Dear Business Leader,

As you know, your company has been benefitting from a sizable tax credit from the State of Arizona. On Thursday, December 19, the Joint Legislative Income Tax Credit Review Committee will be meeting to make a recommendation to the state legislature as to whether or not your company's tax credit should continue or be eliminated. As public education advocates, we humbly ask that you publicly denounce the continuation of your company's tax credit.

You are likely aware of Arizona's public education funding crisis. In 2018, 75,000 educators and education supporters marched to the Capitol to demand fully funded schools. Even though our efforts in 2018 pushed an increase in teacher pay, unfortunately, that was a drop in the bucket compared to how our schools used to be and should be funded. Here are some current Arizona public school statistics for you to consider:

-Students learn in the most crowded classrooms in the country.
-We have the highest student-to-counselor ratio in the U.S.
-Teachers have the second lowest salaries in the country.
-Arizona has the highest teacher turn-over rate in the nation.

One of the most important duties for state government is to fund public schools. When our state issues tax credits to companies like yours, it eliminates tax dollars that would otherwise go to the general fund which provides funding for public schools. The statistics above speak to an urgent situation.

Fully funded public schools create a future workforce that has benefitted from a well-rounded education and can add knowledge and skills to employers like you. We appreciate the jobs your company provides to our community, and we want our students to one day have the opportunity to enjoy your employment. Crowded classrooms taught by a rotating cast of substitute teachers using sub-par materials and curriculum do NOT make for ideal learning conditions and do NOT fairly serve our students who deserve nothing short of Arizona's best to make us a national leader in public education.

Will you please publicly denounce your company's tax credit as an example to other companies who should do the same? It is the right thing to do.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Public Education Advocates from Across the State

ArizonaEducatorsUnited@gmail.com