By james art 
Mike Sharkey | Scottsdale
It’s very hot in Phoenix, it’s the mayor’s fault! No one is buying my 1978 AMC Pacer, Autotrader is a terrible place to sell cars! Arizona is ranked 50th out of 51 states/counties in the US when it comes to K-12 school funding and resources…blame the school superintendents!
Do you see the flaw in the logic? This is called the causation fallacy, wrongly assuming that one thing is to blame for another. In K-12 and higher education, we teach logic and encourage critical thinking to avoid these mistakes. Unfortunately, not everyone learns this lesson.
For the 2023 school year, SUSD had a total of 61% of students passing English tests and 57% passing math. These are not big numbers. I know we all want them to be 100%. However, we must consider them in context. If you take smaller districts, SUSD is the fourth best among all public schools in Arizona.
So what is the reason? Can SUSD do better to improve these results? Absolutely. But when a 61% pass rate puts you fourth in the state, there are probably some underlying problems. And since they are statewide, it makes sense to look at the state level.
The Consumer Affairs article, which ranked Arizona No. 5, looked at four factors of school funding and resources: per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, average teacher salary and percentage of teachers with advanced degrees.
Our great state of Arizona has traditionally not done a good job of funding schools and paying teachers what they are worth. This affects all four factors and ultimately affects learning.
I believe in problem solving. To solve problems, you have to be serious about finding the root cause and you need good critical thinking skills. I encourage you to vote for Sharkey/Lewis/Pittinsky – the experienced education experts who can help SUSD.
Mike Sharkey is a candidate for the SUSD Board of Trustees. Candidates are allowed one opinion during the election season. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcome at [email protected].