Arizona’s claim to fame during the Great Recession was leading the nation in funding cuts to public education.
Back then, our Republican leaders claimed this embarrassing distinction was not their fault: The state was broke, so lawmakers had no choice but to implement an austerity budget and slash billions from education.
Health care, parks, universities, public safety. Everything — with the exception of tax increases or the elimination of corporate handouts — was on the table.
Fast forward a decade, and revenues had finally stabilized. Education leaders started demanding funding restorations because teachers were fleeing the profession. They had tired of years of pay cuts and/or stagnant wages combined with ballooning class sizes, fewer wraparound supports for struggling students, decrepit buildings, and outdated technology.