Investing in Education
As
Governor Napolitano leads Arizona into the knowledge-based
economy, she has made it a priority to develop a highly
skilled, well-educated workforce – and that mission
begins in the classroom.
The Governor is making the right investments in our schools,
and in our future. She secured the funding for voluntary
full-day kindergarten, and will make full-day kindergarten
available to every Arizona family by 2009. In 2003, when
the state faced more than $1.3 billion in deficits, she
balanced the budget without cutting funds for education.
Governor Napolitano knows that education is economic
development and an indicator of personal success. This
is why Arizona’s
schools and preparing Arizona’s students for the
future are among Governor Napolitano’s top priorities.
Promoting Quality Education
To compete in the knowledge-based economy of tomorrow,
every child in Arizona must have access to quality education – from
kindergarten to high school and beyond. Kindergarten
is increasingly important as it serves as a foundation
to a lifetime of learning. We know that students who
attend a full-day kindergarten class are more likely
than their peers to read at grade level, have good attendance
and do well in science. Teachers and parents in these
districts already report overwhelmingly positive results.
Learning to read is critically important to today’s
students as they prepare to enter the 21st century economy,
and Governor Napolitano is working to make sure Arizona’s
children get a strong start. Governor Napolitano has
partnered with the private sector to provide a book to
more than 350,000 first and fourth grade students to
keep as their own – at no cost to Arizona taxpayers.
For many students, this is the only book they own, which
makes the program even more important as it instills
pride in reading.
While
we strive to improve education, Arizona schools must
put more resources in the classroom. When she took
office, Governor Napolitano challenged school districts
to shift a nickel of every dollar from administrative costs
to the classroom. Arizona’s school districts have
responded by putting an additional $100 million into education
opportunities that directly impact students.
Arizona is making progress in securing more resources
for the classroom, but money alone will not solve the
problem. It is where we focus new and existing resources
that matter. For example, research shows that teachers
who have access to high quality professional development
can improve the outcomes in math for their students beyond
what they were capable of prior to targeted trainings.
We know that using expert teachers to mentor new teachers
has the double benefit of accelerating the progress of
our new teachers with the added bonus of keeping mid-career
teachers engaged in their profession. Recognizing expert
teachers and asking them to mentor is the premise of
Governor Napolitano’s Master Teacher program. Beginning
this year, select teachers from the state’s neediest
schools will enter the Arizona Master Teacher Program.
These teachers will be rewarded for their skill level,
will be provided with professional development, and will
be expected to mentor new teachers. Programs such as
these are a win-win for students and teachers.
Governor Napolitano is dedicated to providing ongoing
educational opportunities for Arizona teachers, and has
secured $12 million in federal funds to support the professional
development, retention and recruitment of teachers in
districts on or near Indian Reservations and other hard-to-staff
schools.
In May 2005, the Governor created the Governor’s
Committee for Teacher Quality and Support, a group charged
with developing recommendations to help teacher training
and development programs, and to attract and retain high
quality teachers at Arizona schools. After all, qualified
teachers deliver education reform. This is not possible
without properly preparing teachers for our technology,
math and science driven economy and providing them with
up-to-date research on how students learn. With this
new information, teachers can employ many tools and ensure
that ALL students get the instruction they need to be
successful.
The committee is also making great strides in issues
of teacher compensation, teacher recruitment and workplace
conditions. Pay and quality working conditions place
a community value on a profession. More needs to be done
to attract Arizona’s brightest to the teaching
field. Strong professional development, career opportunity
and strong school leadership all serve to keep our best
teachers from leaving the field. The Teacher Quality
and Support Committee will ensure that support equals
the expectation.
“
We know that high-quality teachers have more impact on
student achievement than just about anything else,” the
Governor said when she signed the executive order creating
the committee. “Providing teachers with the tools
and support to be the best they can be and to keep them
in teaching will go a long way toward making Arizona
a place where schools are the greatest in the nation.”
Aligning School Curriculum With the Needs of Tomorrow
To coordinate and implement the Governor’s education
initiatives, activities and strategies, she launched
the state’s P-20 Council. “P” refers
to early education – from preschool. “20” refers
to the idea that education must continue beyond high
school and that given the changing nature of our world
there must be a renewed focus on lifelong learning.
Taken together, P-20 is an attempt to better align early
education and the K-12 systems with the job market. Building
an education system that does not reflect the 21st century
workplace makes our students and our country vulnerable
during a time of intense economic change.
The P-20 Council will incorporate current public and private
sector education initiatives and provide a framework and
direction for systemic change where needed. Challenges
include:
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Aligning
high school, college and work expectations. |
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Helping students
at all levels meet higher standards and prepare for
formal education and workforce training beyond high
school. |
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Providing all students
with the excellent teachers and leaders that they
need, particularly in the areas of math, science
and literacy. |
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|
Strengthening high school and postsecondary
accountability systems to better prepare students for
college and increase enrollment and completion rates. |
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|
Reaching down into middle school and
elementary standards to ensure high school preparedness
for math and science. |
| * |
Assessing the desire to expand 4-year
degree programs at post-secondary institutions. |
Expanding Access to Higher Education
Preparing Arizona for a knowledge-based marketplace requires
us to plan and invest on many fronts – especially
in higher education. Arizona’s three state universities
and nationally regarded community colleges work to drive
Arizona’s economy as influential participants in
industry research and business ventures. More importantly,
these institutions shape the future leaders of our state
in many fields – from education to engineering, from
medicine to business.
When Governor Napolitano entered office, the state was
faced with a record deficit, and some lawmakers called
on her to cut education spending. Yet, Governor Napolitano
believed Arizona could balance its budget and still invest
in the future. It is this practical and forward-thinking
business plan that will lay the foundation of success for
Arizona and Arizona’s families.
