The Reality of Arizona Public Education: It all depends on who you ask, but one thing's for certain

The state offers the third-lowest teacher salaries in the country.

PUBLISHED SEP 24, 2024

All this is taking place under the shadow that Proposition 123, which injects $300 million into Arizona’s public schools, is up for renewal.

Phoenix, Arizona: A new study by Consumer Affairs has ranked Arizona as the worst state in the nation for public education. Arizona has the lowest ACT scores in the country, ranks 50th for school funding, and has the third-highest student-to-teacher ratio. The state also faces significant challenges with its teacher workforce, offering the third-lowest teacher salaries and struggling with a teacher shortage crisis.

According to the rankings, Arizona, Alabama, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Idaho are the worst states.

But $10 million worth of advertisements are portraying them as “already excellent". So what exactly is going on? Are the schools '"excellent" or in dire need of help

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, went on 12 News to defend the state’s schools, citing improvements in test scores despite the state's low per-pupil spending.

“We have excellent schools, and some that are not so excellent,” Horne said. He added that Arizona's performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests, despite ranking last in education spending, is "pretty good".

According to the rankings, Arizona, Alabama, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Idaho are the worst states for public education in the US.

However, Marisol Garcia, President of the Arizona Education Association, countered Horne's claims on the same show, pointing out that underfunding, large class sizes, and inadequate support for educators have driven Arizona’s schools toward the bottom of national rankings.

“Imagine what our kids would be able to do if we actually funded our schools,” Garcia said.

All this is taking place under the shadow that Proposition 123, which injects $300 million into Arizona’s public schools, is up for renewal. Without it, schools stand to lose significant funding. Garcia emphasized the devastating impact this could have, calling for new investments in public education to prevent further harm.

Horne, while supportive of renewing Prop 123, explained that the state legislature dictates where his department’s funding goes, including the $10 million marketing campaign. He also pointed to his 15 legislative initiatives aimed at improving academic outcomes and supporting teachers, including raising teacher salaries and removing cell phones from classrooms to reduce distractions.

One particularly controversial program is the Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) initiative, which provides public funds to families who choose to send their children to private or charter schools. Garcia described the program as “devastating", arguing that it siphons funds from public education while offering little accountability. The program, now projected to cost $900 million, has faced criticism for misuse of funds and lack of oversight.

Horne defended the ESA program, stating that it allows families with children whose needs aren’t being met in public schools to find alternatives. He also claimed that the program saves money, arguing that it costs less per student than traditional public schooling. Garcia disputed this, asserting that the data shows otherwise, and called for greater scrutiny of the program’s impact on public education.