Arizona teachers deserve better training, support and pay, but the state’s politicians have done just the opposite this year.
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As children head back to school in our desert state, it’s worth taking stock of our education system. Arizona’s current education rankings and scores do not reflect the beauty or potential of this state.
But they could if we worked to elevate the teaching profession here. Better funding for the Arizona Teachers Academy program is part of the solution.
Even before the pandemic, Arizona had the highest number of teachers leaving classrooms in the country, leaving thousands of positions unfilled or filled by uncertified and underprepared people.
The fact that teacher salaries are among the lowest in the country is an undeniable contributor to turnover, but rather than improving conditions, the local response has been to lower the standards required of teachers.
Lowering the bar for teachers will harm students
Schools hire teachers from “fast track” programs that provide little or no preparation for teaching, or even teachers without bachelor’s degrees.
This short-term approach creates long-term leaks in our teacher pool, as inadequately prepared teachers are two to three times more likely to leave school within the first year.
When the standards for teachers are lowered, the profession as a whole is devalued, making it less attractive to pursue or continue in. When turnover increases and quality declines, Arizona’s children suffer.
A caring and effective teacher not only promotes students’ academic achievement, but also their resilience, their future earning potential, and even their long-term health.
At the same time, ineffective instruction can cost students years of learning and development, resulting in high social and economic costs that impact all Arizonans.
Arizona destroyed a successful teacher training college
For this reason, teachers deserve better preparation, support and compensation.
Unfortunately, this year’s state budget severely cut funding for a program designed to address the teacher crisis: the Arizona Teachers Academy (ATA), eliminating $14 million of the $15 million allocated to the program last year.
Passed with bipartisan support in 2018, this groundbreaking program covers tuition and fees for eligible candidates in teacher training programs. In exchange, candidates commit to teaching in Arizona.
In addition, the ATA provides funding for mentors to support new teachers and provides national certification to experienced teachers.
In 2023, the ATA program was expanded to support 3,255 aspiring teachers with an average stipend of $8,055. Cutting this program by $14 million means that approximately 1,700 fewer students will be able to enter teaching at Arizona colleges and universities in the coming years.
The program was discontinued, although data shows it works
This funding cut comes just as new data suggests the ATA is helping to alleviate Arizona’s teacher shortage.
ATA works because it doesn’t just pour more warm bodies into the leaky bucket of our teaching pipeline. It helps fix the bucket by adding value to the profession.
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The existence of this program sends a message that teachers are important and that teaching is complex. Teachers should be given the opportunity to pursue high-quality career paths with support and opportunities for advancement without going into debt.
Research supports these interventions because high-quality teacher training, mentoring for new teachers, and professional development lead to better educational outcomes for students.
When we empower teachers, we empower Arizona.
Arizona can take a leading role. Restore funding now
Finland developed into one of the best education systems in the world after the country significantly improved teacher training and provided high-quality professional development for all existing teachers. Today, Finland is regularly ranked as the happiest country in the world.
We too can build a better Arizona in the classroom.
With the Arizona Teachers Academy, we have the building blocks to become a national leader in education. We should continue to fund the ATA at a level that allows anyone who wants to become a teacher to receive a quality education, along with comprehensive mentoring and opportunities for professional development.
To become a state where the beauty and resilience of our desert is reflected in our educational outcomes, we must raise the bar for teachers while providing them with the support and compensation they need to succeed.
And if you’ve always dreamed of being a teacher – a job where there’s never a dull moment, where you know you’re making a difference every day and shaping the future – then Arizona needs you!
Victoria Theisen-Homer is an assistant professor of clinical education and director of the Arizona Teacher Residency Program at Northern Arizona University. She can be reached at [email protected]; on X, formerly Twitter: @ToriTheisen.
