By Christine Dickinson
As a mother, teacher and proud Maricopa community member, I am asking voters to support the Maricopa Unified School District #20 Override by voting “Yes” on Nov. 8. This override is essential to bettering our schools for two reasons, it will ensure we hire additional teachers to lower class sizes and will equip our students with 21st century technology.
I am confident that Maricopa Unified School District is in need of this funding because I have been a part of the District Budget Committee for the past two years. I have seen firsthand the consequences of our low funding by the state of Arizona and the impact it is having on my children, my classroom and my students. Currently, MUSD does not have the enrichment programs that our neighboring districts have, and it is time that we make that possible for our kids and students. With these addition funds, we can expand our Gifted program and add enrichment programs to each one of our schools.
In recent years, we have lost highly qualified teachers to other states due to our lack of funding, which causes our class sizes to be over the state and national averages, and we can change that. With additional funding, we can lower our class sizes and ensure all of our classes are at optimal sizes.
My son had 32 students in his class last year – as a kindergartener!
His teacher was the most kind, patient teacher we could ever ask for and she did a fantastic job making sure my son was ready for first grade. But, there is no question in my mind as to why she no longer lives in the state of Arizona and instead chose to move elsewhere to teach in a state that has acceptable class size caps. Although the state of Arizona has suggested class size caps, they do not fund our public schools to ensure we have acceptable class sizes that help to keep teachers teaching.
We can make it happen for our kids.
Our technology needs to be updated because many of our computer labs no longer support the software updates which are essential to ensuring our students are becoming digital citizens and 21st century learners. Many of our labs have computers in them that are older than the kids using them!
With updated technology and devices available to each of our students, we can ensure students are educated in a technology rich environment which will expand their educational opportunities.
As a community we need to come together to support our kids.
Now is the time that we can make a direct impact at the local level and ensure our schools are appropriately funded. Please, join me in voting “Yes” to support our kids.
Christine Dickinson is a mother, teacher and Maricopa resident.
I also want to see our schools excel. However, I will not support a Band-Aid tax increase. This expires in 7 years, just as Prop 123 will expire. At that point our computers will again be aged and we will be firing those 50 teachers (and more when Prop 123 expires). that is not a fix and I will have to vote no.