Howard Lee Sprague
What is your education and relevant experience for this office?
High School Graduate. 55 credits in Business Administation at Rider College, New Jersey
If you have children, do you/did you send them to public school? If so, did they graduate from a public school?
My 4 children were educated in a catholic school and public school. All 4 of my children graduated from public schools.
Do you feel you are an advocate for public education in Arizona? Use specific examples of what you will do or have done to demonstrate your level of support for public education in Arizona.
Yes. The public school system has an important role in the development of an educated society. The public school system provides an education opportunity for everyone, regardless of their economic status
Will you work to protect public education from any further budget cuts?
My decision to cut any budgets will be based on the level of income provided by taxpayers without increasing taxes. When ever possible I will try to avoid unnecessary cuts to our public schools.
The system for funding public education in Arizona is a maze of laws, rules, regulations, funding sources, etc. Please share specifics on how you would simplify how we fund our public schools here in Arizona to make that funding source more efficient, effective and reliable?
As a state representative, I will be limited by Federal Regulations. I will also be limited by local school boards and thier budgets. I will look at the State funding to ensure that it is ditributed equally to all students.
Should the education formula be based on seat time and average daily membership or on student academic progress and successful achievement of academic standards?
The formula should be based on the number of students elligible for education and allow the funding to follow the student within the students school district.
Knowing that money does not cure all, how do you feel that Arizona ranks dead last in per pupil funding? Are you happy with the status quo or how will you work to change that? Can you share your plan on how Arizona can improve it's school funding to at least a competitive level? Be specific.
I do not believe that funding is the problem. The legislature should work with the Superintendent of Public Instruction to review possible changes in curriculum to achieve higher better educated graduate.
Do you think that class-size affects academic performance? How and at what size?
Smaller class rooms allow for more Individualized teaching. The ability of the teacher plays an important part of class size.
How do you feel about the unfunded mandate of the AIMS test (or a similar test) when teachers spend a large portion of their school year "teaching to the test"? Be specific.
I am not sure that the AIMS test is the best way of deteriming education results. I would like to see a state requirement of achievement for all schools to use. I am never in favor of unfunded mandates.
Do you believe that the voters approving Prop 301 intended the 2% inflation factor to be applied to the entire M&O budget or just legislatively selected portions of the operating budget?
I am not sure what the voters had in mind with the passing of Prop 301. The only thing we have to go on is the actual reading of the proposition
How do you plan to support districts with textbook adoptions with the decrease/limits on soft capital funding? Do you understand that many districts such as CCUSD operate with textbooks that are ten years old?
I would like to see all of our public schools using the same text so the state can use it's purcasing power to negotiate the lowest price for text books. I would like to explore the possiblity of supplementin text books with a system of schools to have the abbility to print out periodic updates for distribution to the students.
The budget cuts have eliminated the funding for the Gifted Students Educational Program. With the passing of Prop 100 what legislative measures will you take to restore this funding to meet the many critical needs for our brightest minds and high acheivers in AZ?
Distance learning may be a better way to allow gifted students to achieve their needs. School chice is another option.
Where and what grade level classrooms have you observed in the last 12 months? What specifics can you share about class size and per pupil expenditure in those classrooms?
No class rooms were observed. Prevoiusly I had observed class room within the Murphy School District as part of my Rotary activities
Due to our district's low poverty, or "free and reduced lunch" level, do you understand the disparity that places CCUSD at a disadvantage for federal and grant application-based funding, and would you be willing to support legislation that would allow districts such as CCUSD in low-poverty areas to secure supplemental funding to reach curriculum or achievement standards that may be desired by the governing board? If so, what might those funding sources be? (please cite examples such as local prop tax, program fees, etc.)
I will need additional information on the number of low income students with in your district
Do you support performance pay programs like Career Ladders and Prop 301 for teachers?
Yes. I am infavor of higher pay for performance to encourage retention of the best teachers.
In constructing new schools, do you believe that bonding or direct general fund support is the most efficient and cost effective?
I am not infavor of bonding because or the interest incured with the debt. I would prefer pay as you gousing the general funds
Would you support a requirement that all new education policy initiatives proposed by the legislature contain a fiscal note and be required to include all necessary funding prior to adoption?
Yes
Do you think the Constitutional requirement to fund a general and uniform public education system should take precedence over programs supporting private schools?
No. I support school choice for parents
Please describe your level of support for school vouchers and private school tax credits, how should they be used (if at all), to whom should they be given/used for, and how would you change the current system in place? Be specific.
I support vouchers and tax credits to allow parents the choice of schools for their children.
Do you feel that the use of Vouchers and private school tax credits is appropriate considering the struggle that our public education system has recently faced and continues to face? Be specific.
The use of vouchers and tax credits allow for competition. Everyone benefits.