Today, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the members of the Educator Retention Task Force, created by executive order in February. Hobbs said the number of people who applied was impressive, with those selected representing a diverse group of educators, administrators, parents and other professionals statewide.

“The Educator Retention Task Force had 650 applicants, which shows how deeply the people of Arizona resonated with the educator retention crisis. Instead, retention is at stake.said Governor Katie Hobbs. “The work of this task force is important and I am confident that this team will find real solutions. As sisters of two public school teachers, I know they work hard every day for their students. We can and must do better to support educators, students and parents.”

The task force will make recommendations on the educator retention crisis in its report scheduled for December 2023. By holding ongoing stakeholder meetings and conducting surveys, the group hopes to better understand the various issues affecting retention, such as pay and benefits, working conditions, and teachers. increase. preparation program. The task force will also seek feedback from all 650 of her who signed up.

“Education is a great equalizer. If you are going to truly empower a community, it starts with education and teachers are the most important part of making it happen. Influenced by teachers in ways, this Educator Retention Task Force is essential to ensure that this state respects teachers and ensures that they are promoted, recognized, supported, and resourced. They need to be successful in their jobs.” Lloyd Hopkins, founder of the Million Dollar Teacher Project and member of the task force, said:

The first task force meeting will be on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 4:00 pm in the second floor meeting room of the State Capitol. Please RSVP at Press@AZ.GOV.

Members of the Educator Retention Task Force are:

• Tribal community educator– Lynette Stunt, Head Teacher, 3rd Grade, Salt River Elementary School
• Rural school educator— Luisa Arreola, San Luis Middle School Language Teacher
• An educator in an urban school— Violeta Ramos, World Language Teacher, Metro Tech High School
• Title I School Educator- Zel Fowler, Distinguished Head Teacher, Brunson-Lee Elementary School
• Charter school educator- Jennifer Hulbert, Teacher, Champion Schools South Mountain
• recently retired faculty– Sarah Tolar, Education and Workforce Manager, City of Mesa
• Special Education Teacher or Director – Jesus “Anthony” Rovio, Special Education Teacher, Flowing Wells Unified School District
• Educational support professional Curt Bertelsen, Development Director, Pima Joint Education District
• school mental health professional– Janine Menard, College Counselor, Sheely Farms Elementary
• HR professional Justin Wing, Assistant Human Resources Officer, Mesa Public Schools
• School Board Member- Ruth Ellen Elinski, Board Member, Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District
• School administrators from local school districts– Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Superintendent of Education, Stanfield Elementary School District
• School administrators in tribal community school districts– Quincy Natey, Superintendent, Chinle Unified School District
• A school administrator from an urban school district— Jonathan Parker, Principal, Sunny Slope High School
• Parents of children currently attending public schools in Arizona- Jeremiah Gallegos, parent of two children who attend Lyttelton Elementary School
• Representative of a non-profit organization focused on education policy- Marisol Garcia, President, Arizona Education Association
• Dean of a university or department of education Dr. Ramona Mellott, Dean of Education and Professor of Educational Psychology, Northern Arizona University
• Community College Representative– Dr. Jennifer Gresko, Dean of Educator Preparation Program, Rio Salado College
• Professionals with significant experience in educator retention– Lloyd Hopkins, Executive Director and Founder, Million Dollar Teacher Project