Conservatives at the state Legislature and the state’s largest business organization, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believe that in the face of a nearly $1 billion deficit this year, Arizona should permanently eliminate a $250 million revenue stream specifically designated to support our public schools. Other stakeholders, including Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Arizona Education Association, understand that K-12 education must be held harmless during these times of economic constraint.
While the economic downturn and revenue shortfall may be short-term, the state of Arizona has a history of chronically under-funding public education. The irresponsible ideology of some of Arizona’s legislators and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry is partly to blame. Their false assumption that less taxes is the best way to encourage economic growth is the cause for our current situation.
During the 2006 legislative session, a deal was struck between Napolitano and the Republican legislative leadership. That deal was to effectively withhold the collection of the state equalization property tax for three years and only three years. This estimated $250 million annual revenue stream automatically comes back online in the 2009 tax year. Now, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants to pull the rug out from underneath our public schools and students to sustain a tax break for themselves.
Rather than take money from public education, Arizona’s legislators should reallocate this revenue stream to specific education programs that will create quality public schools, such as the Career Ladder program. This will ensure that each teaching professional has access to a performance pay plan that will invest in teachers and their individual professional development. Career Ladder is a proven tool for student achievement and, if implemented statewide, is a program that will benefit every Arizona public school student equally. In addition, this funding can also address the rising utility costs school districts face and create the opportunity for energy cost-saving measures to be implemented in our schools.
Arizona cannot afford to permanently eliminate this tax when we have so far to go just to provide an adequately funded school system. Without this investment, it will be harder to reduce class sizes and retain the best teachers. The divide between our students and those of our global economic competitors will widen. We must make the right choice by investing in the only sure bet—Arizona’s children and those who teach them.
John Wright is a teacher and the president of the Arizona Education Association.