PHOENIX — Arizona lawmakers convene in less than two weeks, and ABC15 heard from the chairman of the House Education Committee about what may be on the agenda regarding the state’s academic system.
Representative Matt Gress, the Republican lawmaker representing Legislative District 4, says he’s planning for a sweeping education reform agenda.
“I think our agenda will be in four different categories,” Gress said.
The first category: see improvement in financial transparency from school districts.
"We've seen a number of schools over the last year and a half experience significant financial distress,” Gress said.
One example is the Isaac School District. The district went under state receivership earlier this year as it was found to have overspent its budget by millions of dollars. This led to a crisis where educators were delayed in pay. The elementary district ended up cutting some staff and closing two schools as it moves on a path to balance its budget.
The second agenda item for Gress surrounds school safety.
Several auditor general reports have flagged schools for not following certain safety requirements. One report said some schools were not following minimum standards with their emergency operations plans.
"I think having a larger oversight component of how schools are handling their school safety responsibilities will be important,” he said.
Gress also wants to address Arizona’s low literacy rates. Right now, only 39% of Arizona third graders are proficient in reading. State law already requires certain teachers to get a form of literacy certification by 2028, however, Gress and other educators say only a small percentage of educators received those endorsements.
ABC15 has heard from educators in the past that the issue is timing and money to be able to do so.
"I'll have a bill that sets out clear expectations between now and 2028 of where schools need to be,” Gress said.
The Republican lawmaker’s fourth priority is to do a comprehensive review of education accountability. He told ABC15 he’d like to have a legislative commission put together to look at several areas.
“That will evaluate not just school letter grades, but our assessment process, our graduation requirements, our formula, and how that all supports these topics, among other things,” he said.
Meanwhile, Arizona's teacher shortage continues. In November, the Arizona Department of Education said more than 1,000 teachers resigned since the start of the school year. Several thousand more teaching positions remain vacant and are being filled by substitutes and other means.
For years, lawmakers have been discussing options on how to repurpose Prop 123 and use it to increase teacher pay. The proposition allowed a certain percentage of the State Land Trust money to be directed to education, and it expired at the end of the last fiscal year. The state legislature backfilled that money for education for this current fiscal year.
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"Speaker Montenegro and the leadership team are checking in with our House colleagues to see what the appetite might be to take on 123 in this upcoming session,” Gress said. "I know the Senate has expressed interest as well. I think Republicans are still in the same place, which is that we want these new dollars to be used for increased teacher pay, teacher pay, teacher pay. That is the biggest challenge that we are having.”
While Republicans want to have the money only go toward increasing teacher pay, Democrats want the money to be more flexible and allow districts to use that additional money however they see fit.
Gress also wants more transparency on superintendent pay, and more funding for staff for the Arizona Department of Education to handle the ESA program.
“I think we're going to have a packed agenda. I'm looking forward to hearing from our Superintendent of Public Instruction next January. I'm interested in seeing what Governor Hobbs is going to propose in her state of the state and in her budget,” Gress said.
In the video player below, see the full interview with Rep. Matt Gress as he lays out his education plans for the upcoming legislative session.
