Press Releases

Arizona Education Association (AEA) President Marisol Garcia released the following statement after Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dewain Fox ruled in favor of AEA, the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), the Arizona School Administrators (ASA), Kathy Knecht, and four Arizona public school districts in a case that challenged Arizona’s systemic underfunding of capital needs for public schools.

Arizona Education Association President Marisol Garcia issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s illegal move to freeze more than $118 million in federal funding for Arizona K-12 schools.

The Arizona Education Association sent a letter asking Governor Katie Hobbs to veto HB 2610, a bill that would punish school districts placed under state receivership by forcibly terminating the district superintendent and the elected district governing board.

The Arizona Education Association and the National Council of Jewish Women Arizona led a coalition of thirteen statewide labor and advocacy organizations in a letter asking Governor Katie Hobbs to veto HB 2867 — a dangerous state bill that weaponizes legitimate concerns about antisemitism to weaken professional liability protections for public school educators.

Following the presentation of the 120 Day Receivership Update for the Isaac School District, Arizona Education Association (AEA) President Marisol Garcia sent a letter to the State Board of Education calling for greater input from educators and community members before decisions are made about the future of Isaac schools. Garcia, who was recently re-elected unanimously to lead the nearly 23,000-member union of educators, is a middle-school social studies teacher in the Isaac School District.

Before expected vote in the Senate, organizations urged legislators to reject HB 2867, which exploits legitimate concerns about bigotry to undermine critical protections for public school educators and the communities they serve.

As state lawmakers prepare to release a proposal that would cut educator pay raises and block reforms to Arizona’s bloated and scandal-plagued voucher program, the Arizona Education Association released new polling today showing that Arizona voters prefer the state’s existing Proposition 123 model, which allows school districts to provide raises for teachers and support staff, fund building maintenance, and support other educational needs with money from the state land trust.

Arizona Education Association (AEA) President Marisol Garcia sent a letter on behalf of more than 20,000 Arizona educators urging Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and members of the State Board of Education to reject a proposal that would cut funding for school-based Career & Technical Education programs across Arizona.

Hours after President Trump issued an illegal Executive Order to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, Arizona Education Association President Marisol Garcia delivered a rousing speech to mobilize Arizonans to fight for public education and defend Arizona educators and students.

Arizona Education Association (AEA) President Marisol Garcia announced to members and staff today that Joaquin Rios was selected by the AEA Board of Directors to be the union's next executive director.