Anthony Ramirez Releases STEM Education Proposal Focused on Arizona’s Teachers and Workforce

Recognizing Solutions, Not Just Talking Points

Anthony Ramirez’s STEM education white paper has been selected as the first recipient of the Independent First Place Public Policy Award, recognizing a policy proposal developed by an independent candidate that goes beyond identifying a problem and works toward a concrete solution.

We believe public service should be about more than discussing what is wrong. We want to encourage candidates to research the issues facing Arizona, develop thoughtful proposals, and put forward ideas that can actually be evaluated, debated, improved, and potentially implemented. Ramirez’s white paper is an example of that kind of effort, laying out a detailed approach to STEM education, teacher recruitment, student achievement, and Arizona’s future workforce.

We also want to hear from other candidates who are doing the same. If you are a candidate with a policy proposal, white paper, or specific solution you believe could help Arizona, please let us know. Our goal is to encourage more candidates to move beyond talking points and contribute substantive ideas to the public conversation.

The proposal, titled “A Cradle-to-Career STEM Pipeline for Arizona,” outlines a long-term plan centered on teacher recruitment and retention, stronger math and science outcomes, better classroom resources, and expanded pathways into high-demand STEM careers.

Why Ramirez Says This Matters

The white paper argues that Arizona’s economic growth is creating a greater need for workers with strong math, science, engineering, and technology skills.

Arizona has become a major center for semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence infrastructure, aerospace, data centers, and advanced manufacturing. Ramirez’s proposal connects that economic growth directly to education, arguing that Arizona needs stronger STEM classrooms and a stronger teacher workforce if students are going to be prepared for those careers.

The paper points to several challenges currently facing Arizona schools. According to the proposal, 33% of Arizona students were at or above grade-level proficiency in math in 2025, while 28% passed the state science assessment. It also notes that Arizona ranked 49th nationally in per-pupil spending for the 2024–25 school year.

A New Funding Proposal for STEM Education

At the center of Ramirez’s plan is a proposal to increase distributions from Arizona’s Permanent Land Endowment Trust Fund.

The white paper proposes raising the distribution from 2.5% to 7.9% and dedicating the additional funding specifically to STEM education across Arizona public schools.

Based on the approximately $10.1 billion value of the trust cited in the paper, Ramirez estimates that the proposal could generate about $532 million in new STEM funding each year above the current 2.5% baseline.

The proposal is intended to apply to both district and charter public schools.

Ramirez also makes clear that this funding would be designed to supplement existing education funding rather than replace programs that schools already rely on.

Investing in STEM Teachers

A major portion of the proposal focuses on attracting and retaining strong STEM teachers.

Ramirez proposes directing the largest share of the new funding toward teacher compensation, recruitment, and shortage incentives. The white paper outlines a three-tier system that would provide retention funding for qualifying teachers, additional performance-based compensation for highly effective educators, and extra incentives for difficult-to-fill subjects and rural teaching positions.

The proposal is specifically designed around merit and performance rather than automatic salary increases based only on seniority or tenure.

Ramirez’s white paper estimates that Arizona currently has roughly 9,000 STEM teachers. Using that estimate, the proposal explores different ways additional funding could be used to increase compensation, recruit new educators, fill vacancies, and strengthen teacher retention.

Building a Statewide STEM Teacher Pipeline

The proposal also calls for creating a stronger statewide system for recruiting and preparing future STEM teachers.

Ramirez proposes expanding the University of Arizona’s existing mathematics-teacher recruitment model into a broader STEM Teacher Recruitment and Retention Center.

The center could help recruit STEM graduates, engineers, scientists, veterans, and other professionals into teaching. It would also support scholarships, loan forgiveness, accelerated certification pathways, mentoring, professional development, and partnerships between schools, universities, and Arizona employers.

Strengthening Math Education Earlier

Another major part of the plan focuses on improving math achievement before students reach high school.

The proposal calls for expanded K–5 numeracy screening, tutoring for students who are falling behind, stronger middle-school math programs, and increased access to accelerated coursework.

Over time, Ramirez’s goal is to make Algebra I available in seventh grade to academically prepared students throughout Arizona. The white paper describes this as a gradual process that would require stronger math preparation throughout elementary and middle school, rather than simply moving students into advanced classes earlier.

Additional Support for Students Who Fall Behind

Ramirez’s proposal also includes additional intervention for students struggling with mathematics.

Under the plan, K–8 students who fail a core math course or score in the lowest performance category on the state math assessment would generally be required to participate in a funded summer-learning program or another intensive intervention before moving forward.

The proposal compares this approach to Arizona’s existing Move On When Reading model and includes exemptions for certain students. Schools would also report participation and outcomes to the Arizona Department of Education.

A Long-Term Approach

One of the central ideas behind the white paper is that Arizona’s education challenges will not be solved through a short-term program.

Ramirez lays out a 20-year vision that begins with stabilizing the STEM teacher workforce and strengthening early math education. Later phases focus on expanding advanced coursework, reducing teacher shortages, improving rural access to STEM education, and steadily increasing statewide math proficiency.

The paper ultimately sets a long-term target of reaching 65% to 75% or higher math proficiency and positioning Arizona among the stronger-performing states for STEM education. These figures are presented as long-term goals within the proposal rather than guaranteed outcomes.

Accountability and Oversight

The proposal also includes several accountability measures.

Ramirez calls for administrative costs to be capped at 7%, teacher compensation to be connected to performance standards, and new funding to be limited to approved STEM-related uses.

Schools and districts would also be required to publicly report how funds are being used and provide information to the Arizona Department of Education about teacher performance categories and student participation in intervention programs.

The white paper also acknowledges that Arizona’s constitutional Aggregate Expenditure Limit could affect implementation and would remain an important issue for policymakers to address.

Connecting Arizona Students With Arizona’s Future

The broader focus of Ramirez’s proposal is the connection between education and Arizona’s future economy.

As Arizona continues attracting semiconductor manufacturers, technology companies, aerospace employers, and other advanced industries, the white paper argues that the state also needs to invest in the teachers and classrooms responsible for preparing the next generation of workers.

The proposal attempts to create that connection through a permanent STEM funding source, stronger teacher recruitment and compensation, earlier academic intervention, and a long-term strategy for improving math and science outcomes.

At its core, the white paper presents STEM education not only as an education issue, but also as a workforce and economic-development issue for Arizona.

View his complete whitepaper on his website.
https://ramirezforaz.com/fix-stem-now/