92nd Arizona Town Hall
Who Will Teach Our Children
April 27-30, 2008

The 92nd Town Hall recommends a fundamental redesign of both Arizona's PreK-12 education system and the post-secondary system that supports education preparation programs. Changes must be implemented to ensure that each child in Arizona receives the quality education necessary to be competitive in a global marketplace.

While the Town Hall recognizes that change will take time and significant resources, nine goals must be advanced on an urgent timeline.

• Define teaching as a distinguished profession.
• Promote teaching as a distinguished profession.
• Provide teachers with professional pay linked with systemic education reform.
• Restructure Arizona's system for funding PreK-12 public education.
• Implement a consistent, statewide professional development system with a strong mentoring component.
• Focus teacher recruitment and retention efforts in areas of high need.
• Improve pre-service programs.
• Streamline the certification process.
• Recognize early childhood education within the teaching profession.

92nd Town Hall Document Downloads

• Full Final Report
• Recommendations
• Background Report
• Highlights of the 92th Arizona Town Hall
• Community Outreach Programs following the 92nd Town Hall

News from the 92nd Town Hall

• Arizona recently announced its commitment to the “Tough Choices or Tough Times” reform agenda, a major redesign of state education systems intended to help students succeed both in school and the workforce.  Below are several news releases regarding the "Tough Choices or Tough Times" coalition to overhaul the state education system.
  • 3-6-09 Release
  • 3-9-09 Release
  • 3-10-09 Release
• Arizona Capitol Times' 1/31/14 guest opinion by Susan Carlson discusses "Higher pay key to solving teacher shortage"
• Capitol Times: Click here to read the Capitol Times article "Creating a Gold Standard for Arizona Education" by Tara Jackson.
• Yuma Sun: Attracting quality teachers will be subject of Town Hall session in Yuma
• Kingman Daily Miner: Arizona Town Hall seeks community input on education
• Taking action on the Town Hall recommendations was the subject of a recent article in
  the Arizona Republic by Town Hall participant Susan Carlson.
• Arizona Republic: Teachers crucial to future of Arizona
• Daily Dispatch: Cochise County residents help address teacher recruitment at Arizona Town Hall

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