Schools in Arizona have faced insufficient funds, an issue that can be resolved by creating an initiative that increases funds directed to education. The government can create an initiative that brings in more funds without necessarily increasing the tax rate. In Arizona, the education sector is faced with unfair distribution of funds. Higher-performing schools are given more funds than their counterparts, who may not perform well (Cowell, 2018). Teachers in Arizona are underpaid and have to deal with many learners in a single class. This and the lack of appreciation for their hard work causes many to resign and cause a shortage. This also leads to low teacher-student interactions as teachers have many students to monitor and cannot engage with individual students, lowering the learning experience (Cowell, 2018). A lack of proper allocation of state funds to schools and unfair allocation of available funds brings about all this.
On November 2nd 2006, a couple of School Districts, like Crane Elementary School District appealed a decision by the Superior court that dismissed their complaints, alleging the finance system was unfair. They had alleged that the financing system violates Article 11, Section 1 of the Arizona Constitution, which stipulates that school funding should be general and uniform. The district proved that students from poor backgrounds and underfunded areas performed poorly compared to other students. However, the case was dismissed, and the community lost and thus was unable to cause changes in the funding system. Increasing funds and not relying on the available funds is an initiative that could create this change.
Creating an initiative that brings in more funds would be the perfect way to resolve the issue and generate more funds. This initiative can be achieved by the government creating other means of income that do not involve imposing permanent taxes. The government could impose tariffs on wealthy people and increase discretionary funding (Cowell, 2018). This could be done by creating a federal tax that feeds directly to the education sector or even a national tax that solely focuses on educational matters.
The initiative will use existing financial records to check where the problem arises – why there is unfair distribution of funds. They can then create a plan using the available funds and disperse them fairly. The initiative will, after that, develop a system and formulae that will distribute money equally. A committee could carry this out made up of legislative leaders, education leadership associations, school board members, and parent representatives. The committee will then create a plan and a budget depending on how much extra money was collected for schools. The proposal and the budget will then be presented to the state government and budget committee, deciding whether the proposition is viable. Once approved, the initiative is put in motion toward being implemented.
Upon approval and implementation, however, a few factors must be considered before the final allocation is done. These include the location of the school, items lacking in the facility, the school’s population, the types of courses offered by the school, and the financial background of the majority of the students. After making all these considerations and approval from the government, the committee may decide on the amount each school needs equivalent to their needs.
Children are too young to fight for their rights, so parents must step in, fill that role, and help out where they can. Every child deserves a quality education, and this initiative would be a step in ensuring that students receive quality education like they truly deserve. By developing and implementing this initiative, the state can fund schools equally, a project that aligns with the 14th Amendment on equality. This could help solve the problems arising from the lack of funds, like the Arizona teachers’ shortage from underpayment and lack of proper compensation (Cowell, 2018). It would also give all students an equal chance and right to receive a quality education regardless of their school or background.
References
Cowell, A. N. (2018). The US public school system and the implications of budget cuts, the teacher shortage crisis, and large class sizes on marginalized students. Arizona State University.