Regarding the “Achieve60AZ Alliance” touted in the Coconino Voices column (lead author Julie Pastrick, president of the Flagstaff Chamber):
The column fails to mention that this “initiative” was launched over a year ago by Gov. Ducey. Recently, they launched a new website, cited in the column, which makes Achieve60AZ appear to be independent from the governor’s office.
The only accomplishments noted for Achieve60AZ appear to be the recruiting of private educational consultants to affiliate with them. The article has enough business school buzzwords to fog over the true lack of achievements in the 15 months this Ducey-creation has been in existence, but readers should be clear about one thing: This group thinks Arizona only deserves to have 60 percent of its students achieve post-secondary training even though they recognize that 70 percent of all jobs will require such training.
If we want to get to 70 percent or better — from the dismal 42 percent we have now, we need to stop falling for the Republican fog of words. Achieve60AZ is a cover of pretty graphs, photos, and words to mask the continued cuts to funding for public education. Plus, an opportunity for board members and consultants to dress up and meet in fancy boardrooms while our schools crumble.
Republicans are pushing a Chamber employee to represent LD-6 in the Arizona House. In his kick-off radio interview, Stuart McDaniel bemoaned the loss the shop programs in high schools while promising to keep taxes low. Those two concepts just don’t go together. Wake up, voters!
Ann Heitland
Published in Arizona Daily Sun, 12/17/17, Letter of the Day: Achieve60AZ is an empty promise in response to Coconino Voices column dated 12/13/17.
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