Arizona Education Leaders Launch Coalition to Advocate for Public Schools

Arizona Educators Launch Coalition to Combat Public School Misconceptions

A new alliance of education leaders has emerged in Arizona to counter what they describe as growing misconceptions about public education. The Coalition for Arizona Public Schools, formed by superintendents and school advocates across the state, aims to address declining enrollment trends, respond to misinformation, and highlight positive developments within the public education system.

Dr. Michael Winters, superintendent for Saddle Mountain Unified School District, and Dr. Kimberly Guerin of Madison Elementary School District are spearheading the initiative. The coalition recently held a summit attended by dozens of superintendents from across the Valley and beyond, along with school advocates and business partners.

“We face a lot of things about the narrative around how we don’t use money appropriately, or you have enough money, or you’re not transparent despite all the audits we do,” Winters explained, describing the challenges public schools face in public perception.

Public school districts throughout Arizona have struggled with declining enrollment in recent years. According to ABC15 reports, nearly a dozen school districts have closed campuses due to enrollment drops. This trend coincides with the expansion of school choice options, including charter schools and the state’s Universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program, which provides families with funds to pursue alternative education options.

The coalition emerged from a recognition that individual school districts working alone have limited impact in correcting public misconceptions. “We tend to operate in silos in public education. We keep our heads down, and we do the work,” said Guerin. “When we hear some of these negative stories, and we want to refute some of them or share our good news, we just do it individually. That only gets out so much.”

The group plans to implement rapid response strategies to address misinformation. “If there’s a news story or a politician says something, we can respond, and our goal is to respond within 24-48 hours to either provide the truth or more explanation and the context around things,” Winters said.

This initiative comes at a time when public education has become increasingly politicized, according to coalition members. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated tensions around public education, with debates over school closures, mask policies, and virtual learning creating deep divisions in many communities. Simultaneously, Arizona has seen significant expansion of its school choice programs, creating more competition for traditional public schools.

“In my 33 years in public education, I have found that public education has been somewhat politicized,” noted Guerin, suggesting this trend has intensified in recent years.

Arizona’s education landscape has undergone significant changes, with the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program expanding to universal eligibility in 2022. This program allows families to receive public funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling materials, and other educational services outside the public school system, contributing to enrollment challenges for traditional district schools.

Coalition members believe that by uniting their voices, they can more effectively counter misinformation and highlight successes within their districts. The group has already begun its work and plans to intensify efforts in coming months.

“We just believe in the power of all of us coming together to speak the truth about public education and how we fight for every student in the state of Arizona,” Guerin said.

The coalition’s formation reflects a growing trend nationwide of public education advocates organizing to counter what they view as misconceptions about their work and value. Similar groups have emerged in states facing comparable challenges with declining enrollment and expanding school choice programs.

As the Coalition for Arizona Public Schools ramps up its activities, it faces the challenge of breaking through in a crowded information landscape where negative narratives often spread faster than positive ones. Their success may depend on how effectively they can coordinate rapid responses and develop compelling messaging about the value of public education.