It’s really hot in Phoenix, it’s the mayor’s fault! Nobody is buying my 1978 AMC Pacer, Autotrader is a horrible place to sell cars! Arizona is ranked 50th out of 51 states/districts in the U.S. when it comes to K-12 school funding and resources…blame the school superintendents!
Can you see the flaw in the logic? This is called a causal fallacy, incorrectly assuming that one thing is to blame for another. In K-12 and higher education, we teach logic and we encourage critical thinking to avoid these mistakes. Unfortunately, not everyone learns this lesson.
For academic year 2023, SUSD had an aggregate 61% of students passing English language assessments and 57% passing math. Those aren’t great numbers. I know we all want them to be 100%. However, we need to look at them in context. If you take out smaller districts, SUSD is fourth best among all Arizona public schools.
So, what’s the cause? Could SUSD be doing better to improve those scores? Absolutely. But when a 61% passing rate puts you fourth best in the state, there are probably some underlying issues. And since these are statewide, it makes sense to look at the state level.
The Consumer Affairs article that ranked Arizona 5oth looks at four factors for school funding and resources: Expenditures per student, student/teacher ratio, average teacher salary and percentage of teachers with advanced degrees.
Our great state of Arizona traditionally does a poor job of funding schools and paying teachers what they are worth. This impacts all four of these factors, and ultimately impacts learning.
I believe in solving problems. To solve problems, you need to be serious about wanting to find the root cause and you need good critical thinking skills. I encourage you to vote for Sharkey/Lewis/Pittinsky – the experienced educational experts who can help SUSD.
Mike Sharkey is a candidate for the SUSD governing board. Candidates are permitted one opinion piece during the election season. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
