Teresa Leyba Ruiz has more than 30 years of experience as an educator and is the former president of Glendale Community College. She faced off against Brett Newby, a behavior analyst from a blue-collar, union family.
Both candidates agreed the state’s voucher system needs more oversight and accountability.
“It feels like this whole program is on autopilot and just millions and millions of dollars are being spent unchecked and unchallenged,” Ruiz said. “That needs to end immediately.”
Newby said it’s important to figure out where those dollars are going but also ensure that students who need special services are taken care of. He spent much of the debate talking about getting more resources to rural schools.
“Our rural schools are in dire need of facility upgrades, infrastructure,” Newby said. “I mean, a lot of the schools in Arizona are older than I am.”
Ruiz focused her comments on restoring respect for educators and allowing schools to dictate their needs.
“There are the school safety grants where schools can decide if they want to apply for a school resource officer or a counselor or social worker,” Ruiz said. “This is where I would really lean into what the schools are asking for.”
The current Arizona superintendent of public instruction, Republican Tom Horne, has said schools applying for safety grants must prioritize armed police officers over school counselors.
