Arizona voters are set to flock to the polls — or mail in their ballots — at this year. This surge in voter turnout comes amid a once-in-a-century pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 220,000 Americans and counting, and delivered tremendous economic turmoil.

It took years for the Great Depression to elevate domestic unemployment to near 20%. It took a month for the virus to bring unemployment from record lows hovering around 4% to just short of 20%.

Our economy is struggling, and not just in the abstract. Working- and middle-class folks are suffering as their wages are cut and the bills keep piling up. Students have been affected, too.

As a result of these socioeconomic conditions, students are cracking under the burden of mental, physical, and monetary pressures. USA Today, many students are simply choosing to drop out. This will have a sustained downward effect on future economic productivity and wage growth, something policymakers will have to contend with sooner rather than later.

At a time when Arizona’s economy needs an accelerant, some special interests are attempting to throw cold water on any chances of a recovery.

Here in the state of Arizona, teachers unions and out-of-state activist groups worked hard to get Proposition 208 on the ballot. Drafted in Portland, Oregon, Prop. 208 aims to dramatically increase income taxes and route the revenues to teachers and classrooms. Full of good intentions, 208 fails the test of good policy: results.

The initiative raises Arizona’s top income tax bracket by 77.7% — from 4.5% to 8% — to increase K-12 spending.Only 50% of revenues generated will even make it to classrooms and, even then, the exact allocation is specious since the definition of who’s eligible for funding is incredibly broad. Further, there is not a cent headed directly towards our state universities, save for 3% of revenues assigned to the Arizona Teachers Academy Fund. 

Worse yet, and critical to understanding the negative impacts of the proposition on Arizona students, the additional taxation applies to pass-through entities like LLCs, sole proprietorships, and more. This is primarily how small businesses, which employ 58% of Arizona private sector workers, are organized. Chances are, many of us will go to work for one of these job creators after we graduate.

It’s also not even clear if this tax would increase revenues at all. A published by the renowned Goldwater Institute concluded that Prop. 208 would cause Arizona to lose a “minimum of $2.4 billion in state and local tax revenues”.

In other words, Arizona voters are being asked to kneecap small businesses amid a public health crisis and economic disaster in order to deliver minimal results for students, families, and workers.

As college students, we’re all on board for increasing funding for education and ensuring that students, families, and teachers are fully accounted for. But this isn’t how we do it.

We are entering one of the worst job markets in decades. If Prop. 208 passes then small business will be crushed, wage growth will decline, and career opportunities will shrink. Don’t force us, the next generation of educated Arizonans, to move out of state after graduation. Now is the time to gas up and go, not slam on the brakes.

Sincerely, Arizona students

Joe Pitts is a sophomore at Arizona State University.

Jack Piekarz is a freshman at Northern Arizona University.

Alton Zhang is a sophomore at the University of Arizona.

Abhinav Kolli is a freshman at Duke University, registered to vote in his home state of Arizona.

Justin Groth-Roberts is a junior at Northern Arizona University.

Stephen Matter is a sophomore at Arizona State University.

Alyssa Kihoi is a senior at Arizona State University.

Matthew Martinez is a sophomore at Grand Canyon University.

Clay Robinson is a sophomore at Arizona State University.

Mackenzie Kirby is a senior at Northern Arizona University.

Allen El is a sophomore at the University of Arizona.

Cameron Decker is a sophomore at Arizona State University.

Taylor Hersch is a junior at Arizona State University.

John Touhey is a junior at Northern Arizona University.

Saular Rahimian is a freshman at Arizona State University.

Arjun Rondla is a sophomore at Arizona State University.

Jessica Carpenter is a senior at Arizona State University.

William Noll is a freshman at Arizona State University.

Cooper Ashton is a freshman at Arizona State University.

Ryne Bolick is a freshman at Arizona State University.

Frank Pauls is a freshman at Arizona State University.

Diego Píña is a junior at Arizona State University.

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The University of Phoenix and the Maricopa Community Colleges announced a new agreement that will allow students to more easily transfer their college credits to the university to earn a bachelor’s degree in management, health management, nursing and information technology.

Called the 3+1 transfer program, it will allow students to earn an associate’s and bachelor’s degree by spending three years at a local community college instead of the traditional two, and to finish their final year at to secure a bachelor’s of science degree. 

All 10 community colleges in the district are offering the transfer program, said Rose Rojas, director of transfer for the district, in announcing the agreement last week.  

“Students like the idea that they can stay at the community college to complete three-fourths of their bachelor’s degree,” Rojas said. 

High-demand skills for corporate America

A goal of the program is to address the skills-gap for workers in health care and management, said University of Phoenix Provost John Woods. 

“Preparing students for fulfilling careers is a mission both institutions share, and this pathway means students save money while still completing their bachelor’s in four years,” Woods said. 

Eligible students will only have to complete 11 classes to finish their bachelor’s degree at the university, he said. They can graduate in as little as 14 months when transferring credits from one of the district’s colleges. 

Generally, approximately 60 credits from a community college are eligible to be transferred toward a bachelor’s degree. Often, students can end up losing credits during the transfer process, which equates to a loss of time and money. This agreement should help eliminate much of that, school officials said. 

Under the new agreement, students will be able to transfer 87 eligible community college credits toward bachelor’s degree programs in , or , as well as a Bachelor’s of Science in for RNs.

The new 3+1 option will become available starting in the fall of 2021.

First university course is free 

To further aid students, the university is waiving all fees and tuition for the first course and will provide a special Associate Degree Transfer tuition rate for all remaining courses, saving students $144.00 per course. University courses are conducted in five-week increments.

“University of Phoenix’s goal is to make it easier for community college students to complete their degree and get out into the workforce. We’re really looking to get people from Point A to Point B in their education,” said Kellie Stubblefield, UOPX director of community college strategy managers.

For more information about the new transfer program, to:

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Two statesmen with deep roots in Arizona are calling on voters to say “no” to Proposition 208, saying it would place Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­p there with New York and New Jersey as one of the highest income tax states in the nation.

That would kill many small businesses, cause job losses and shrink tax revenues that support schools and government services, said former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Arizona U.S. Senator Jon Kyl at a virtual event hosted by the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry. The event was sponsored by Total Spectrum, HSL Properties and the Keating Companies.

“Let me be very clear: We are now recovering from a 100-year pandemic and this initiative wants to raise taxes 77.7 percent on individuals and small business? That should be the end of the discussion,” said former Vice President Dan Quayle, a longtime Arizona resident who grew up here.

The initiative, which seeks to tax certain earners to help fund education, would raise Arizona’s top income tax rate from 4.5 percent to 8 percent — a 77.7 percent increase — for individuals who earn over $250,000 and households that earn over $500,000. 

Small businesses would shoulder much of the costs

What most voters do not realize is that a majority of small businesses in Arizona file under the individual tax code, not as corporate filers, said Kyl, who served as a U.S. senator from Arizona 1995 to 2013 and again in 2018.  

If the initiative is passed, those companies could nearly double the 4.9 percent tax rate that big corporations pay.

“More than half of all small businesses pay their taxes as individual income taxes,” Kyl said. “The people who are going to suffer are all of those small business owners and their employees. We’re talking about the dry cleaners, the plumber, the electrician, the pesticide control.”

Prop. 208 is wrong path for education funding 

At the event, Quayle and Kyl urged about 100 community and business leaders in attendance to educate their constituents on why this initiative is the wrong path for education funding.

They listed a number of reasons why, including: 

1. Arizona could lose its competitive edge to surrounding states

A sharp tax increase on individuals and small businesses would put Arizona at a disadvantage when competing with nearby states with similar or no income taxes like Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. 

“We’ve had a great opportunity for people moving here because other states have messed up. They’ve raised taxes. They’ve made it very unfavorable for businesses and we’ve benefited from that,” Kyl said. 

2. Local, state tax revenues would drop 

If residents and businesses start to fail or flee the state, there are that Arizona could lose a minimum of $2.4 billion in revenue over the next decade as a result of a reduction in business recruitment, job growth, and wages.

3. Sends wealthy taxpayers and businesses packing 

Under the weight of this proposed tax increase, about 90,000 wealthy residents would be impacted. Many may be motivated to leave the state. Others would be less likely to move here. The same goes for new investment.  

Not only would local and state coffers suffer, so would charities and nonprofits that rely on donations from benefactors and local companies. 

4. Voter initiatives are nearly impossible to fix

If Proposition 208 passes, it will be nearly impossible to alter, even in the case of some unintended negative consequence. Once passed by voters, it takes a three-fourths vote by the state Legislature to change a voter initiative. Then, any changes made to the act must further its purpose. 

“This is permanent. It’s almost impossible to change,” Quayle said. “A small business may not earn $250,000 today, but five years from now, they’d like to.”

5. Proposition 208 does not adjust for inflation

Unlike current state and federal tax rules, the proposition fails to adjust for inflation. That could sweep more small businesses into higher tax brackets year after year. 

6. Most of the funding comes from an out-of-state group

Most of the funding for the initiative’s campaign comes from the Portland, Oregon-based Stand for Children, Inc. with over totaling more than $4 million coming from the group.  

Don’t turn Arizona into a “fly-over” state

Arizona has been able to increase its funding for education over the past four years because of its fast growth and healthy economy before the pandemic, both speakers said. 

Today, Arizona has a reputation as friendly and open to business with a relatively low tax base, Quayle said. That could change overnight if the initiative passes. 

“If we go from 4.5 percent to 8 percent, Arizona is going to be known as a fly-over state. Pure  and simple.” 

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Marc Penterman left a 20-year career in the Air Force to land a job at Walmart in Phoenix. Now, he’s quickly moving up the ladder in his “encore” profession. 

Initially, he was hired as assistant manager overseeing Home Lines where he quickly adjusted to being in charge. Eight months later, he’s now responsible for a team that restocks the shelves at the store.  

“When I started working at Walmart less than a year ago, they gave me a veteran badge to wear and it made me very proud,” said Penterman, who was a security force officer in the Air Force. “The badge is like a medal of honor. When both customers and employees see it, they treat me with such warmth and thank me for my service.” 

Penterman is one of 265,000 veterans who have been hired by Walmart since it 

introduced its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in 2013, surpassing its goal to hire  250,000 new veteran associates by 2020. In Arizona, more than 6,400 have been hired

Hiring and promoting those who serve 

The Welcome Home program started as a mission to hire those who served their country and help them move up the career ladder, said Brynt Parmeter, senior director for Walmart Military Programs. 

Of the veterans hired, more than 44,000 have been promoted to roles of greater responsibility within a Walmart or Sam’s Club.

First announced on Memorial Day 2013, the Welcome Home program’s initial goal was to hire 100,000 veterans by the end of 2018. Two years later, the company expanded that goal to 250,000 by the end of 2020.

On Veterans Day 2018, Walmart also broadened the scope of its commitment to provide  employment opportunities for spouses with its Military Spouses Career Connection. To date, the company has hired 19,045 associates and continues offering any military spouse hiring preference when applying for a job.

Stepping up its commitment to veterans  

Parmeter is now looking to step up Walmart’s commitment to veterans and the communities they serve. He said his team is focusing on efforts to help veterans and their family members in employment, entrepreneurship, learning, and health and wellness. 

“We’re proud of our achievements and the opportunities presented to the brave service members who’ve honorably defended our country,” Parmeter said. “Now, it’s our responsibility to continue preparing these men and women for meaningful futures full of economic opportunity and overall well-being.”

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have a long history of supporting veterans, service members and their families. 

Since 2011, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have invested more than $40 million in programs that support job training, education and public/private community-based initiatives.

About Walmart in Arizona 

In Arizona, Walmart has 126 retail units and 33,616 employees. Last fiscal year,  Walmart spent $1.6 billion with Arizona suppliers, supporting 32,767 Arizona supplier jobs. 

During that time, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation contributed more than $24.5 million in cash and in-kind donations to local nonprofits in Arizona. 

For more information about Walmart’s commitment to hire and promote veterans, service members and military families, visit:  .To see all of the programs that Walmart is involved in to help veterans in communities worldwide, go to:

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Last week, Teach For America welcomed the 2018 class of corps members to Phoenix, marking the organization’s 25th year in the Valley. The lively ceremony also signified the opening of the Phoenix Regional Institute, meaning that corps members can now receive their teacher training locally.

The Phoenix Institute is fully funded for the next four years by Helios Education Foundation, a champion investor in educational progress in Arizona. Funding for the institute also comes from Premier Sponsors, The Burton Family Foundation, The Steele Foundation and Arizona Community Foundation, as well as Supporting Sponsors, USAA and the Jack Ingebritson Foundation. 

“It was a no brainer to bring the regional institute here, to train teachers here given the changing landscape of education in Arizona,” said Barbara Ryan Thompson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Helios. With Helios’ commitment to closing the achievement gap for Latino students in Arizona, a partnership with Teach For America was the best step to amplify the mission of both organizations.

The 2018 Phoenix corps members received a warm welcome from TFA leadership, alumni, and family members. Ron Butler, chair of the Teach For America Phoenix Regional Board, assured new members that while their service promises to be difficult, it will also be transformative and worthwhile. “You are asked to teach where many won’t, and to achieve results that many say you can’t,” Butler said.

New corps members joined the ranks of a lifelong network of passionate education advocates. TFA’s presence in Phoenix during the last 25 years has been a shining example of the organization’s broader mission to systematically create lasting educational equity. Phoenix TFA alumni have extended the work of championing education far beyond their years as corps members.

Phoenix corps alumni can be found serving the community in many impactful ways, like Arizona State Representative Reginald Bolding, a 2008 corps member. Rep. Bolding commended the new class for making a commitment to the students of Phoenix, and for giving them the chance that they deserve but that the system does not always guarantee. Rep. Bolding was joined by Shelley Jackson, his former student who now works alongside him at the Arizona Coalition for Change. Her story of how a teacher and member of the corps positively altered the trajectory of her life is just one of many throughout TFA’s history in Phoenix.

Just before the close of the ceremony, the 2018 corps members were presented with metallic cactus pins, the signature of the Phoenix corps. Vice President of External Affairs for TFA Phoenix, Steve Erickson, explained that the cactus is resilient, persevering, and instinctively grows toward the light. Phoenix corps members are asked to live by these same values, and to do so in the name of their students and the fight for a quality education for all.

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Arizona public schools are leading national rankings once again as released the best high schools in the nation for 2018. Arizona public schools captured six spots in the top ten and accounted for nearly half of the schools in top 30.

Coming in at number one is BASIS Scottsdale for the second consecutive year. Rounding out the top five: BASIS Chandler, BASIS Oro Valley, BASIS Tucson North and BASIS Flagstaff.

According to U.S. News, the rankings emphasize student outcomes, incorporating data on graduation rates and state assessments. “Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas: exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News.

University High School in Tucson Unified made the list at #27. University High for the 2nd year in a row has more National Hispanic Scholars than any other high school in the country. Over 40% of University High students do not speak English at home, more than 50% are Latino or African American making it the most diverse public exam high school in the country and more than 9% are homeless.

Gilbert Classical Academy High School also ranked #20 this year.

U.S. News offers individual and rankings for the best , and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) schools.

The following Arizona Public High Schools made the top 30:

• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Scottsdale (#1)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Chandler (#2)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Oro Valley (#3)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Tucson North (#4)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Flagstaff (#5)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Peoria (#8)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýBASIS Phoenix (#14)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýGilbert Classical Academy High School (#20)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýUniversity High School Tucson (#27)
• ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýUniversity High School Tolleson (#29)

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The results are in, and the implications are clear, something big is happening in Arizona schools.

At the first stop of the Age of Agility tour, presented by America Succeeds, Dr. Matthew Ladner, senior research fellow at the Charles Koch Institute, presented the newly released National Assessment of Education Progress data for Arizona. The data displays exactly what Ladner expected, Arizona students are improving, the needle is moving in the right direction.

Arizona students outpaced the U.S. average achievement gain from 4th to 8th grade in every subject, both in district and charter schools. Arizona is one of only two states to make statistically significant gains across all subjects.

The data also solidifies that the growth and success of Arizona’s charter schools is not causing harm to district schools, both are improving at rates worth celebrating. Furthermore, Arizona charter school students lead the nation in achievement gains, outscoring all statewide gains and topping all charter schools nationwide. 

Open enrollment is largely to thank for these across-the-board achievement gains, creating a decentralized system in which students and their families can select the school that best fits their needs, giving them the greatest possible chance to excel.

“Every empirical indicator that we have says that the system is doing better and better at equipping our children,” said Ladner.

Of course, there is a long road ahead, and Ladner believes more can be done to incentivize success and improve transparency in our education system, but Arizona is off to a great start.

“It doesn’t get talked about enough what is happening here in Arizona classrooms, for Arizona students. This kind of innovation does not happen without leaders who have vision, dedication and talent,” said Lisa Graham Keegan, executive director of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ Foundation.

Kirk Adams, chief of staff for Governor Doug Ducey, described the state’s education system as a standout, full of innovation and improvement all in the name of doing right by our kids and improving our workforce. While tech and autonomous vehicles get most of the attention, the mindset of disruption is making waves in the education system as well, to the benefit of our students.

The event followed with a panel of business leaders who work at the intersection of education and the workforce.  The panel featured Jessica Pacheco of APS, Steve Macias of Pivot Manufacturing and Cheryl Oldham of the U.S. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce.

The discussion delved into what it would take to close the achievement gap and prepare students to succeed in the workforce. The consensus of the panel was neither party will have the luxury of sitting back and watching the other fix the system. It will take a collaborative effort on behalf of business owners and educators to prepare our students and build the workforce of the future. The panel made clear that business leaders are all in, ready to enthusiastically embrace this collaboration.

Jody Kent of Universal Technical Institute spoke on workforce training from the lens of a career and technical education provider. Kent equated the struggling labor pool to the rapidly changing workforce and inability of the education system to adapt along with it.

“We can’t let outdated paradigms, or our own biases, block the way to success for all kinds of kids,” Kent said.

Kent described the path to prosperity that technical education provides, emphasizing that research shows that industry-education partnerships are the most effective way to create work-ready graduates in the new economy.

“Together, we need to commit to a system that creates opportunity, prosperity and security for all our students,” she said.

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Leaders from the business community across Arizona convened for a press conference in the rose garden of The Capitol on Wednesday. The subject of the press conference was the proposed 20 percent raise to teacher salaries by school year 2020. Executives from the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Greater Phoenix Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Leadership and Southern Arizona Leadership Council took the podium to voice support of the raise, proposed by Governor Doug Ducey last week.

“This proposal for a 20 percent raise is made possible by a growing economy. We have the resources to get this deal done,” said Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry. Hamer stressed that as long as the business community continues to do its part, creating jobs, bringing more people to the state and generating revenue, a 20 percent raise is not just feasible but also responsible.

All of the speakers echoed Hamer on this point, recognizing Arizona’s fast and sustainable economic growth as the reason this plan is possible.

The leaders agree a thriving education system is a vital means to support existing businesses and attract new business to the state. Prospective businesses heavily weight the education system and resulting talent pipeline a state has to offer when choosing where to locate.

Arizona has created 150,000 new jobs since 2015, and with that growth rate expected to hold steady if not increase over the next several years, the demand for educated, workforce-ready individuals will only become more critical.

“Our state’s future workforce truly depends on high quality educators and a robust, fully funded education system, “ said Todd Sanders, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce.

While the proposal is ambitious, the group urged that this is the right thing to do by Arizona’s teachers, who are on the front line, ensuring the success of our future workforce and the prosperity of our state.

“The business community respects teachers’ work, we value their work and we’re united to make sure that we get 20 percent more pay into their pockets by 2020, including about 10 percent this upcoming year,” Hamer said.

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