Kent Barrabee emphasized two factors when he spoke November 20 at the Casas Adobes Forum on Public Education: the continued decline in state funding for public education at all levels, from pre-school through university, and the role that state politics has played.
For his examples of reduced funding and resulting forced cuts in educational services he used statistics from the Amphitheater School District, where he sits on the governing board. He also cited tables showing, over time, Arizona's ranking in comparison to other states in areas of academic achievement and spending.
These are facts, he said. Decide for yourself if Arizona is meeting the educational requirements for all of its students as set out in the State Constitution. That, after all, is Casas Adobes Forums' goal --- Present factual information on public issues so individuals can come to their own decisions.
