Issue Position: Educational Positions

Fund Our Schools

Both of my parents were public school educators, and while I make my living through my businesses, I've taught as a substitute teacher in Arizona schools. I'm passionate about high-quality public education. I've seen it work -- and I've seen it fail.

Our state is providing 17 percent less educational funding than it provided in 2008. The current education crisis is a direct result of that neglect. I will fight to pay teachers a fair wage, fund public schools appropriately, and make Arizona's schools competitive again.

Don't Expand Voucher Entitlements

I'm against the expansion of school vouchers, partly because the system doesn't work. When vouchers are instituted, public schools slip into poverty, while private schools flourish. That doesn't make for an equitable education system.

I believe that public and private schools can coexist just fine; however, the role of government is not to subsidize private school education. Voucher programs shouldn't expand, and we should begin the process of phasing them out, grandfathering in students who currently benefit from those programs.

Simplify School Funding

Much of Arizona schools' funding comes from the general fund, allocated by lawmakers who have strong incentives to use that money elsewhere. That's part of the reason we're paying teachers less and letting our public schools crumble into disrepair.

We don't need to raise taxes to invest in our future. By putting permanent revenue allocations in place, we can make sure that our money supports public education. We can ensure that we don't have to have this same fight over and over again -- we can permanently improve our public schools and give our children the education they deserve.

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