A Holiday Wish List for Arizona’s Future
What Voters Want from Education Policymakers
This holiday season, Arizona voters are making it clear what they’d like to see under the tree or, more accurately, under the dome at the State Capitol.
As lawmakers prepare to return for a new legislative session, Arizonans are calling for bold action to strengthen education and workforce development.
Only 49% of working-age Arizonans currently hold a postsecondary degree or credential, according to The Future of Attainment in Arizona report released last month. That is dangerously far from the state’s Achieve60AZ goal of 60% by 2030.
The stakes are high; Estimates indicate that nearly 70% of jobs in Arizona will soon require education or training beyond high school.
Education Forward Arizona’s recent statewide polling shows the public is paying attention. There’s broad, bipartisan support for expanding education and career opportunities, aligning learning with workforce needs, and addressing the issues that are clearly not working in Arizona’s universal voucher program.
Here’s what Arizona voters say they want most from policymakers this year:
1. Expanded Dual Enrollment for High Schoolers and More Counselors to Guide Them
More than 80% support increased investment in dual enrollment programs. Dual enrollment allows high school students to earn college credit early, while also increasing the number of counselors available to help them plan for college or a career. This will ensure they utilize the credits they earn.
2. Expansion of Technical Education and Increasing Online, Competency-Based, and Stackable Credentials for Non-Traditional Learners
Funding Adult Technical Education to provide more workers, students, or adults looking to change careers with the financial resources needed to access job training and career education programs. Increasing online education opportunities by making college classes and job certification programs more accessible and convenient for working adults, parents with young children, and residents of rural communities.
3. Accountability for School Vouchers
With rising reports of fraud and abuse in Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, over 80% of voters support new reforms like outcome tracking, external audits, and spending transparency.
Education Forward Arizona is calling on state leaders to heed the voices of voters: Accelerate progress toward the Achieve60AZ goal and invest in solutions that drive equity, opportunity, and economic growth.
Two-thirds of voters say Arizona needs to do more to prepare a skilled and well-trained workforce. This means deeper partnerships among schools, employers, and the government to create seamless pathways from education to employment.
Read the full attainment report here
View the poll findings here