January 20, 2026

Voter-Backed Priorities for Arizona’s Education and Workforce Future

At the start of the 2026 legislative session, Education Forward Arizona called Arizona legislators to action by sending the letter below to every member of the Arizona Legislature. The purpose was to clearly and publicly define our priorities for the 2026 session.

Grounded in public opinion polling and backed by overwhelming bipartisan voter support, the letter elevates what Arizonans are asking for: stronger workforce readiness, expanded access to education, and accountability around ESA spending.

With clear bipartisan voter support behind these priorities, Education Forward Arizona believes legislators have a strong mandate to act. As Arizona’s economy and workforce continue to evolve, this session offers an opportunity for leaders to advance the priorities outlined in the letter in ways that support Arizona’s long-term success.

Education Forward stands ready to support legislators in advancing policies that reflect the will of Arizona voters and meet the needs of Arizona’s future. 

Read The Full Letter Below

Dear Legislator,

Welcome back to the Legislature! The voters of your district have placed their trust in you to represent them at the Arizona Capitol, and I am writing to bring your attention to what is once again one of their top priorities as the 2026 legislative session begins.

As the organization bridging the gap between education, training and economic development, Education Forward Arizona understands what matters to our residents. We conducted a poll of likely Arizona voters in the fall of last year with similar themes of previous polls.

Primarily, these themes focused on education and training beyond high school and the actions Arizonans want their leaders to take to build a strong workforce and economy. One change this year is that we also studied opinions on ESAs, given the substantial nature of the investment the state is making in the program, as well as some of the recently documented issues. The results were clear and consistent: Arizonans across political parties, regions, and backgrounds believe that education and workforce preparation are essential to Arizona’s future – and that state leaders must do more to drive better results.

Why are we so focused on this? Arizona’s economy depends on a skilled, well-trained workforce. Yet today, only 49% of working-age Arizonans hold a degree, certification, or credential beyond high school. Meeting the Achieve60AZ goal – having 60% of Arizonans ages 25-64 attain education or training beyond high school by 2030 – is critical to filling in-demand jobs, supporting economic growth, and ensuring opportunity for families across our state. Education Forward Arizona is committed to working with you to advance solutions that reflect what voters want and what Arizona needs.

An overwhelming majority of Arizona voters we surveyed in both 2024 and 2025 agree that elected leaders should do more to ensure Arizona has a skilled and well-trained workforce, and that expanding access to education and training beyond high school is essential to meeting that goal. Specifically:

• 81% say Arizona’s elected leaders should do more to ensure the state has a skilled and well-trained workforce 
• 68% believe more should be done to increase the share of Arizonans with education or training beyond high school 
• 88% support expanding access to dual enrollment and advanced placement courses that allow high school students to earn college credit 
• 84% support increasing online education and job certification programs for working adults, parents, and rural residents 
• 83% support funding Adult Technical Education to help workers and students access career training and certification programs 

Despite this broad agreement, it was concerning that the policy proposals emerging from past legislative sessions have been more largely focused on maintaining the status quo, even as the data clearly indicates that Arizona is falling short of its workforce and education goals. This legislative session presents an opportunity to ensure that more Arizonans have the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education and move into H3 (high-demand, high-skill, high-wage) jobs.

Voters also expressed clear expectations regarding Arizona’s ESA program. While many Arizonans are still forming opinions about ESAs, a strong majority support adding guardrails to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and transparently. More than four in every five voters back requiring independent audits and reporting designed to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and 83% favor requiring regular public reporting on student outcomes for ESA participants.

Arizonans want legislators to strengthen accountability while ensuring all students have access to high-quality educational opportunities.

Education Forward Arizona is here to serve as a resource as you consider policies related to education, workforce development, and economic growth this session, as we, like you, see them as intrinsically connected. If you would like to meet or receive additional data and materials, we would welcome the opportunity to connect.

Sincerely,