John Kavanagh
What is your education and relevant experience for this office?
PhD in Criminal Justice (Rutgers) MA in Government (St. John's Univ. NYC) BA in Liberal Arts (N.Y.U.) State Representative - 4 years Town Councilman - 9 years
If you have children, do you/did you send them to public school? If so, did they graduate from a public school?
Two children - both public school graduates
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. I have fought to keep reductions to public education as low as possible and I have helped pass law changes to give schools greater flexibility in money allocations. I have also advocated for greater and stricter standardized testing to inject accountability into the system.
Will you work to protect public education from any further budget cuts?
Yes
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?
I believe that the current funding formula is the result of 30 years of political compromise and deal making, which has created a nightmare system that is unfair and confusing. If you would like to see how bad it is, go to http://www.arizonatax.org and download a copy of a booklet that tries to explain it - no matter how many times you read it, you will still be confused. The system needs to be simplified, although some special funding must remain to account for the increased costs of educating special education students, greater transportation costs in rural areas, etc. We need a special legislative task force to straighten out this mess and I would support such an initiative. We also need to put more money into the classroom and make the system more efficient and results-orientated. I would involve all parties, particularly parents, in a reform process.
Should the education formula be based on seat time and average daily membership or on student academic progress and successful achievement of academic standards?
A combination of both would be best.
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.
Actually, when you add in all of the monies that the state contributes to education, including constructing schools, we give a little under $10,000 per student to schools, which puts us a little below the median nationwide. I believe that we need to get more of that money into the classroom and I support a legislative mandate to do so.
Do you think that class-size affects academic performance? How and at what size?
Yes, I do. But no one size fits all situations. Factors such as grade level, special education needs and subject matter should all play a role in determining the correct class size for each class. I think educators are best equipped to make such decisions.
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 believe that standardized testing challenges and motivates both teachers and students. I also believe that if the test's subject matter is what students need to know, then "teaching to the test" is a great idea.
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 do not know and that may be an unknowable fact. The ballot measure was poorly worded. In any event, a judge will soon make that important determination.
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?
Hopefully, money can be found to do so. In addition, I support giving administrators maximum flexibility to move monies around within the school budget.
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?
It is too early to tell where we are at in the budget. Whether or not voters allow the state to use about $450 million in "voter protected monies" will make a big difference.
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?
I have spoken to teachers and administrators but have not done a classroom observation in the last 12 months.
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 do not believe that the state should legislate local funding initiatives.
Do you support performance pay programs like Career Ladders and Prop 301 for teachers?
I support performance pay and also believe that poorly performing teachers should improve or leave the profession.
In constructing new schools, do you believe that bonding or direct general fund support is the most efficient and cost effective?
The problem with the state's school construction program is that the state has assumed responsibility to build ALL schools. Under this system, communities such as Cave Creek and Scottsdale, where most schools have already been built, must pay for the construction of new schools in developing areas. I believe that new development should pay for new schools and not Scottsdale taxpayers. I would return school construction responsibility to local districts, which would relieve Scottsdale and Cave Creek of the economic burden of building schools elsewhere.
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?
Most but not necessarily all. I would prefer to respond to specific examples. One size fits all rarely works in government.
Do you think the Constitutional requirement to fund a general and uniform public education system should take precedence over programs supporting private schools?
Yes
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 such programs to the extent that they reduce the per student costs to the state and free up money to be used elsewhere, including in our public schools. I would give first preference to poverty students, who would not otherwise be able to attend such private schools.
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.
To the extent that they reduce the per student costs to the state and free up state money to be used elsewhere, including in our public schools, I do not believe that they are necessarily a drain on public schools.