On Wednesday, Arizona State Republicans called out Governor Hobbs for creating what they say is a “one-sided new task force on school facility standards.” Lead by Representative Beverly Pingerelli, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education, the lawmakers accuse Hobbs of omitting lawmakers, school board members, parents, and taxpayers from her appointees.
Lawmakers call the omissions “a glaring oversight in public policy.”
The lawmakers claim the committee is primarily comprised of a “narrow collection of lobbyists and district staff with a single agenda: increased spending.”
The lawmakers point to the fact that the “teacher’s union is included, while taxpayers, parents, and lawmakers are excluded. Industry representatives focused solely on school and public construction are present, rather than independent experts.”
“We remind the Governor that real leadership requires all stakeholders in the room working on tough issues, not a one-sided committee where the conclusion is complete before it begins,” said Pingerelli. “Leaving out lawmakers, parents, and taxpayers ignores vital concerns. It certainly calls into question the ability of the State Legislature to support the effort if the changes adopted by the committee are unreasonable.”
“When the Governor creates committees like these, she’s missing out on the diversity that is vital to ensuring that productive solutions can be reached,” said Senator Ken Bennett, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee. “If you want to hold school buildings to higher standards, you need a voice from the people who are directly impacted by them, as well as experts who don’t personally benefit from being on the committee. We all want better schools, and to do so, we need lawmakers and community members involved in these discussions and decisions.”
“Our school districts must compete with a variety of providers in the 21st century and we cannot box them in with 20th century-thinking that every school needs to be the same,” said Representative Michael Carbone. “Instead of finding ways to mandate more spending on capital, our schools should be focused on flexible models and increased spending in the classroom.”