Yes on Prop 413
It seems like a basic idea: leaders of a community should represent the communities they serve. Tucson is a rich mix of racial, economic, and other forms of diversity. Unfortunately, the current pay structure for Tucson’s City Council members limits who can afford to run and serve in public office. With a salary of $24,000 annually, equivalent to just $11.54 per hour, this outdated compensation is $2.31 less than the minimum wage.
By voting “Yes” on Proposition 413, we can break down this barrier without a negative impact on taxes or city services. Fair, liveable compensation will encourage candidates to step forward who understand and have experienced the impacts of the policies they would oversee. Raising Council wages can help us move towards a more inclusive, representative, and equitable city.
Jennifer Allen
People are also reading…
Midtown
Prop 496
It appears that the spending bug is running loose again. The schools are pushing Prop 496 to repair and update the schools. Is there any chance that the building maintenance on the school buildings was covered in the annual budgets? Are they trying to tell us that all of the educated people in the school administration failed to take into account building maintenance in the annual budget? If so, where did these people get educated? Perhaps, instead of a bond, we should be hiring people that can actually do their jobs. If the annual budgets of previous years did not spend the money on maintenance, what did they use the money for? As an accountant that works with budgets and cost projections every day, this lack of job performance implies redirection of funds or theft. Instead of more wasted money, let’s implement some accountability.
Loran Hancock
Northwest side
Yes or no on Vail incorporation
Sometimes it’s hard to understand the issues in an election because of the rhetoric. Here is a simple way to think about Vail incorporation:
If you believe self-governance in Vail is better, then vote YES. If you believe in letting others who do not live in Vail govern for us, vote NO.
If you believe we should keep our hard-earned state tax dollars in Vail, vote YES. If you want to send your hard-earned dollars to incorporated communities in Maricopa County, vote NO.
If you believe Tucson will continue to annex into Vail as they have for the past 40 years, vote YES to stop it. If you think annexation is an idle threat, vote NO to continue to allow it.
In a rapidly changing Vail, standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards. It’s time to take control! Vote YES on Proposition 402.
Robert Samuelsen, board member of Incorporate Vail AZ
Vail
State schools chief Tom Horne explains his plan to reallocate $40 million of federal dollars that had been going to other programs to instead offer tutoring to students who are not proficient in reading or math.
The science of reading
Re: the Nov. 5 article “Reading education restrictions worry Tucson teachers.”
As a newly retired special education teacher and reading interventionist of 44 years, I am saddened to read that teachers are questioning the Science of Reading. To imply that you cannot sing, dance, clap, and generate excitement when teaching phonics is ridiculous! As one can imagine, I have seen many trends and after decades of teaching, the Science of Reading is what works. It seems people that are specialists in reading would know that phonics is only one component of the reading process; decoding. You cannot comprehend if you cannot decode. An effective reading program includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. All are included in the Science of Reading, to suggest that it only focuses on phonics is inaccurate and misleading.
Lynn Bush-Stephens
East side
Here we go again
Re: the Nov. 5 article “Reading education restrictions worry Tucson teachers.”
As a retired teacher with 35 years of experience teaching reading to students in kindergarten through eighth grade, I can’t help but scoff every time I read about the “science of reading”. Science seems to be the new buzz word since the pandemic. The latest argument in the reading wars is really the same decades old debate in a new jacket. The obsession with phonics continues to ignore the fact than many words simply must be learned by sight. Try using phonics rules to pronounce the, does, or know. The mania of raising test scores is drastically changing the way students are taught and not in a good way. Additionally, the essential awareness of how important it is for children to love learning is being lost in the fight. This is a travesty for teachers and our youngest learners. Teachers should indeed, as the article’s title suggests, be worried. Fortunately the article does include voices of dissension from the reading field. Perhaps all is not yet lost.
Anne Groth
Oro Valley
Tom Horne and reading
Re: the Oct. 5 article “Reading education restrictions worry Tucson teachers.”
As a reading educator at the University of Arizona, I find it ironic that Tom Horne claims we “stick to old theories” that harm teachers and students when he and the legislature are forcing old methods on schools due to their political beliefs. The Science of Reading and the LETRS training required for Arizona elementary teachers were developed by Louisa Moats for No Child Left Behind in 2002. NCLB was removed as federal law in 2015 after reading test scores failed to make gains in U.S. schools. Repackaging a failed program with a “scientific” name does not change the fact that the Science of Reading is based in “old methods.” Treating reading as a mechanical act that only involves sounding out words rather than a process of constructing meaning serves those who want to control teachers and children. It also fails to create a literate public who can think critically about the issues we face as a nation and world.
Kathy G Short
Foothills
Vouchers and Tom Horne
Re: the Nov. 5 article “Reading education restrictions worry Tucson teachers.”
The duties of Tom Horn, the Arizona Superintendent of Public Education are to “distribute funds to the counties every year, issuing school materials and supplies, determining the course of study, administrative instruction, issue teachers certificates, auditing school officials accounts with the Auditor General, budgets for school transportation and the superintendent also works with the State Board of Education to create and achieve standards for all Arizona public school.” He has done none of the above but rather has actively advertised and distributed indiscriminately school vouchers (a grossly under budgeted program) for the financial benefit of moneyed interests, State Legislators and religious communities who own and/or operate private/religious schools. None of these schools, administrators or teachers need comply with and meet the standards, certifications, rules, procedures, testing/evaluations, handicap/disabled acceptance and programs, student transportation requirements, etc. with which the AZ Public Schools must comply/meet. Why has he not been recalled or charged by the State AG for dereliction of duty?
Art Kopcsak
SaddleBrooke
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