If you're an ASU student, you might be wondering why you should care about a ballot measure affecting K-12 schools. You should.
Some of us have younger siblings in Arizona schools. Some of us are studying to become teachers. Some of us will work in schools after graduation. And all of us are going to live, work and raise families in communities shaped by the quality of Arizona's public schools.
For me, that connection is especially personal. I'm an ASU junior studying political science and secondary education, and I'm preparing to become a teacher. When I think about the schools that shaped me, I don't just remember my teachers.
I remember the counselor who was there when I needed someone to talk to. I remember the adults who made school feel safe. I remember the people who supported students outside of the traditional classroom.
That's why I'm voting no on Proposition 320.
Proposition 320 would require certain large Arizona school districts to spend at least 60% of their operational spending on a state-defined category of "direct instructional expenses." If a district doesn't meet the requirements, it can lose a portion of its Classroom Site Fund allocation, starting at 25% and increasing over time for continued noncompliance.
On the surface, that sounds reasonable. Of course we want more resources going toward students and teachers. But schools aren't simple.
A student can't learn if they don't feel safe. A teacher can't be expected to handle every mental health crisis. A student with a disability may need a specialist. Schools need counselors, social workers, nurses, transportation, technology and functioning buildings.
Those things might not always be classified as "direct instruction." But they are part of education. As a future teacher, I don't want to walk into my first classroom and find that the counselor down the hall is gone because my district had to move money around to meet a state-mandated percentage. I don't want my future students to lose the support they need because we decided that only certain kinds of school spending count.
If Arizona wants better teacher pay, let's fund better teacher pay. If students need more mental health support, let's fund counselors and social workers. If schools need to be safer, let's invest in school safety.
We should be asking how to give schools more resources, not creating a formula that can punish districts for failing to fit every community into the same box.
As ASU students, we have a stake in what happens in Arizona's public schools. These are the schools our siblings attend, the schools many of us will teach in and the schools that shape the communities we will eventually lead. The classroom matters. But the classroom is more than four walls.
When you vote this November, vote no on Proposition 320.
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this letter are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Carsten Oyer, Emilio Alvarado and Kate Gore.
This content was contributed by an author who does not work at The State Press. If you are a community member who would also like to contribute, please email execed.statepress@gmail.com.
