For many years, Arizona’s results on national assessments put our state at the bottom of the nation for student achievement.  But things are starting to change – we are standing up for our children and collectively saying that short-changing their future isn’t acceptable.

Recently, two-thirds of Arizonans voted to increase taxes to support better education in the state. State education leaders are working to create a more reliable and comprehensive data system to track classroom, teacher, and student data. And Arizona State University is partnering with Teach For America to study and adapt the model, creating a national model for effective undergraduate teacher preparation.

Teach For America corps members and alumni continue to hold their students to the highest standards and expectations, even in those schools where students face the greatest challenges. Our corps members and alumni who teach in some of the most challenging environments are seeing their kids achieve high marks and perform at the same level as students in some of the wealthiest districts in the state. These examples of success prove what can be accomplished. And if we can accomplish it with one student, one classroom, and one school, we will be able to accomplish it for every student in Arizona.