Local lawmakers voted against school board association on all major bills

State lawmakers from Legislative District 11, which includes Maricopa, voted against the Arizona School Board Association position on every major K-12 education bill in 2014.

The Arizona School Board Association recently released a 2014 booklet detailing how legislators in all 30 districts across Arizona voted on high-priority education bills.

The data shows that out of the 30 districts, four voted in complete accord with ASBA on all 12 bills introduced: LD 2, LD 4, LD 7 and LD 10. Representatives from three districts voted in opposition to ASBA’s position on all 12 bills: LD 11, LD 12 and LD 13.

District 11 serves and represents the Maricopa Unified School District among other school districts across Pinal and Pima counties.

The booklet is distributed by Friends of the ASBA, a 501(c)4 sister organization of the Arizona School Boards Association established in 2011. It includes voting information for all state legislators in the 30 districts as well as demographic information for each district.

“Publishing a voter record is our intention to help clear the clouds with regards to the election,” said Tim Ogle, ASBA’s executive director. “To identify the candidates who are the most helpful to schools, students and families and clarify key issues for voters.”

District 11 Sen. Al Melvin (R-SaddleBrooke), Rep. Adam Kwasman (R-Oro Valley) and Rep. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa) each voted in opposition to ASBA’s stance on all 12 K-12 education bills introduced in 2014, which dealt with vouchers, standards, local control and funding for schools.

These include SB1310, which was a proposal to nullify Arizona College and Career Ready Standards, achievement levels for students in core educational subjects at the end of each grade. It also included bills dealing with budget appropriations.

“I support empowerment scholarship accounts because parents should have the decision as to what education choices are best for their child, not the government,” Smith said. “I reject and voted against Common Core and the top-down, one-size-fits-all approach from the federal government.”

Melvin said, “My position for six years in the Legislature has been maximum parental school choice as well as tuition tax schools credits. I am opposed to Common Core; it is to education what ObamaCare is to healthcare. Neither does much good.”

MUSD Governing Board President Torri Anderson is unhappy with the way local legislators have voted on education issues.

“Their voting record demonstrates the lack of support for public education,” Anderson said. “This greatly limits our choices as parents, teachers and as a school board.”

Melvin is a big supporter of charter schools and open enrollment for students.

“There are more charter schools per capita than any other state in the nation.” Melvin said. “We have the best charter schools in the country.”

Kwasman could not be reached for comment.

According to the publication, there are 49,583 children living in District 11, roughly 25 percent of the total population, and 87 percent of these children attend public schools.

Click here to view the complete report.