ASBA Legislative Update
May 24, 2022 Day #135
Innocence Lost
Witticisms are hard to come by when you are confronted with the unfolding reality of another school shooting in America. As school board members, educators, and parents, we live with the knowledge that in reality, no school is truly 100% safe from violence today. There are no words that can be offered here, to our 5,000+ subscribers, encompassing a range of viewpoints, that wouldn’t be judged as too harsh, too soft, too political, or not political enough. There is really only the common emotion: pain. Pain for those children and their parents, for the survivors, for the teachers and staff, and for the community.
But there is something you can do. In 2020, Arizona’s School Safety Task Force compiled what amounts to a road map for improving and maintaining school safety in Arizona. Its report has many facets, all of which will help to improve school safety. Read it, and recognize that all parts of the school work together to create safe learning environments. Every single one of us has a role to play in building safer schools. As an added bonus, safe and supportive learning environments also tend to be higher achieving academically. There are things we can do today to start making our schools safer.
It is guaranteed that everyone who reads this will not agree about the place that firearms hold in American society today. But you don’t have to. All that’s required is a willingness to look at your own district and commit to doing what is in your power and budget to start making your schools safer today. That alone will send a powerful message to your community.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
—Chris
Today’s Floor Action
HB 2008 schools; academic standards; civics instruction (Nguyen)—passed Senate Committee of the Whole
HB 2124 now: common school districts; tuition; elimination (Udall)—passed the Senate on 3rd read; returned to the House for concurrence
One More We’re Watching
HB 2495 schools; sexually explicit materials; prohibition (Hoffman)—retained on the Senate COW calendar yesterday. Check out this AZ Ed News story for updates.
The House is Adjourned until Wednesday, May 25 at 1:15 p.m.
The Senate is Adjourned until Wednesday, May 25 at 11:00 a.m.