I believe every student in our state should have access to an excellent public education at their neighborhood school. As a student growing up in Arizona, I was fortunate to attend great schools. The excellent teachers I had prepared me for the future and inspired me to pursue a career in education myself. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have spent my teaching career at the elementary school I attended as a student. Public schools are truly a place where community thrives. 

In the years since I became a teacher, I have seen the dramatic effect of budget cuts on essential programs and staff like the arts, music, libraries, gifted education, school counselors, interventionists, and full-day kindergarten. Teachers are being asked to do more with fewer resources. I have watched as more and more educators make the difficult choice to leave the profession, and I've seen the impact that has on students and staff. And yet, every day, in classrooms across our state, teachers are working harder than ever to meet the needs of their students. Great things are happening in Arizona classrooms despite the countless challenges we face. But our kids (and our teachers) deserve more.

I'm deeply concerned about the impact that years of underfunding from our state legislature has had on our schools, and I'm especially worried about the expansion of vouchers funneling public taxpayer dollars into for-profit private schools. I believe in the work of Save Our Schools Arizona and their efforts to ensure that all students in our state receive an excellent public education. Your donations will help elect #PublicSchoolProud candidates up and down the ballot who are committed to protecting and investing in public schools. Every dollar gets us closer to a stronger Arizona!