Ariz. bill would hurt education – not help it

John’s decision to vote against party line was the right move

It feels like it’s rare for a politician to cross party lines. So when it does happen, it’s worth noting – especially when the reason why is one with which we agree.

Thumbs up to Rep. Joel John, who voted recently to defeat Arizona SB 1211, going against party lines to do so. John represents District 4, which includes portions of Yuma County.

SB 1211 would mandate that each school district and charter school post a list of learning materials and activities used for instruction.

We aren’t opposed to parents knowing what’s going on in their students’ classrooms – actually, we strongly feel parents should be involved.

However, Joel pointed out that parents already have a lot of rights when it comes to their children and schools, ranging from the ability to publicly review courses of studies and textbooks to school policies and curriculum, Capitol Media Services reported.

“I think this bill frankly goes too far and puts too many extra burdens’’ on teachers, John said.

And John has a great perspective on this, as he was once a teacher, Capitol Media Services noted. “Teaching already is a low-paying, thankless job, lots of work, lots of worry. How do I know? I’ve been there,” John said.

It’s also critical that teachers have the flexibility to teach their students and to adjust and adapt as the world shifts and changes.

Our world changes from moment to moment. Math may be constant, but social studies certainly isn’t.

Just this year alone, the world has watched as Russia attacked Ukraine. That’s a teachable moment in a classroom, looking at current events. A teacher could pivot quickly, using newspapers in the classroom, to discuss the situation.

However, SB 1211 would require information to be posted at least seven days before the start of the school year, if available, or, at the latest, three days before the first use of the material, Fox 10 reports. In a situation involving current events, a lot can change in three days.

It’s also important to point out what a monumental task it would be to post all of the information for every single teacher and classroom in a district. That’s an incredibly time-consuming effort – who in a school has time to do that? There’s also a cost there, and as it stands now, it’s an expenditure schools don’t need.

We understand the concern about transparency in the classroom. But parents who want to stay abreast of their child’s education already have a variety of mechanisms to do so.

Teachers need the ability to teach their students, and to be dynamic about it. SB 1211 is the wrong approach. Kudos to John for recognizing that, and voting to protect classrooms.

Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.