For years, the Tucson Unified School District has been offered grant monies by Rep. Raul Grijalva only to initiate the expensive programs and find that they are stuck with expensive programs after fickle federal funding dries up. On Monday, Rep. Martha McSally made her intentions to follow in Grijalva’s footsteps known.
McSally visited the Joint Technical Education District programs at Catalina High. JTED, which is based on a European model of moving certain students into the crafts instead of college, was targeted for funding cuts by Governor Doug Ducey this year.
McSally was invited to appear for the publicity opportunity by the district’s Superintendent H. T. Sanchez.
McSally used the event as an opportunity to push for more federal education grant dollars. “These jobs are always gonna be here. We’re always gonna be needing to build and have people that are skilled in the trade craft,” says McSally according to KGUN9 News. “It’s impacting these kids lives you’re seeing them getting job opportunities and starting off with good paying jobs and I look forward to partnering with them and taking a look at what we can do in D.C.”
JTED provides internship opportunities with companies, but has weakened or forced out of business many private technical schools, who offer the same sort of training.
Arizona State lawmakers said they were unclear as to why McSally inserted herself into school funding which is under the purview of the State Legislature.
“Federal intervention in a state matter is exactly what we don’t need,” said State Rep. Mark Finchem. “We’ve shown categorically that throwing more money at the system without understanding the root problem is not the answer, money doesn’t assure that we graduate kids from high school with a solid education that sets them up for success. I suggest that instead of facilitating the spread of more federal tax payers dollars [more borrowed money] flowing into a school system that has demonstrated its irresponsibility with tax payer funding, Congresswoman McSally spend her time on reducing the federal deficit so our economy can grow and deliver the jobs she speaks of. Education is a state matter.”