Senate Republicans Pass Creative Solution to Address Classroom Challenges in Arizona's K-12 Schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                     

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Senate Republicans Pass Creative Solution to Address

Classroom Challenges in Arizona's K-12 Schools

PHOENIX, ARIZONA— In an effort to address teacher shortages and provide school district officials with better insight of the day-to-day challenges educators face inside the classroom, Senate Republicans are supporting legislation to require school district administrators lead classroom instruction annually in Arizona's K-12 public schools.

SB 1427, sponsored by Senate Education Chairman David Farnsworth, passed out of the Senate today and now heads to the House for consideration. The bill requires each full-time administrative employee of Arizona's district and charter schools to provide classroom instruction as a substitute teacher at least once per school year. This includes school principals, superintendents, business managers, and other employees who provide administrative services to schools. These individuals must have a fingerprint clearance card and must be on good standing, free from disciplinary action, in order to qualify for participation.

"Administrators can make or break our schools, so it is imperative these individuals have a clear understanding of what is going on in the classroom. They should be directly connected to classroom culture and not out-of-touch with the working conditions teachers face, along with the successes or failures of the students they're tasked with leading. What better way to ensure this than to require active classroom participation?" said Chairman Farnsworth. "SB 1427 helps facilitate informed decision-making from administrators while providing a creative solution to help address Arizona's teacher shortage by supplying an untapped crop of substitute teachers who can step up to fill-in when absences occur. I'm thankful to my Senate colleagues who see the value in this legislation, and I'm optimistic the bill will receive the support needed in the House to make it to the Governor's desk, where she will hopefully sign it into law."

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov