Arizona elected officials visit schools for National Public Schools Week

PHOENIX — State elected officials are visiting schools all across Arizona as part of National Public Schools Week.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman kicked off the visits Wednesday at Kuban Elementary School in Phoenix. She visited several classrooms and spoke with students.

“Visiting schools is one of the best parts of my job,” Hoffman said. “I get to see firsthand all the amazing achievements of our students and it also gives me a chance to meet with school leaders and teachers.”

During her visit on Wednesday, Hoffman also met with a group of teachers and staff members who pointed to some of the challenges the school faces. They shared that up until recently, the school didn’t have a library due to lack of funding.

.⁦@Supt_Hoffman⁩ visited Kuban Elementary School in Phoenix today. It’s part of several school visits across AZ by elected officials to mark National Public Schools Week. They’re shadowing teachers, meeting w/ students and learning about school challenges. ⁦@KTAR923⁩ pic.twitter.com/OK4n0tbheF

— Griselda Zetino (@GriseldaZetino) March 27, 2019

The group also spoke about how their school went from being classified as a “D” school under the Arizona Department of Education’s letter grade system to now being a “B” school.

Principal Jose Trevizo credits his school’s academic improvement to the work teachers have done and the professional development they’ve received, as well as the students themselves.

“They are resilient, they’re intelligent and they come in with a positive attitude,” he said.

Hoffman’s visit to Kuban Elementary School is just one of several expected this week. About 20 other elected officials, including state lawmakers, are visiting schools all across the state. Save Our Schools Arizona coordinated the visits.

Hoffman said she hopes state lawmakers will get to learn about some of the accomplishments public schools are proud of, as well as the challenges they face.

“Funding continues to be an issue for our schools, so I hope the lawmakers will look around and think about what our students would be capable of if they had all the resources they needed to be successful,” she said.

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