I grew up going to Tucson public schools and as a first-generation college student attended the University of Arizona. After college, I went on to serve my community on the Sunnyside Unified School Board becoming the youngest school board president in the district’s history. Serving on the school board cemented in me the importance of investing in our public schools and supporting teachers. In the State House, I stood up to Republican education cuts and secured $20 million in new funding for public schools, helping to hire more school resource officers, counselors, and social workers. We need to invest in our public schools and empower parents and teachers to help our students succeed. The extraordinary challenges of remote learning have left a real impact on our kids. It is more important than ever to hire more teachers and pay them the wages they deserve. Securing more money for school resource officers will also help to expand mental health resources for students across the state.