Public education is the backbone of a prosperous society because it is the single greatest investment we make in our collective future. Strong public schools create an informed, skilled workforce, drive economic growth, and ensure that opportunity is not limited by zip code or family income. When we fund and support public education, we are not just educating children, we are strengthening communities, reducing inequality, and building a more stable and innovative society for generations to come.

What Elizabeth Will Do

Fully Fund Public Schools

• Increase federal education funding to close the gap between wealthy and poor districts

• Ensure every school has updated textbooks, technology, and facilities

• Raise teacher salaries to competitive levels (teachers earn 20% less than similarly educated professionals), eventually moving towards a national minimum teacher salary 

• Reduce class sizes for better student outcomes

• Why it matters: Education is the foundation of opportunity. We can't build a strong future on a crumbling foundation.
  
  

Stop School Privatization and Voucher Schemes

• Oppose voucher programs that drain money from public schools by partnering with organizations working across the state of Arizona to push a ballot measure to protect public funding for public schools with public accountability

• Protect public education from for-profit takeovers

• Ensure accountability and transparency for all charter schools receiving public dollars

• Why it matters: Public money should strengthen public schools, not subsidize private education for the wealthy.
  
  

Support English Language Learners (ELL)

• Increase funding for ELL programs and bilingual education

• Hire more ESL-certified teachers

• Provide resources for immigrant and refugee students

• Why it matters: In AZ-05, many students are learning English while learning everything else. They deserve the support to succeed.
  
  

Expand Special Education Services

• Fully fund IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

• Reduce special education teacher caseloads

• Provide assistive technology and individualized support

• Why it matters: Every child, regardless of ability, deserves an education that meets their needs.
  
  

Invest in the Arts and Creative Education

• Restore federal funding for arts programs in schools

• Support music, theater, visual arts, and creative writing programs

• Why it matters: The arts don't just enrich lives—they teach critical thinking, collaboration, and expression. They help us reject division and celebrate our shared humanity.
  
  

Make Higher Education Affordable

• Expand Pell Grants and federal student aid

• Support tuition-free community college

• Address the student loan debt crisis

• Increase funding for vocational and technical training

• Why it matters: College shouldn't mean decades of debt. Trade schools and community colleges are pathways to good careers and should be accessible to everyone.