AEA Summit on Taxes, Economic Development, and Funding for Schools

In late August, AEA President John Wright convened a large group of AEA leaders and staff, community leaders, and elected officials for the first Arizona Education Association TEF Summit. The event was sponsored and delivered by the Arizona Education Association, the National Education Association, and the Arizona Education Coalition.

TEF, which stands for Tax Policy, Economic Development, and Funding for Schools, is a comprehensive concept intended to help Arizona achieve adequate funding for public schools while also progressively reforming its tax structure and growing its economy.

Summit presenters ranged from AEA leaders such as Chris Maza and Janie Hydrick to experts in school finance, tax policy, and economics.  In true teacher style, AEA leaders used audience-engaging activities to demonstrate inequities in Arizona’s current tax policies.  With a new understanding of the state’s tilted tax system, participants listened to experts describe the TEF pathway to a successful economic recovery for Arizona.

Program content demonstrated how Arizona matches up with other states across the nation.  When positioned next to similar states, it is clear why Arizona’s investment in public education is inadequate.  According to national data, Arizona now ranks last in per-pupil funding among other necessary public school investments.  Experts claim this result can partly be blamed on the state’s heavy reliance on regressive tax policies such as sales taxes and “sin” taxes (cigarettes, gaming, etc.). 

Susan Kennedy, former counsel to the Alabama Education Association and TEF expert, cited tax loopholes and corporate giveaways when she said, “Not only is Arizona’s tax system built on regressive policies but it [Arizona] is also sure to be losing hundreds of millions in revenue from Arizona’s corporate community.”  AEA staff is collecting data from officials at the Arizona Department of Revenue to gain a fuller understanding of current state losses.

AEA officers reported to summit participants that regressive tax policies, tax loopholes, and corporate giveaways are, in large part, responsible for Arizona’s current economic crisis.  John Wright, AEA president, said, “Coupled with slowed economic growth and an ineffective system for revenue collection, Arizona’s public schools are doomed to continue receiving insufficient funding that continually falls short of student needs.”

The Arizona Education Association TEF Summit was designed to engage participants using current information and lay out a blueprint for future success.  Implementation of the AEA TEF Strategy will help Arizona achieve a stronger, more dynamic economy and deliver on the state’s promise of a quality public education for every child by providing adequate funding for public schools.

Update on Recent TEF Activities 

Last year the Arizona Education Association was one of six state affiliates selected by the NEA to participate in a project to begin state-by-state implementation of a national TEF strategy.  In recent months, staff, officers, and local leaders have traveled to conferences and meetings to learn more about how the NEA intends to establish grassroots understanding of complex issues related to tax policy, economic development, and funding for schools.

In San Francisco, PVEA President Chris Maza and AEA OC for Public Relations John Hartsell were trained to implement TEF trainings for AEA members and others.  The training of trainers was a two-day event and covered eight new PowerPoint presentations that are now available.

AEA Vice-President Andrew Morrill, Executive Director Sheryl Mathis, and John Hartsell attended a one-day meeting in Chicago to share TEF victories and challenges with other states involved in the project.  Participants learned of new ways to deliver quality information efficiently and effectively to members of the AEA. 

AEA members interested in learning more about TEF are encouraged to e-mail John Hartsell at john.hartsell@arizonaea.org.