How are Arizona's children being affected by low state funding education levels?
The state of Arizona has effected budget cuts on the education system on each subsequent year a factor that has been attributed to the deterioration of public education levels in the state. Research was conducted to find out accurate statistics that depicted the state of the public education system. This research seeks to bring out the underlying factors that have negatively impacted the education system in the state leading to increased tuition fees that have made education acquisition to be expensive in the state hence locking out children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The state of Arizona was ranked 46th in the country last year in the overall review of education performance (Cronkite News - Arizona PBS). In addition, research on peer reviewed articles has uncovered that Arizona children have scored very poorly in both reading and math skills. This research, therefore, seeks to find out the underlying factors while looking for integrative approaches that can be used by the government and the interested stakeholders to give a turn around on the education sector in the state (Capaldi, 2015).
Research was also aimed at reviewing the current performance of the public education system to earlier periods while bringing new information on the reasons for the deterioration of education performance. This involved an analysis of the current trends in the public education system by interviewing teachers, students and several schools to find out the impact budget cuts have affected their performance. By providing statistics and correlated data, the research seeks to demonstrate how budget cuts in the public education system, and inadequate funding from the state government, are responsible for a continuing decline in academic performance in Arizona's students. In addition to finding solutions at will lead to a positive and a marked improved performance on the public education system.
The materials reviewed for research includes data obtained from various websites like the center for education and the center for budget cuts. These sources provided the statistics, figures and data showing the dire circumstances being faced by the public education system in that state. Most of the websites portrayed the negative effects being faced by the budget cuts while some of them provided recommendations and solutions that could be incorporated into the education system by the concerned stakeholders to alleviate some of the problems being experienced. Websites like the (Cronkite news-Arizona PBS) sought to show how the state had continued to post dismal performance in the public education system countrywide while sources like (Acess.org) also indicated funding opportunities available for students who are eligible and meet the required standards and criteria providing an avenue to provide education to unprivileged students from low-income families (Johnson, et al., 2011).
Information was also available on government platforms controlling the state of the education sector in the country while interviews conducted on parents and students provided an in-depth analysis on the education crisis. The information provided in the websites like the Center for public education (CPE) indicate the stark statistics of how increased budget cuts will lead to a greater deterioration of education standards due to bigger teacher-student ratios. The websites also tackled various issues dealing with the education like public outcry, funding opportunities provided by some organizations and the Arizona state university, pitiable performance and ranking of the education sector compared to other states and persistent problems and inequalities in the education sector which have never been addressed deepening the education crisis. Additional information was obtained from peer- reviewed journal articles while at the same time obtaining correlations, contrasts and comparisons on the data provided and views from different stakeholders on the state of the education sector.
Websites like (Centerforpubliceducation.org) and center for budget cuts provided comparisons between inadequate funding and poor performance prevalent in Arizona public schools while other websites like ACESS provided the different information on funding opportunities available. The center for education news peer reviewed journals and articles details how education cuts in Arizona have affected the entry age of students entering preschools.
Data collection methods involving a study on websites with numerous search strategies narrowed on the effects of budget cuts on the education performance in the Arizona state. Research was also narrowed to funding opportunities provided by several organizations in the state while searching for articles detailing the public outcry and protestations on the increased tuition fees. Selection of the websites hugely depended on the accuracy of the information presented in the websites and how credible the websites are in providing accurate and detailed information.
Further data collection also involved the study of peer-reviewed journal articles while obtaining information from additional websites that showed the statistics on the correlation between budget cuts and the poor performance in the public education system. To ensure effective and factual collection of data, more options were explored that included analyzing data from governmental institutions that would provide a more accurate scenario on the performance of the public education system in the state.
The data was analyzed about the information present in the websites. Websites and articles that detailed information on the poor performance of the public education system due to budget cuts like the center for budget cuts, (Centerforpubliceducation.org) and Cronkite news-Arizona PBS and (Ascd.org) were grouped together to find out comparisons, correlations and contrasts in the information presented.
On the other hand, websites like (Cronkite News - Arizona PBS) which provided funding opportunities and (Aaup.org) were grouped together showing the role other non-governmental organizations were playing to stem the crisis experienced in the education sector. The websites also provided solutions which if implemented could lead to a turnaround in the education sector (Jim, 2015). Websites like Education news focused on the public outcry and protests from parents and students while at the same time providing frameworks which if implemented could stem the negative performance in the education sector. All the websites also focused on how increased budget cuts will lead to further deterioration in the education sector with most schools experiencing high teacher/student ratios (Johnson, et al., 2011).
The results obtained from all the data, and statistics provided in the various websites showed that the budget cuts effect against the public education system was the leading key factor in poor performance in schools (Centerforpubliceducation.org). In an interview Douglas Gerstner, M.Ed., Mentor Teacher, Osborn Middle School, in regards to decreased budget cuts states "Yes, budget cuts is a leading factor in poor performance in public education, although I don't think it is the number one factor. As Americas middle class has disappeared and 1 in 4 children in the United States are growing up in poverty. This means that the role of public schools in many areas has broaden to include not just academic services, but also social, psychological, nutritional, medical service, and more. This creates an obvious need for increased funding at a time when Arizona's politicians are taking money away."
The information provided showed that in adequate funding in the public education system had negatively affected students. The inadequate funding has also meant that the remuneration benefits received by the teachers have remained constant despite rising costs of living which have served as a key factor to demotivate most teachers (Grace, 2015). Gerstner agrees that teachers' salaries have remained consistent or decreased despite rising housing costs. He states "other than the seasoned veterans at my school almost all the teachers are doubled up as roommates in apartments just to ends meant. And the only reason the older teachers have houses is because they have spouses who supplement their income. A single teacher in phoenix can't afford to buy a house in Arizona. I think most teachers give 100% as long as they are teaching, but so many great teachers leave the profession because they can make so much more money in a different field. Not only that but deciding to stay in teaching really is a vow of poverty."
Increased budget cuts have also resulted to higher teacher/student ratios hence most teachers cannot give special attention to students as they used to, and this has led to poor performance of most schools in the state in the countrywide rankings. Gerstner says "It means that every student gets significantly less time from me. It means that as I am circulating to help students I never get to everybody who needs help. This can be especially harmful to that quite kid who is just scraping by. Unfortunately that means that more kids continue falling through the cracks. These are the kids that are most likely to drop out of high school.
Intervention measures and solutions that can be implemented were also obtained with analysis on how more capitation will mean more affordable tuition fees translating to improved enrollment to various learning institutions and what effect these enlarged enrollments will play (Krishan, 2015). Research also found out that inadequate funding had resulted to less teaching and learning materials while at the same time portraying stark statistics on how the increased dropout rates in schools will have a progressive impact on the economy of the Arizona state (Jim, 2015). Gerstner states "I Honestly I try to make sure not having adequate teaching and learning materials effect effects my students. The trade of is that I spend hours of my own time and money out of my own pocket to have my classroom has what it needs. Unfortunately despite all my efforts, I cannot Offord to provide all of the materials I need to teach and my students need to learn."
The effect of the government instituting budget cuts into the sector has led to negative performance in the education sector as my research has shown. However, the state of Arizona has continued to delve steeply into the education sector while reducing funding in all the educational sectors including preschool and tertiary education, making education acquisition to be very expensive (Krishan, 2015).
Despite incessant concerns from various stakeholders, tuitions fees in the state's public schools have been on the increase leading to high rates of dropout and affecting the age at which preschool children gain admission to schools. All this factors, coupled with in adequate teaching materials and stationery for both pupils and teachers have seen the state post one of the worst performances in history being ranked 46th out of 50 states with students from Arizona schools posting very low grades in math and reading skills due to overpopulation in most community schools (Grace, 2015).
Funding opportunities have not been able to affect the education landscape positively since Arizona remains the most expensive states in the amounts of tuition fees charged to students at the university level. Despite public outcry, the government has not come up with proposals and intervention measures to combat the crisis in the sector but has resulted to hawkish tendencies in a bid to stem the shortfalls experienced in their budgets. The budget cuts have also locked out students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the standards of education in the state getting poor and poorer with each subsequent day (Aaup.org). Gerstner states "students from disadvantaged backgrounds are effected the most, simply because students living in poverty need that broaden range of services.
The state ought to form an education finance committee to look into various ways and strategies to come up with more funding to mitigate the effects of underfunding. An overall audit to be done in the whole sector to ensure prudent utilization of the resources allocated to the sector and further recommendations on how to proceed in the future thereon. Many people urge the state government to factor in part of its budget to cater for deficiencies in the public education system, which increases funds allocated to the education sector
Another recommendation is an integrative approach to involve parents and guardians, teachers, and all other stakeholders to put together ideas that will see the formulation of workable resolutions and crafting a framework to alleviate the problem. Carefully analyzed the approach taken by other states who are performing excellently in education and the strategies they use to mitigate their cash deficits.
The state ought to look for other funding opportunities available while at the same time exploring areas in their budget they can dispense with and allocate the funds to the education sector to give a boost on the education performance. The government and the education stakeholders should also implement some of the solutions provided by several websites while borrowing heavily on recommendations given by research papers like mine.
To stem and combat the crisis in the education sector, intervention measures that will seek to improve funding opportunities should be used by the government. The state should seek to roll out an integrative approach by involving all the stakeholders in the education sector and come out with effective solutions which will give a boost to academic performance while at the same time look for other funding opportunities available while taking a careful analysis at other areas of their budget where they can effect cuts to compensate on their budget while keeping the education budget intact (Jim, 2015). By implementing the recommendations and solutions provided, more gains will be achieved with the education sector showing a marked improvement in its performance countrywide.
Work Cited
"Access Quality Education: Arizona Advocacy Organizations." Access Quality Education:
Arizona Advocacy Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015.
Biddie, Bruce J., and David C. Berliner. "A Research Synthesis / Unequal School Funding in the United States." Educational Leadership:Beyond Instructional Leadership:Unequal School Funding in the United States. N.p., May 2002. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Capaldi, Elizabeth D. "Budget Cuts and Educational Quality." Budget Cuts and Educational Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Gerstner, Douglas. Personal Interview. 2 November 2015
Hull, Jim. "Cutting to the Bone: How the Economic Crisis Affects Schools." Cutting to the Bone: How the Economic Crisis Affects Schools. N.p., 07 Oct. 2010. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
Johnson, Nicholas, Phil Oliff, and Erica Williams. "An Update on State Budget Cuts." An Update on State Budget Cuts. N.p., 09 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Krishan, Nihal. "Arizona Continues to Fare Poorly in National Child Well-being Scorecard - Cronkite News - Arizona PBS." Cronkite News. N.p., 21 July 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
Smith, Grace. "Arizona Parents, Teachers Protest Ducey's Education Budget." Education News Arizona Parents Teachers Protest Ducey's Education Budget Comments. N.p., 03 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
The state of Arizona has effected budget cuts on the education system on each subsequent year a factor that has been attributed to the deterioration of public education levels in the state. Research was conducted to find out accurate statistics that depicted the state of the public education system. This research seeks to bring out the underlying factors that have negatively impacted the education system in the state leading to increased tuition fees that have made education acquisition to be expensive in the state hence locking out children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The state of Arizona was ranked 46th in the country last year in the overall review of education performance (Cronkite News - Arizona PBS). In addition, research on peer reviewed articles has uncovered that Arizona children have scored very poorly in both reading and math skills. This research, therefore, seeks to find out the underlying factors while looking for integrative approaches that can be used by the government and the interested stakeholders to give a turn around on the education sector in the state (Capaldi, 2015).
Research was also aimed at reviewing the current performance of the public education system to earlier periods while bringing new information on the reasons for the deterioration of education performance. This involved an analysis of the current trends in the public education system by interviewing teachers, students and several schools to find out the impact budget cuts have affected their performance. By providing statistics and correlated data, the research seeks to demonstrate how budget cuts in the public education system, and inadequate funding from the state government, are responsible for a continuing decline in academic performance in Arizona's students. In addition to finding solutions at will lead to a positive and a marked improved performance on the public education system.
The materials reviewed for research includes data obtained from various websites like the center for education and the center for budget cuts. These sources provided the statistics, figures and data showing the dire circumstances being faced by the public education system in that state. Most of the websites portrayed the negative effects being faced by the budget cuts while some of them provided recommendations and solutions that could be incorporated into the education system by the concerned stakeholders to alleviate some of the problems being experienced. Websites like the (Cronkite news-Arizona PBS) sought to show how the state had continued to post dismal performance in the public education system countrywide while sources like (Acess.org) also indicated funding opportunities available for students who are eligible and meet the required standards and criteria providing an avenue to provide education to unprivileged students from low-income families (Johnson, et al., 2011).
Information was also available on government platforms controlling the state of the education sector in the country while interviews conducted on parents and students provided an in-depth analysis on the education crisis. The information provided in the websites like the Center for public education (CPE) indicate the stark statistics of how increased budget cuts will lead to a greater deterioration of education standards due to bigger teacher-student ratios. The websites also tackled various issues dealing with the education like public outcry, funding opportunities provided by some organizations and the Arizona state university, pitiable performance and ranking of the education sector compared to other states and persistent problems and inequalities in the education sector which have never been addressed deepening the education crisis. Additional information was obtained from peer- reviewed journal articles while at the same time obtaining correlations, contrasts and comparisons on the data provided and views from different stakeholders on the state of the education sector.
Websites like (Centerforpubliceducation.org) and center for budget cuts provided comparisons between inadequate funding and poor performance prevalent in Arizona public schools while other websites like ACESS provided the different information on funding opportunities available. The center for education news peer reviewed journals and articles details how education cuts in Arizona have affected the entry age of students entering preschools.
Data collection methods involving a study on websites with numerous search strategies narrowed on the effects of budget cuts on the education performance in the Arizona state. Research was also narrowed to funding opportunities provided by several organizations in the state while searching for articles detailing the public outcry and protestations on the increased tuition fees. Selection of the websites hugely depended on the accuracy of the information presented in the websites and how credible the websites are in providing accurate and detailed information.
Further data collection also involved the study of peer-reviewed journal articles while obtaining information from additional websites that showed the statistics on the correlation between budget cuts and the poor performance in the public education system. To ensure effective and factual collection of data, more options were explored that included analyzing data from governmental institutions that would provide a more accurate scenario on the performance of the public education system in the state.
The data was analyzed about the information present in the websites. Websites and articles that detailed information on the poor performance of the public education system due to budget cuts like the center for budget cuts, (Centerforpubliceducation.org) and Cronkite news-Arizona PBS and (Ascd.org) were grouped together to find out comparisons, correlations and contrasts in the information presented.
On the other hand, websites like (Cronkite News - Arizona PBS) which provided funding opportunities and (Aaup.org) were grouped together showing the role other non-governmental organizations were playing to stem the crisis experienced in the education sector. The websites also provided solutions which if implemented could lead to a turnaround in the education sector (Jim, 2015). Websites like Education news focused on the public outcry and protests from parents and students while at the same time providing frameworks which if implemented could stem the negative performance in the education sector. All the websites also focused on how increased budget cuts will lead to further deterioration in the education sector with most schools experiencing high teacher/student ratios (Johnson, et al., 2011).
The results obtained from all the data, and statistics provided in the various websites showed that the budget cuts effect against the public education system was the leading key factor in poor performance in schools (Centerforpubliceducation.org). In an interview Douglas Gerstner, M.Ed., Mentor Teacher, Osborn Middle School, in regards to decreased budget cuts states "Yes, budget cuts is a leading factor in poor performance in public education, although I don't think it is the number one factor. As Americas middle class has disappeared and 1 in 4 children in the United States are growing up in poverty. This means that the role of public schools in many areas has broaden to include not just academic services, but also social, psychological, nutritional, medical service, and more. This creates an obvious need for increased funding at a time when Arizona's politicians are taking money away."
The information provided showed that in adequate funding in the public education system had negatively affected students. The inadequate funding has also meant that the remuneration benefits received by the teachers have remained constant despite rising costs of living which have served as a key factor to demotivate most teachers (Grace, 2015). Gerstner agrees that teachers' salaries have remained consistent or decreased despite rising housing costs. He states "other than the seasoned veterans at my school almost all the teachers are doubled up as roommates in apartments just to ends meant. And the only reason the older teachers have houses is because they have spouses who supplement their income. A single teacher in phoenix can't afford to buy a house in Arizona. I think most teachers give 100% as long as they are teaching, but so many great teachers leave the profession because they can make so much more money in a different field. Not only that but deciding to stay in teaching really is a vow of poverty."
Increased budget cuts have also resulted to higher teacher/student ratios hence most teachers cannot give special attention to students as they used to, and this has led to poor performance of most schools in the state in the countrywide rankings. Gerstner says "It means that every student gets significantly less time from me. It means that as I am circulating to help students I never get to everybody who needs help. This can be especially harmful to that quite kid who is just scraping by. Unfortunately that means that more kids continue falling through the cracks. These are the kids that are most likely to drop out of high school.
Intervention measures and solutions that can be implemented were also obtained with analysis on how more capitation will mean more affordable tuition fees translating to improved enrollment to various learning institutions and what effect these enlarged enrollments will play (Krishan, 2015). Research also found out that inadequate funding had resulted to less teaching and learning materials while at the same time portraying stark statistics on how the increased dropout rates in schools will have a progressive impact on the economy of the Arizona state (Jim, 2015). Gerstner states "I Honestly I try to make sure not having adequate teaching and learning materials effect effects my students. The trade of is that I spend hours of my own time and money out of my own pocket to have my classroom has what it needs. Unfortunately despite all my efforts, I cannot Offord to provide all of the materials I need to teach and my students need to learn."
The effect of the government instituting budget cuts into the sector has led to negative performance in the education sector as my research has shown. However, the state of Arizona has continued to delve steeply into the education sector while reducing funding in all the educational sectors including preschool and tertiary education, making education acquisition to be very expensive (Krishan, 2015).
Despite incessant concerns from various stakeholders, tuitions fees in the state's public schools have been on the increase leading to high rates of dropout and affecting the age at which preschool children gain admission to schools. All this factors, coupled with in adequate teaching materials and stationery for both pupils and teachers have seen the state post one of the worst performances in history being ranked 46th out of 50 states with students from Arizona schools posting very low grades in math and reading skills due to overpopulation in most community schools (Grace, 2015).
Funding opportunities have not been able to affect the education landscape positively since Arizona remains the most expensive states in the amounts of tuition fees charged to students at the university level. Despite public outcry, the government has not come up with proposals and intervention measures to combat the crisis in the sector but has resulted to hawkish tendencies in a bid to stem the shortfalls experienced in their budgets. The budget cuts have also locked out students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the standards of education in the state getting poor and poorer with each subsequent day (Aaup.org). Gerstner states "students from disadvantaged backgrounds are effected the most, simply because students living in poverty need that broaden range of services.
The state ought to form an education finance committee to look into various ways and strategies to come up with more funding to mitigate the effects of underfunding. An overall audit to be done in the whole sector to ensure prudent utilization of the resources allocated to the sector and further recommendations on how to proceed in the future thereon. Many people urge the state government to factor in part of its budget to cater for deficiencies in the public education system, which increases funds allocated to the education sector
Another recommendation is an integrative approach to involve parents and guardians, teachers, and all other stakeholders to put together ideas that will see the formulation of workable resolutions and crafting a framework to alleviate the problem. Carefully analyzed the approach taken by other states who are performing excellently in education and the strategies they use to mitigate their cash deficits.
The state ought to look for other funding opportunities available while at the same time exploring areas in their budget they can dispense with and allocate the funds to the education sector to give a boost on the education performance. The government and the education stakeholders should also implement some of the solutions provided by several websites while borrowing heavily on recommendations given by research papers like mine.
To stem and combat the crisis in the education sector, intervention measures that will seek to improve funding opportunities should be used by the government. The state should seek to roll out an integrative approach by involving all the stakeholders in the education sector and come out with effective solutions which will give a boost to academic performance while at the same time look for other funding opportunities available while taking a careful analysis at other areas of their budget where they can effect cuts to compensate on their budget while keeping the education budget intact (Jim, 2015). By implementing the recommendations and solutions provided, more gains will be achieved with the education sector showing a marked improvement in its performance countrywide.
Work Cited
"Access Quality Education: Arizona Advocacy Organizations." Access Quality Education:
Arizona Advocacy Organizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015.
Biddie, Bruce J., and David C. Berliner. "A Research Synthesis / Unequal School Funding in the United States." Educational Leadership:Beyond Instructional Leadership:Unequal School Funding in the United States. N.p., May 2002. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Capaldi, Elizabeth D. "Budget Cuts and Educational Quality." Budget Cuts and Educational Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Gerstner, Douglas. Personal Interview. 2 November 2015
Hull, Jim. "Cutting to the Bone: How the Economic Crisis Affects Schools." Cutting to the Bone: How the Economic Crisis Affects Schools. N.p., 07 Oct. 2010. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
Johnson, Nicholas, Phil Oliff, and Erica Williams. "An Update on State Budget Cuts." An Update on State Budget Cuts. N.p., 09 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
Krishan, Nihal. "Arizona Continues to Fare Poorly in National Child Well-being Scorecard - Cronkite News - Arizona PBS." Cronkite News. N.p., 21 July 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
Smith, Grace. "Arizona Parents, Teachers Protest Ducey's Education Budget." Education News Arizona Parents Teachers Protest Ducey's Education Budget Comments. N.p., 03 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
