusive, at best. But there is good news in this forecast that may be apparent to some, and this is in spite of any particular electoral outcome.
ABEC, along with 13 wonderful partners, hosted the first ever “Education Showdown” forums where four, highly contested Arizona State Senate races (legislative districts 6, 8, 18 and 28) were featured. Cox Channel 7 produced and has been airing these forums over the past few weeks (you can link to and watch the forums here).
I am heartened by these critical forums because there was one thing EVERY candidate agreed upon – the need to address education funding needs. I give the candidates who accepted this challenge great credit. Tough races bring heightened emotions and tension, yet our forums were civil, comprehensive and even idealistic. The candidates we featured all agreed that they would roll up their sleeves to get to work on public education needs in Arizona including the need for more resources.
It gets better. Although Governor Ducey has yet to divulge his next steps on education funding, there is evidence that this result is indeed coming. And while the Governor’s outspoken concerns with Proposition 205, the Arizona Marijuana Legalization Initiative, has been in the forefront of his most recent actions, he clearly has his eye on Prop 205’s impact on education, too. It’s a positive reminder that the need to deal with Arizona’s education system is most apparent.
At ABEC, we will discuss the challenges for dealing with public education finance needs at our 2016 Annual Conference being held on Friday, Dec. 9th at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix. You can find out more information about this event at www.azbec.org. Join us and discover for yourself a comprehensive review of revenue options for Arizona. Some might just work, some might not. But all ideas are welcome in this open forum with subject matter experts and presentations that should make for a highly instructive and critical discussion.
Again, the good news is, the election will NOT dictate whether we deal with this issue or not, thanks to the thoughtful discussions we heard in the Education Showdown forums. How we get this done, and to what extent, is now up to you as the voter first, and then to you as a citizen to hold those elected accountable.
Make your voice heard on Tuesday, November 8th, and ABEC will both respect your choice and help enable the next steps to serve Arizona’s school children and communities by working together – business leaders and education leaders, as the single best way to enable long term, positive results.
NOTE: Dick Foreman is president & CEO of ABEC. To contact, please send him an e-mail.