Imagine Greater Tucson 2010-11 Phase I Community Conversation and Survey Statements Related to Hiring, supporting, and retaining high quality teachers

1	Accountability of teacher, parent, child - underperforming kids
2	Although there is a great amount of Tucsonans that value education, most don't get involved and foster the changes necessary. Throwing money at a problem rarely solves anything. Changing the way teachers are valued and treated along with administration restructuring are needed.
3	As a former elementary school teacher in Illinois, I am shocked to see what a short school day, as well as school year, is required in Tucson. The youth I encounter seem to be woefully underserved by the educational as well as social systems in town. Sports isn't everything!
4	As a former public school teacher, I feel that the schools in this area are not funded adequately to keep pace with making sure the children are prepared for the future.
5	As a teacher I value education greatly. The huge system of charter, parochial, and private schools are pulling good kids from the public system. If public schools are going to work, the govt. must stop enticing people to leave them.
6	As a teacher for TUSD, I see daily how limited resources and lack of community involvement negatively impact our children.
7	As someone who wants to be a teacher, it pains me to see the shape that schools in Tucson are in. Funding must be improved for education
8	Better education system/better teachers
9	Better education would draw more industry. Rotary is doing a lot through volunteers to improve reading grade 1-3. But the schools need to step up to the plate with higher standards that teachers are held to.
10	Everyone thinks there school is special but really none are that great. Teacher turnover is extremely high due to poor wages. High acheivement is not valued. Each year the classes in the public schools get dumbed down - especially in so called good school districts like District 16. No qualified teachers to teach advance topics in high school courses. Schools get worse every year.
11	Exciting, competent school teachers
12	For the teachers who help us communicate and read better
13	Having been in other districts (out of state), I found AZ. schools very lacking. More money spent on schools and less on developers would be a first step. Pay GOOD teachers a living wage.
14	I am a native and a former teacher. I have watched the education system go downhill dramatically and it sickens me. We need to focus on what is important and educating our children should be number one.
15	I am a teacher, and after a week of the classroom/school lifestyle having my little piece of the desert which invites the wildlife so close that I can almost feel their breath... this pleases me deeply.
16	I don't have children, but I've been involved with Tucson high school science teachers at U of A and my impression is that schools are not up to par.
17	I have three children, and the choices they have in school, the pay for their teachers, the quality of teachers and class sizes are all disappointing.
18	I still believe the same problem exsists in the school about teachers just wanting a paycheck. Most of the teachers should care more
19	I taught for 31 years in Fairfax County, Virginia. I'm appalled at the low bar set for education here. Teacher pay is incredibly low. I realize that's state-dictated, however, and the legislators here seem to be content with a constituency of the uneducated
20	I was a teacher, liked teaching, and would like to see higher standards and longer school days.
21	I was in San Francisco a few weeks ago. Nice town, but I can't imagine living there on a teacher's salary.
22	I work for Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization that enters into classrooms K-12. Along with other volunteers, I see the poor conditions that the teachers have to work with to prepare our students for their future.
23	I would like to see higher salaries all around. It has always been a city for retired folks and the salaries, especially for teachers are shockingly low.
24	I'm being flippant of course, but I'm in the UA's Masters Degree program in Education. I'm going to be a High School Science teacher, and when I think about my career it's very hard to see a future for me here what with AZ being among the bottom 5 in the country in terms of spending per student.
25	If all we see and hear are stories about how bad things are and who shot whom, we fail to see 'the possibility' - and forget that many are doing good things on behalf of the city. Ben's Bell's on Saturday and recognizing outstanding teachers are examples of focusing on those who 'Make a Difference'
26	It is a travesty that we are at the bottom of the ranking for education. How can we have a future with illiterate children? Make parents responsible. Make learning fun. Improve the bureaucracy, all the teachers can't be that bad!
27	It is where I worship & having Robert Furrow for my teacher is amazing.
28	Lets get real about our educational system, ranks as one of the lowest in the nation, no GED program for adult education, the only state in the union with this distinction, increase salaries for our teachers in order to attract and retain
29	Money for education at a state and local level College, HS, elementary, teacher pay
30	More money to pay teachers
31	More teachers
32	More teachers and education for our children
33	My child needs good teachers and incentive to learn
34	My children attended TUSD schools. My oldest was, thankfully, in part-time GATE programs through middle school. Because of the bullying he received at a white kid at the hands of hispanics I chose NOT to send him to Tucson High. Spending the money on Salpointe was the best thing I could have done. I only kept my youngest in TUSD because he was in fully-contained GATE through University High School. If I hadn't had GATE options my children would have been in private schools. The campuses are eroding. The lack of respect between the students is increasing. The quality of education is eroding. I had a principal tell me my son didn't need to learn to spell because we have 'spell-checker' software. Really? I was appalled. I made sure I was at the TUSD schools once a week so I could keep an eye on what was happening. Much waste. Too many bad teachers who were protected. Too many good teachers and staff who were over-worked. Too many parents who didn't care. The boards over the years hasn't done much to help the situation. I think TUSD needs a complete overhaul, including it's negotiations with the teachers union.
35	My family of five can survive on a teacher's salary.
36	One has to promote PUBLIC education by more funding and better PUBLIC schools. When schools are highly rated it will help attract businesses. Good teachers WILL NOT work here because lack of support, financial, conditions and facilties. It is a disgrace!!!!
37	Our children and youth are being deprived of a quality education in Tucson. There are some teachers who are inspiring and are doing an amazing job, but the system is still holding these students back from achieving their full potential. I have considered moving from Tucson because I am not sure I want to raise my (future) children in a community that does not value education.
38	Our children have been dumbed down for years now due to parents not taking responsibily for their children and teachers doing it. Stop the no child falls behind.
39	Our schools are declining in quality. Good teachers are not respected and paid what they should be. Class sizes are unwieldy, dropout rates are too high, and student behavior inside and out of the classroom is getting out of control.
40	Pay raises so teachers don't have to pay out of pocket
41	Pay rates for public employees e.g. teachers, state and city employees
42	Pay teachers more and reward them for quality teaching. Provide incentives for children to learn.
43	Pay teachers more. If we are to have better education and better teachers we must pay them more.
44	Provides spark � need good teachers
45	Retirees should be brought into local schools and help teach - bring their experience (what will be the effect on pay rates for teachers?)
46	SB1070, HB2281, english only, teachers with accents, hate speach, etc. I'm scare for my safety.
47	School Teachers
48	Schools/more involvement with families/teachers/admin
49	Since the Loughlin killings, I would like our schools to undergo a violence prevention and teacher training to identify at risk youth.
50	Something is very wrong when teachers and programs are sacrificed but administrative salaries are outrageously high.
51	Support financially our schools and teachers and promote education, physical education, and fine arts.
52	Support teachers so they stay
53	TUSD doesn't know how to be good bureaucrats - not understanding the population they are serving - they don't understand how to use the data they have (they take teachers away from the primary needs area)
54	Teacher Compensation
55	Teacher and have kids in school
56	Teacher's are supposed to inspire the American Dream when that very dream is now out of reach to them, especially new teachers. No pay raise in what looks to be a decade has taken the profession and turned it into a dead end job but hey... Tucson Values Teachers.
57	Teachers are not paid well in poor areas
58	Teachers make the difference � not just $$
59	Teachers must be valued and education a priority. The economy will not improve if people leave to be where there are better schools, and government officials (like mayors and governors) who make education a priority
60	Teachers think "oh well," there is teacher burnout, settling for low standards
61	That some schools have fired all teachers/Staff/maintenance people (bad)
62	The education system in this community is a disaster. We have the least funding for education as a state than anywhere else in the country and it shows. Our students are being passed along into the next grade for which they are not prepared. Good teachers are being fired due to lack of funds and therefor classes are immensly too big. I will for sure not be raising my children here. Once I have children and they are at the age to enter school I will move to another state, if I haven't already.
63	The overall quality level of the schools in Tucson is very poor. We need to put an emphasis on good teachers and stop throwing money down the same failed programs.
64	The schools are dismal. Teachers are poorly paid, not enough resources are invested and standards are too low. The norm should be what they are teaching in the G.A.T.E. program. The other children are being shortchanged. Arts, music and PE need to be daily activities.
65	The teachers and school personel that I have come in contact with seem to care little about the children and more about politics and keeping their jobs. Authority figures have become less and less involved.
66	The teachers only have so much time, and they can't commit as much to the students as is needed
67	The variety in choices, the magnet programs and the diversity amoung the student population is great for me as a parent & teacher
68	The very things I love most about our schools are getting shut down while experienced teachers are being laid off to cut expenses. There doesn't seem to be any thinking toward the future and the benefits of having top rated school districts - they bring in higher paying jobs and more educated adults while reducing crime rates.
69	There are many good teachers and students ,but what can we expect when we do not give them financial support. Our kids are our future leaders. We need smaller classes.
70	There are not enough teachers and class sizes are too large. Teachers are under paid and their salaries need to be competative to attract new people to the profession.
71	There are very education plans, and the communication between the students, teachers, and parents about directives are very good
72	There is such a discrepancy in the level of education our kids get. All kids should receive quality education no matter where they live or schools are located. We need motivated teachers!
73	This includes food, books, parking, rec.. Upgrading the rec area when we should be getting better teachers. Adding more dorms in parking spots that are already very limited
74	This is critically important to me since I evaluate teachers (in the past - in another state) eliminating poor quality teachers and keeping high quality teachers based on a carefully laid out standard or acceptable performance. Where are the administrators hired to make these judgements?
75	Tired of teachers getting picked on as if we are the source of the education problems. Parents need to expect more of the kids in the classroom both behavior wise and academically. Did they ever read to them?
76	Too many schoolboards have eliminated librarians and teachers are trying to cover the school's library one day a week in order to keep it open. Every member of out city council should volunteer somewhere every week.
77	Tucson has too many poor quality schools for our children. It is not uncommon for students to be unprepared for post-high school education. We refused to send our son to a public elementary, middle or high school. However, to ask more of teachers that are already doing more than their share without the financial support is unfair.
78	Uof A must be valued more by increasing funding for beginning students. Pima CC needs to be recognized as a giant educational opportunity and high schools must be reorganized to value the skills of students and help them make hard choices that parents are NOT encouraging. I am a retired teacher, so I know how hard this is.
79	Value a connection between kids with teachers. Missing from public schools because there are so many rules. We need parents to be invested
80	Value of teachers
81	Want more personal interaction with teachers
82	We are 49th in the country in per capita spending, graduate 59% of our high school seniors, and pay our teachers at the bottom of the nation's pay scale. Need I say more!
83	We are a Math Science shool and much of our technology is out dated. We need to represent what we are labelled as. This makes it very hard to keep up as Teachers when we do not have the access to things that are important for the classroom. Example Vail district laptops for all students..why do we not have this?
84	We are nearly last in almost every indicator regarding education: per pupil spending, teacher pay, class size, graduation rates, extra curricular activities, and the list goes on. A community without strong schools is doomed to failure. I have made huge sacrifices in my career choices in order to send my kids to private school, as the public school options are so insufficient.
85	We can't attract the best teachers with the low salaries offered. Once upon a time, teachers made a living wage!
86	We can't eat our young any longer without risking everything that makes us strong. Teachers aren't the problem, parents aren't the problem, funding isn't the problem. EVERYTHING is a part of the problem. We need to work together and stop the finger pointing. I have two baby granddaughters. How are they going to be able to go to college?
87	We have a 7 year old (2nd grade) and 4 year old (pre-K). We came from Northern Virginia. Education was a priority for the community. So many cuts to our already struggling system. Title 1 School receive additional funding that our 'non-needy' school don't qualify for, but the current budget doesn't provide the schools the support, training teachers need.
88	We live very comfortably in our 1950s centrally located home. When we anger at our conservative right-wing elected officials we often think of leaving AZ (after 35 years) but as retired teachers could not afford to live in California. We were married there and have thought about this move.
89	We must do a better job of educating our children and a better job of preparing teachers to teach to the highest standards. I understand the economic situation and the situation in the state legislature. That does not excuse Tucson from moving ahead to make our schools the kind that make new business want to come here because the families can count on the best for their children from K-12.
90	We must improve our education system. Hire more quality teachers and pay them the salary they deserve. We cannot hire the best with low salaries. Our children spend more time in school than at home. Shouldn't we spend more money for teachers who care for them?
91	We need accountability with our money and one way would be to restructure all government into business units. We need to learn to function in smaller units and learn that we do have a budget and raising taxes for everything is not acceptable. We have lots of waste because the government is not in manageable pieces. If it were we would not have problems with not enough teachers, fireman and policemen. The money would be there if we could really see where it goes on a smaller scale. I as a citizen should be able to look at a balance sheet for any unit of government - like the fire department and understand where the money is going and where it comes from.
92	We need more teachers and counselors at school. I can't believe that we keep losing educators.
93	We need to retain the fabulous teachers we do have. They are working under such dismal circumstances. They keep getting reduced and stricken down. We tell them that they are doing the most important job but yet don't supply them with the tools. They are continuing to get more children in their classes but they don't get any compensation for their hard work. Wrong!
94	We need to work on our public education in order to make this a place attractive to companies with high-paying wages. We should not be going after call-centers and other unskilled, low paying companies. We should be going after optics, high-tech companies. They require a skilled work force, however. If that means slashing administrator jobs in order to pay teachers better, closing some schools in order to focus energy, money on a more select set of schools: do it! Focus on teachers, the kids, and BASICS that are now counted as frivolous extras to be cut: art, music, languages, P.E. I had a first class public education here from 1st through 12th grade, one that sent me to Stanford, Oxford and Harvard Universities. I worry that our public schools will not serve my children nearly as well. Also, we need to partner better with the U of A. It has been--and should remain a driving force here. Let's work on keeping more of its graduates as the loyal and proud business, entrepreneurial, and artistic engines that drive and shape this town. At the moment, I fear that the UA is more interested in its proposed medical campus in Phx than it is in its home base campus here in Tucson.
95	We recently moved here from another state and the education system is terrible. The teachers are great but the resources that should be available to the teachers, school administrators and so forth is pitiful. I have considered moving because of this issue.
96	We should attract retired scientists to come to Tucson to work with local kids as teachers and mentors
97	When the state stepped in mandating so called, 'state standards,' which reinforce rote memorization over true critical thinking and problem solving, the quality of our educational system rapidly declined in the region. Public education was meant to serve the needs of the local community. I want to see our communities demand their rightful control over the education of their children. We should allow teachers to motivate children through their natural curiosity, not through the threat of 'state testing.' Clearly, the latter has failed miserably, for it reflects a mentality of the 20th century, and fails to prepare our children for the challenges of the 21st century. This is personally important as I see more and more people finishing high school and being unable to think through basic problems. Forcing teachers to teaching to a test rather than to approach situations with rational thinking and problem solving strategies produce citizens who are inflexible, unimaginative, and ill-prepared to function successfully in a dynamic, ever-changing reality. I want my old age to be spent in a country of innovative thinkers, not in a nation of automatons unable to express themselves or creatively face new situations with a multiplicity of perspectives.
98	While we say we support education, it seems as if there is an adversarial approach. My husband works extremely hard and long hours as a public high school teacher for poor pay and no job security. The assumptions made about apathy and ineptness of all teachers due to a few poor examples is galling. Also, a lot of misinformation based on national discussions about unions in some states leave people with the impression that Tucson teachers are equally protected, which they are not.
99	Without quality education at all levels (and I am not just talking about passing measurement tests) there is no future here, and without great teachers, there can be no quality education. More respect, and better pay, for teachers would attract enthusiastic, creative and dynamic people to the field.