Pima County Superintendent Dustin Williams says freezing $6.8 billion in federal education grant money is “absurd” and the potential loss of funds could curb training for county educators.
“It’s just wild that if this is the plan of dismantling the Department of Education you start with absolutely holding funds,” Williams said. “They haven’t even been cut. They’re sitting in a fund account right now.”
Williams, a Democrat and county superintendent since 2016, has called on the Arizona Department of Education and Republican Superintendent Tom Horne to oppose the pause in about $120 million in grant funding for Arizona schools.
Earlier this week, Arizona joined 24 states in suing the federal government to release the grant funds used for dozens of programs including before and after-school care, English language learning and professional development for teachers.
Arizona Democrats Rep. Greg Stanton and Sen. Mark Kelly oppose the funding freeze. Horne dismissed concerns.
“ADE is not a party to this lawsuit and we do not plan to be,” said Horne.
In a video released last week, Horne downplayed the freeze. “There is not a freeze,” he said. “The federal government is just studying it.”
“We’re talking about less than 1% of the schools’ budgets,” he said. “So, if there actually is a freeze for a particular program they’ve put a high priority on, they can reallocate their own funds. So, it’s not going to be a terrible catastrophe either way.”
The Pima County School Superintendent’s Office has $1.2 million currently frozen, Williams said. His office provides professional development to about 3,000 Pima County educators across all public school districts, private and charter schools. The potential lack of training will impact thousands of teachers, principals, parents and partners, Williams said, as many of the county programs also train the teacher who provides development to educators and administrators.
“This is a huge topic and it can’t be taken lightly and this is why I’m very, very discouraged,” said Williams. “This is about retention and recruitment.”
“The big hit that we see … is professional development dollars. It can be your bus drivers,” he said. “It can be every element of the working conditions and the only way to improve that is to bring in high-quality professional development, these can be developmental practices that teach a teacher how to do better science, technology, engineering, and math, special education teaching and credentialing, gifted ed teachers.”
Two things to know about the CTE mining institute
Career and technical teachers from across Southern Arizona became students earlier this summer when they visited mines, labs and talked with mining engineers and heavy equipment operators, at a first-ever professional development event.
The Pima County Joint Technical Education District and the American Mining Association hosted its first summer mining institute for 21 CTE teachers in an effort to boost a pillar of the Arizona economy: mining.
Arizona is the nation’s largest copper producer and mining jobs offer some of the highest earnings in the state, with an average wage of $81,000 per year, according to the University of Arizona School of Mining, Engineering & Mineral Resources.
- Certifications can crossover. JTED students and others at high schools across Southern Arizona can be certified in multiple mining-related programs including welding, heavy equipment operations, construction technology, fire services, drone operations, engineering, robotics and automation. An automotive certificate can cross over into something else — like working on a mining dump truck. “I had no idea these opportunities existed right in our backyard,” teacher David Ramirez told JTED. Ramirez is an automotive instructor at Sunnyside High School and institute participant. “I have students who would love to work on these trucks.”
- The institute is likely to happen again, said JTED CEO and Superintendent Kathy Prather. “Professional development for career and technical education instructors is incredibly important, Prather said. “Until you stand next to a haul truck the size of a building or look into an open-pit mine or the agitator in a mill, you don’t really understand the scale of the work being done here.”
Read the whiteboard
The Tucson Unified School District voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $2.6 million property tax levy for adjacent property improvements, maintenance and construction at 26 schools.
TUSD — Southern Arizona’s largest school district with about 40,000 students — last used this levy two years ago. The cost to homeowners is $4.53 a year on a home valued at $100,000.
“We are trying to make some of the sidewalks accessible for disabled persons and do flood control,” Chief Financial Officer Ricky Hernández said at Tuesday’s Governing Board meeting. “This is a long-term benefit for these campuses because we are trying to fix an issue.”
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✂ Thirty students can get a free back-to-school haircut on Monday, July 28 at Headliners Barber Shop in Tucson Mall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
📢 As Arizona Board of Regents member Fred DuVal prepares to leave at the end of 2025, he got real about what’s at stake for Arizona’s college students and institutions.
💰The Arizona state budget includes more than $3 million to keep freshmen on track for graduation. Check out the ninth grade success grant requirements here.
📣 Your school. Your voice. If you are connected to the education system — student, parent, teacher, administrator — tell us what’s working, what’s not and what/who matters to you.
🎒Need free school supplies and snacks? The Tucson Unified School District hosts a Family and Community Resource Fair on Saturday, July 26 from 8-10 a.m. at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega. TUSD students can grab a backpack and pencil case while supplies last. Pastries, coffee, hot dogs, music, ice cream and water are also available.
📚DEI survey: Are you a leader in education? Voice your perspective on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education. A University of Arizona study seeks your input on DEI in the classroom. To participate in the survey: Go here.
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