Phoenix, Arizona – [Friday, January 17th, 2020] – Teach For America Phoenix deeply appreciates and applauds Governor Ducey’s expansion of education funding following the release of the Arizona FY2021 budget.

Governor Ducey has recommended the expansion of line-item funding for the Alternative Teacher Development Program to one million dollars in the 2021 budget, doubling the amount of similar state funding received in previous years. This expansion demonstrates Governor Ducey’s clear commitment to improving educational outcomes and would enable Teach For America to better recruit, train, and retain educators to serve in Arizona’s low-income communities. The funding would also bolster the ongoing leadership development of Teach For America corps members and alumni, helping to boost outcomes for both students and teachers.

The state-supported Alternative Teacher Development Program has enabled Teach For America to bring more than 1,000 educators to the state of Arizona over the past decade, most of whom have committed their careers to expanding educational outcomes for children in low-income communities. We support the Governor’s recommendation to extend this program through 2030.

“This expanded investment will have a significant positive impact on students and teachers in Arizona,” said Katie Tennessen Hooten, Executive Director of Teach For America Phoenix. “These funding improvements will affect the quality of education and access for Arizona students for years to come. We are committed to continuing the legacy of being the largest and most diverse pipeline of teachers to low-income communities here and across the country. We are grateful for the increased support from Governor Ducey and the opportunity it provides to increase access to an excellent education for all students.”

Teach For America has proudly served Arizona for 26 years and currently has a network of more than 1,100 corps members and alumni committed to bringing high quality, equitable education to students throughout the state of Arizona. Today in Arizona, Teach For America has worked to attain the following results:

• 60,000 students attending schools in low-income communities served by Teach For America corps members, alumni, and school leaders every day
• Nearly 70% of corps members identify as people of color or come from low-income backgrounds themselves
• 97% of Teach For America corps members were retained in the 2018-19 school year (most recent data available)
• 85% of Teach For America Phoenix alumni have continued their professional work in education or careers serving low-income communities

“Teach For America Phoenix has had a tremendous impact on the Phoenix community - students, educators, parents, and the economy. Their impact and contributions to developing our future workforce are why I remain engaged today," said Jim Swanson, President & CEO of Kitchell and Teach For America Phoenix Board Chair. "Every child deserves access to a high quality education and Teach For America corps members are working enthusiastically in the classroom every day to make that a reality.”

For more information about Teach For America Phoenix, please visit teachforamerica.org/phoenix