Battle of the bills

Superintendent and Governor fight over Ariz. education standards

Teachers+%28left+to+right%29+Mark+Samford%2C+Sherry+Swanson%2C+Joni+Oerter%2C+Laura+Giordano%2C+Corey+Swint%2C+and+Richard+Ruiz+protesting+Gov.+Duceys+educational+decisions.+

Published with permission of Corey Swint

Teachers (left to right) Mark Samford, Sherry Swanson, Joni Oerter, Laura Giordano, Corey Swint, and Richard Ruiz protesting Gov. Ducey’s educational decisions.

Since the election of Governor Doug Ducey and Arizona school chief Diane Douglas in November, proposed bills and actions have been taken with regards of education. Although both parties believe they have the best intentions for students, do they really?

When both were elected, one would see that the intentions to strengthen education was in the best interest for the students conflicted regarding educational standards and standardized testing including the new AzMERIT test. Tensions flared when the governor and Douglas – who are both anti-Common Core – publically had it out over Douglas’ illegal firings of two members of the state school board.

They were only aggravated when on Feb. 11 Diane Douglas fired two of her ‘liberal staff members’ who openly oppressed Common Core which she believed was in her jurisdiction. However, Doug Ducey did not agree with this decision due to the lack of power she had to remove the employees.

Science teacher Gerald Degrow discusses the conflict, “Currently, Ms. Douglas is attempting to imply that Mr. Ducey’s budget cuts are wrong while simultaneously putting the money into prisons. So Ms. Douglas is actually attempting to get more money into public schools.”

Once the employees were reinstated, they have been in a constant limbo regarding whether they can work alongside Douglas again.

Ironically, Gov. Ducey has created a hashtag #ClassroomsFirst while publishing a proposal to cut five percent on non-classroom spending, called “district additional assistance.” This includes textbooks, cafeteria workers and library services, which will equate to a $113 million cut. This would ultimately mean $6 million dollars will be cut from the Chandler Unified School District.

As stated by an email sent by the district’s Superintendent Camille Casteel on Feb. 18, there will be proposed bill HB2303 which will convey extreme changes to the school calendar, “In addition, there is an Arizona House Bill that would mandate the school year could not start prior to Sept. 2 and must end before June 30.”

This proposed legislation would disrupt the schedule which over 94 percent of parents in the district enjoy; compared with the traditional schedule schools across Arizona. On Feb. 12, the HB2303 was passed with a 5 to 2 vote to progress to the state senate.

“[The bill] will definitely change our calendar,” explains Principal Serrano, “we still have to have 180 school days and a minimum number of instruction minutes. This will mean…our breaks will be reduced.”

An additional bill, HB2246 issued on Jan. 22, allows parents to opt out of the statewide exam- AzMerit. Despite what may seem a good amendment to the well-being of the student in the midst of confusion regarding the content matter of the test, schools would not be able to be compared to other schools. Each individual student would not be evaluated if parents decide for their children whether or not to take the exam.