Why Arizona is ranked the 4th worst school system in U.S.
- Updated
According to a WalletHub study, only Louisiana, New Mexico and Alaska rank worse in school-system quality.
Math - Arizona ranks 32nd
- Patrick Semansky / Associated Press
- Updated
Math - Arizona ranks 32nd
Average SAT score - Arizona ranks 26th
- David Sanders / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Average SAT score - Arizona ranks 26th
Reading - Arizona ranks 40th
- Benjie Sanders / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Reading - Arizona ranks 40th
School system safety - Arizona ranks 33rd
- Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
School system safety - Arizona ranks 33rd
Pupil-teacher ratio - Arizona ranks 49th
- Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Pupil-teacher ratio - Arizona ranks 49th
Average ACT score - Arizona ranks 44th
- ceazars
- Updated
Average ACT score - Arizona ranks 44th
Percentage certified / licensed public Kβ12 teachers - Arizona ranks 40th
- seamartini
- Updated
Percentage certified / licensed public Kβ12 teachers - Arizona ranks 40th
Dropout rate - Arizona ranks 44th
- Comstock Images
- Updated
Dropout rate - Arizona ranks 44th
State spending - Arizona ranks 51st of 51
- Abscent84
- Updated
State spending - Arizona ranks 51st of 51
- By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
- Updated
PHOENIX β The way WalletHub sees things, Arizona has the fourth worst school system in the country.
An analysis of various factors by the financial advice website puts only Louisiana, New Mexico and Alaska further down on the list. And only Utah and California had a higher ratio of pupils to teachers.
A spokesman for state schools chief Diane Douglas said the rankings, release Monday, βremind us of the needs facing our school system.β
Charles Tack said though there is even more recent data than WalletHub used for reading and math scores. And he said both have gone up, calling that βa step in the right direction.β
But Daniel Scarpinato, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, was dismissive of the rankings.
βThe study is baloney,β he told Capitol Media Services.
Scarpinato did not dispute the numbers WalletHub found for the various factors it studied.
Aside from being 49th in pupil-teacher ratio, Arizona was near the bottom in the average ACT score by its students. It also was below average for the high school graduate rate for low-income students and far below average for the dropout rate.
But Scarpinato said none of that really matters. His reason: school choice.
βMany of these states (that are ranked higher) you need to be able to afford a very expensive home in an expensive neighborhood in order for your child to get access to a good school,β he said.
βIn Arizona we have open enrollment,β Scarpinato said, which means a student can attend any public school in the state. There also are various school choice options, including charter schools which are part of the public school system.
What that means, he said, is any Arizona child can access whatever school his or her parents believe is best. There are caveats though: A school not in the studentβs district must have space available. And the parent needs to get the child to that school every day.
But school choice also involves the state providing dollar-for-dollar income tax credits to help students attend private and parochial schools. And these are students who are no longer part of the public school system that WalletHub finds wanting.
The new study follows repeated reports that Arizona is close to the bottom in per-student funding. Even with the additional dollars that will flow to schools with passage of Proposition 123 β about $300 per student β the state will still rank in the bottom 20 percent.
WalletHub says it found there was not always a correlation between public funding and quality schools. βThat isnβt to say that money doesnβt help,β the report says.
It cites a study by the Economic Policy Institute that says income is higher in states where the workforce is well-educated and thus more productive. In turn, workers with better earnings contribute greater taxes to boost state budgets over the long run.
While Scarpinato cites the success stories of some schools and open enrollment, the fact remains that Arizona has 22.8 students for every teacher. And thatβs a statewide average, including good and bad schools.
βWe have some challenges that some other states donβt,β he said.
For example, Scarpinato said, Arizona is growing more rapidly than other states. And some states back East are actually losing population.
βIf you have a decreasing population, guess what?β he said. βYouβre going to see an increase in per pupil amounts.β
But Scarpinato brushed aside a question of whether Arizona, facing that rapid growth of students, should be increasing funding to keep up with that growth. And he dismissed the idea that Arizona, which already has made sharp cuts in corporate income taxes, should put a halt to future tax cuts.
βIf every other state in the country agreed to the same thing, then that might be one thing,β he said.
βBut you have Democratic states that are lowering the corporate income tax,β Scarpinato continued. βWeβre competing with these other states that are lowering taxes and instituting tax reform.β
- Updated
Click on link "WalletHub" in lower right corner of map
- By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX β The way WalletHub sees things, Arizona has the fourth worst school system in the country.
An analysis of various factors by the financial advice website puts only Louisiana, New Mexico and Alaska further down on the list. And only Utah and California had a higher ratio of pupils to teachers.
A spokesman for state schools chief Diane Douglas said the rankings, release Monday, βremind us of the needs facing our school system.β
Charles Tack said though there is even more recent data than WalletHub used for reading and math scores. And he said both have gone up, calling that βa step in the right direction.β
But Daniel Scarpinato, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, was dismissive of the rankings.
βThe study is baloney,β he told Capitol Media Services.
Scarpinato did not dispute the numbers WalletHub found for the various factors it studied.
Aside from being 49th in pupil-teacher ratio, Arizona was near the bottom in the average ACT score by its students. It also was below average for the high school graduate rate for low-income students and far below average for the dropout rate.
But Scarpinato said none of that really matters. His reason: school choice.
βMany of these states (that are ranked higher) you need to be able to afford a very expensive home in an expensive neighborhood in order for your child to get access to a good school,β he said.
βIn Arizona we have open enrollment,β Scarpinato said, which means a student can attend any public school in the state. There also are various school choice options, including charter schools which are part of the public school system.
What that means, he said, is any Arizona child can access whatever school his or her parents believe is best. There are caveats though: A school not in the studentβs district must have space available. And the parent needs to get the child to that school every day.
But school choice also involves the state providing dollar-for-dollar income tax credits to help students attend private and parochial schools. And these are students who are no longer part of the public school system that WalletHub finds wanting.
The new study follows repeated reports that Arizona is close to the bottom in per-student funding. Even with the additional dollars that will flow to schools with passage of Proposition 123 β about $300 per student β the state will still rank in the bottom 20 percent.
WalletHub says it found there was not always a correlation between public funding and quality schools. βThat isnβt to say that money doesnβt help,β the report says.
It cites a study by the Economic Policy Institute that says income is higher in states where the workforce is well-educated and thus more productive. In turn, workers with better earnings contribute greater taxes to boost state budgets over the long run.
While Scarpinato cites the success stories of some schools and open enrollment, the fact remains that Arizona has 22.8 students for every teacher. And thatβs a statewide average, including good and bad schools.
βWe have some challenges that some other states donβt,β he said.
For example, Scarpinato said, Arizona is growing more rapidly than other states. And some states back East are actually losing population.
βIf you have a decreasing population, guess what?β he said. βYouβre going to see an increase in per pupil amounts.β
But Scarpinato brushed aside a question of whether Arizona, facing that rapid growth of students, should be increasing funding to keep up with that growth. And he dismissed the idea that Arizona, which already has made sharp cuts in corporate income taxes, should put a halt to future tax cuts.
βIf every other state in the country agreed to the same thing, then that might be one thing,β he said.
βBut you have Democratic states that are lowering the corporate income tax,β Scarpinato continued. βWeβre competing with these other states that are lowering taxes and instituting tax reform.β
Tags
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson π΅ (@this_is_tucson) β’ Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
This new restaurant is coming soon, bringing Southern favorites to Tucson
-
60 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Sept. 12-15 πΌπ¬
-
60 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Sept. 19-22 π₯¨
-
This nameless taco stand makes delicious al pastor tacos straight from the trompo
-
The iconic Barbie truck is returning to Tucson with exclusive merch π
-
100 fun events happening in Tucson this September 2024 π»πΆ
-
35 FREE events happening in Tucson this September 2024 πΈ
-
Where should I eat in Tucson? A GIANT list of bucket list spots for every craving
-
At 6 months old, Tucson's baby elephant has made her way into the big girl pool
-
This local market turns Hotel Congress into a monthly hub of vintage clothing