LEGISLATIVE SESSION PRIORITY BILL UPDATE AND CEO COMMENTS
Chamber CEO Speaks To CTE Advisory Board
Raoul Sada, president and CEO of the Surprise Regional Chamber recently addressed the CTE Advisory Committee for the Dysart School District. As a member of the advisory group, he spoke about the the role of education, workforce development and why the Chamber is an ardent supporter of education. He also reviewed some of the legislation (see list below) the Chamber is advocating for at the state level that has a direct impact on the group's work.
What is CTE
Career and technical education (CTE) is the practice of teaching skills-based careers to students in middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions. This is important because CTE careers require workers to have experience in their field before starting a career. The advisory committee is made of local business and community professionals, teachers, students, administrators and parents. The purpose of the advisory committee is to support educators, students and businesses in developing, establishing and evaluating CTE programs to ensure students are well prepared for the world of work.
CEO Key Speaking Points:
2021 Educational Bills Supported by the Chamber of Commerce
HB2017: APPROPRIATION; STEM; LEARNING; WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Appropriates $3 million from the general fund in FY2021-22 to the Arizona Commerce Authority to administer a
grant program charged with cultivating STEM learning and STEM workforce development opportunities in
Arizona. The legislature intends that the appropriation be considered ongoing funding in future years. By
December 31, 2021, the Authority is required to report to the Legislature on distribution of grant monies.
HB2021: COLLEGE COURSE CREDIT; DUAL ENROLLMENT
For high school graduation requirements being fulfilled by a college course, the school board is authorized to
award up to 1 Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit that the student earns in an appropriate
college course. High school freshmen and sophomores are permitted to enroll in dual enrollment courses for
college credit.
HB2024: CTEDS; INTERNSHIPS; FUNDING
A student enrolled in an internship course as part of a career technical education district (CTED) program is no
longer excluded from the student count of the CTED for that course for the purposes of school funding
statutes.
HB2151: EXPERIENCED TEACHER RETENTION; PILOT PROGRAM
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to conduct a three-year Experienced Teacher
Retention Pilot Program. Program participants are eligible to receive a 75 percent discount on tuition at state
universities during the Program. Eligibility requirements for the Program are specified. By December 31, 2022,
ADE is required to issue a request for proposals to contract with one or more qualified persons or entities to
study the impact of the Program on the teacher shortage in Arizona and the effectiveness of the Program. By
December 31, 2025, the persons or entities selected are required to submit a report of their findings to the
Governor and the Legislature.
HB2179: NEW SCHOOL FACILITIES; BASE COSTS
School districts are authorized to request funding from the New School Facilities Fund if the average daily
membership projections indicate that additional space will be needed within the next three school years,
instead of two school years, in order to meet the minimum school facility adequacy guidelines. The School
Facilities Board (SFB) is authorized to modify the base cost per square foot for particular schools if the school
district elected in the project capital plan to limit the project only to a scope necessary to meet the minimum
school facility adequacy guidelines and the SFB determines that the cost per square foot of funding is
inadequate to cover the total cost required.
Chamber CEO Speaks To CTE Advisory Board
Raoul Sada, president and CEO of the Surprise Regional Chamber recently addressed the CTE Advisory Committee for the Dysart School District. As a member of the advisory group, he spoke about the the role of education, workforce development and why the Chamber is an ardent supporter of education. He also reviewed some of the legislation (see list below) the Chamber is advocating for at the state level that has a direct impact on the group's work.
What is CTE
Career and technical education (CTE) is the practice of teaching skills-based careers to students in middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions. This is important because CTE careers require workers to have experience in their field before starting a career. The advisory committee is made of local business and community professionals, teachers, students, administrators and parents. The purpose of the advisory committee is to support educators, students and businesses in developing, establishing and evaluating CTE programs to ensure students are well prepared for the world of work.
CEO Key Speaking Points:
- The Surprise Regional Chamber is an ardent proponent of strong educational systems. Education is, in every sense, one of the fundamental factors of development. No country or community can achieve sustainable long-term economic development without substantial investment in human capital.
- Education enriches people’s understanding of themselves, the world, and provides an opportunity for advancement. It leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society while raising people’s productivity and creativity. Education also promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances.
- Education plays a very important role in securing social and economic wellbeing for all. It is because of the link between education, economic growth and healthy communities that the Chamber is a strong advocate of healthy, effective, and well-funded educational systems.
- One of the most valuable, and often overlooked functions of our Chamber is being an advocate for the education community. The Chamber works to represent the education community and more specifically, workforce development and CTE programs . Our advocacy efforts go way beyond asking residents to support school bonds. The Chamber includes education in our legislative goals, we work with our lobbyist to pass education legislation, we go on legislative visits ,and send out Action Alerts. The Chamber wants to ensure an environment where education can prosper.
2021 Educational Bills Supported by the Chamber of Commerce
HB2017: APPROPRIATION; STEM; LEARNING; WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Appropriates $3 million from the general fund in FY2021-22 to the Arizona Commerce Authority to administer a
grant program charged with cultivating STEM learning and STEM workforce development opportunities in
Arizona. The legislature intends that the appropriation be considered ongoing funding in future years. By
December 31, 2021, the Authority is required to report to the Legislature on distribution of grant monies.
HB2021: COLLEGE COURSE CREDIT; DUAL ENROLLMENT
For high school graduation requirements being fulfilled by a college course, the school board is authorized to
award up to 1 Carnegie unit for each three semester hours of credit that the student earns in an appropriate
college course. High school freshmen and sophomores are permitted to enroll in dual enrollment courses for
college credit.
HB2024: CTEDS; INTERNSHIPS; FUNDING
A student enrolled in an internship course as part of a career technical education district (CTED) program is no
longer excluded from the student count of the CTED for that course for the purposes of school funding
statutes.
HB2151: EXPERIENCED TEACHER RETENTION; PILOT PROGRAM
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is required to conduct a three-year Experienced Teacher
Retention Pilot Program. Program participants are eligible to receive a 75 percent discount on tuition at state
universities during the Program. Eligibility requirements for the Program are specified. By December 31, 2022,
ADE is required to issue a request for proposals to contract with one or more qualified persons or entities to
study the impact of the Program on the teacher shortage in Arizona and the effectiveness of the Program. By
December 31, 2025, the persons or entities selected are required to submit a report of their findings to the
Governor and the Legislature.
HB2179: NEW SCHOOL FACILITIES; BASE COSTS
School districts are authorized to request funding from the New School Facilities Fund if the average daily
membership projections indicate that additional space will be needed within the next three school years,
instead of two school years, in order to meet the minimum school facility adequacy guidelines. The School
Facilities Board (SFB) is authorized to modify the base cost per square foot for particular schools if the school
district elected in the project capital plan to limit the project only to a scope necessary to meet the minimum
school facility adequacy guidelines and the SFB determines that the cost per square foot of funding is
inadequate to cover the total cost required.
First-Ever Scorecard Released
Who Made the List? Our first-ever scorecard evaluates the votes of each state senator and representative and represents the positions of the West Valley Chamber Alliance that were communicated to our state lawmakers throughout the 2019 Regular Session. The scorecard helps the business community know where their elected officials stand on issues that affect us all. Click Here for Full Report
The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce (Districts 13, 21 and 22) would like to recognize Rick Gray, Frank Carroll, Tim Dunn and Joanne Osborne for having 100% scores in support of pro-business policies.
As a Chamber, we commend those elected leaders with scores above 80% and recognize them as Free Enterprise Champions for recognizing the vital role businesses play and supporting those businesses through common sense, pro-business, and growth-oriented public policy. All elected officials in Districts 13, 21 and 22 earned the Free Enterprise Champion designation which included Rick Gray, Ben Toma, Frank Carroll, Kevin Payne, Tony Rivera, David Livingston, Tim Dunn, Joanne Osborne and Sine Kerr.
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