A Petition to the State Board of Education by undersigned Superintendents

Dear Members of the State Board of Education:

WHEREAS, the Arizona State Board of Education (State Board) has established an Ad Hoc Committee on A-F Accountability (the Committee), and

WHEREAS, the recommendation of the Committee is likely to become the framework for the revised accountability system that the State Board will adopt to identify schools and districts performing at high and low levels of effectiveness, and

WHEREAS, the accountability system adopted by the State Board has ta profound impact on whether specific districts, schools and by extension classroom teachers are perceived by the public to be equitably and effectively educating the children under their supervision, and

WHERAS, one of the largest threats to the ability of our education system to provide an effective and equitable education for all our students is the dearth of trained and experienced teachers willing to accept teaching positions in Arizona schools, and

Whereas the continuous modifications to the expectations for districts, schools and by extension classroom teachers through changes to academic standards, assessments, teacher evaluation instruments and statewide accountability measures creates and impediment to classroom teachers ability to access the intrinsic benefits derived from being a successful teacher, and

WHEREAS, surveys of teachers exiting the profession identify difficulty accessing intrinsic benefits of teaching as a top reason for seeking another occupation, and

WHEREAS, the timeline for reporting the A-F School Accountability framework imposed on the Committee by the State Board contributes to the likelihood that a system implemented based on the Committee’s recommendation would be an interim plan requiring significant modifications in subsequent years, and

WHEREAS, and extended timeline would enable the Committee and thereby the State Board to adopt a finalized plan that did not require additional modification.

WE PETITION the State Board to adjust the December 19th deadline for reporting a framework out of the Committee to allow the time needed to consider possible options, unintended bias and consequences and potential problems that could force the need to modify the accountability system in the near future with a goal of not modifying the adopted system for a minimum of three years.

Thank you,