AZ lawmakers think they can pull a fast one on AZ voters: They’re trying to force through Senate Bill 1452, a gigantic expansion of ESA vouchers that robs funds from public education in ways even more harmful and wide-ranging than any of their previous attempts.  SB1452, sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chair and *charter school teacher* Paul Boyer (Republican, Legislative District 20), is a “kitchen-sink” voucher expansion bill that would gut public schools hurting low-income areas the most. Bottom line: This will drain hundreds of millions more dollars out of Arizona public schools every year, and will drain Prop 208 funds out as fast as voters can put them in. Public school teachers are frantically cleaning classrooms, simultaneously teaching online and in-person, reusing PPE, and putting buckets under leaks — while these lawmakers try to siphon away tax dollars that voters intend for our neighborhood schools. THIS IS WRONG. We need you to GET LOUD. Call bill sponsor Paul Boyer at 602-926-4173 and email pboyer@azleg.gov and ask him to withdraw SB1452Tell Senator Boyer to respect Arizona voters—we want MORE public school funding, not LESS. Call Senate President Karen Fann (602-926-5874, kfann@azleg.gov) and ask her to hold SB1452In 2018, AZ voters said #NoNewVouchers and we meant it. 95% of Arizona families choose public schools, and we want those schools funded. Call and email today. Then call again tomorrow, and again on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The education committee will consider this bill on Tuesday, February 2, at 2 p.m. This is a bill that dark-money special interests and greedy profiteers want, not Arizona voters.
#WeSaidNoNewVouchersIt’s in our name: Save Our Schools Arizona
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In state after state. We are witnessing, nationwide, the Voucher Blitzkrieg.
As SomeDAM Poet put it, we’ve been DeVos’ed by not DeVouchered.
Is this the coordinated response from the right to Espinoza? Part of a revised long-term strategy that started with Espinoza? Mercedes, Laura–is there a single funding source behind these?
Step 1: Get the decision in place that allows taxpayer dollars to be diverted to religious schools. Check.
Step 2: Introduce bills throughout the country to do that. Check.
I think what we are seeing is a response to the resurgence of GOP power in the states.
Why do Republicans want to destroy their community-based public schools?
Ideology; greed; payoffs; lower taxes.
Yes, of course. The appeal to the base. But I’m thinking more in terms of the strategy at the top of the Republican party–about the folks at Alex, Heritage, etc. They know that the demographics are against them in the long run, and they’ve learned the lesson that Karl Rove taught them: they can leverage fundamentalist votes.