Parents · Teacher quality matters! Schools will be able to continue to hire and train highly qualified teachers and staff who have a direct impact on student achievement. · Maintaining lower class sizes benefits students as they are less likely to be retained, more likely to succeed academically, and more likely to graduate. · The district will continue to be responsive to the needs of the community by creating safer and more secure campus environments. · Relieve PTO money for advanced technology and advancement, not core curriculum materials. · Chandler schools don't have money to cover core curriculum costs that are required. · The budget has already been tightened...there just isn't enough money for the number of students. · Passing the bill helps maintain manageable class sizes.
Community · Chandler Unified School District is a top-performing school district. Receiving an “A” letter grade from the State of Arizona’s letter grade accountability system demonstrates the district’s commitment to accountability and student performance. · Property values are enhanced by a quality school district. · Chandler community and businesses are directly impacted by the quality and perceptions of Chandler Unified School District · Businesses benefit from recruitment and retention of employees and families who are seeking to move into an excellent performing school district · Better educated students mean a stronger, healthier, safer community. · You get what you pay for
Educators · Necessary resources will continue to be provided to accommodate additional students in the district · Maintaining reduced class sizes benefits teachers as there are more opportunities for teacher to student interaction. Teachers and staff will be better equipped to incorporate intervention and enrichment initiatives to meet the needs of all learners. · Continuing professional development opportunities will help to strengthen educator performance. By continually expanding upon educational knowledge, skills, and practices, the teacher will become more effective in raising student achievement. · Without the passage 383 teachers lose their jobs · $7 million less for teachers and schools
Cost . About $77 a year or: . 1 cup of coffee a month . 1 newspaper a week . 2 months at the gym . 1 candy bar a week . 21 cents a day
What Makes Chandler Unified School District Great . Top AIMS scores in Arizona . More than $77 million in college scholarships every year . A+ rating
SAFER SCHOOLS: The override will be used for 15 resource officers. What would you prefer, a roving posse of questionable qualifications, or trained and certified resource officers under direct employment of the district. In addition, the district plans to upgrade its mass notification system and install remote controlled locks. Our children deserve our full effort to ensure their utmost safety.
QUALITY TEACHERS/GREAT TEACHERS: With great teachers, anything is possible. Teachers in CUSD bring home less money today than they did 5 years ago. Our district teachers continue to produce measurable results (“A” rated district two years running, #1 in AIMS testing for high school sophomores in all subjects {math, reading, science, and overall}, $77 million in scholarship offers for graduating seniors in 2012 [that breaks down to an average of $25K in scholarship offers per graduate), Great results need to be rewarded and we must continue to be competitive to attract the best new teachers (Recruit and Retain the best teachers)
TEACHABLE CLASS SIZES: Funds needed to keep class size low, the existing 10% override provides funds for 333 teachers, if the district loses this money 6 to 8 teachers per school site would needed to be let go to compensate for decreased funding. At the average grade school this would be one teacher per grade which would increase the average classroom by 25 to 33 percent or 6 to 8 kids per class. Class size matters.
OVERCOME LOW FUNDING: Arizona is currently 48th in the nation in education funding on per pupil basis. Between 2007 and 2012 no state cut a higher percentage to education funding than did Arizona. If Chandler wants to be a city that competes for new businesses such as paypal we must compete on a national level. Arizona is funded at a rate of 36% below the national average, CUSD is funded 11% below the state average. If CUSD was funded at merely the national average the funds could pay for every student to have a lap top, ipad, and new text books every year, this is how far behind the national average we are. Currently Chandler has the lowest tax rate in the entire east valley.
