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>>> Coming up next on "Arizona
Horizon," lawmakers release a
budget proposal.
We'll get reaction from
legislative minority leaders.
We'll learn about a program
that encourages
underprivileged girls to
pursue science and
engineering careers.
And we'll look at a local
exhibit of micro-dwellings.
Those stories next on
"Arizona Horizon."
>>> "Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the friends of eight, members
of your Arizona PBS station.
Thank you.
>>> Good evening and welcome
to "Arizona Horizon."
I'm Ted Simons.
The state Senate has released
a budget proposal and ideas
for a new child welfare agency
continue to take shape.
Here now to discuss these and
other issues are Senate
minority leader Anna Tovar,
and house minority leader
Chad Campbell.
Good to see you both again.
Thank you for joining us.
>> Thank you.
>> Budget proposal out of the
Senate here, thoughts.
>> Well, it is a very slim and
trim budget that the Senate
republicans have put out.
Again, we -- I just finished a
three-hour appropriation
committee that addressed the
budget itself.
You know, we had less than 17
hours to review this budget,
and I'm sure that the public
had less of an opportunity as
well.
In appropriations in the three
hour meeting, we had zero
public participation.
It is very concerning how fast
this budget is moving.
And, again, no transparency
process, no public
participation.
It lacks quite a bit of things
in the budget.
>> From over in the other
chamber, what you have seen in
the Senate proposal, what you
are expecting from your own
group of fellows there,
thoughts.
>> Yeah, this budget just
doesn't pass the test.
I mean, it is not a good budget
for the state at all.
It is not close to the
governor's budget.
It probably is not going to be
close to what we're proposing
from the house democratic side
and probably not close to what
I think the speaker wants to
see in his budget.
But it is severely lacking
funding in a couple of key
areas, and that's education,
one.
And then child welfare, CPS,
child protective services,
child support services, there
is not enough money in there to
get the job done.
After all we learned from the
CPS disaster, failings of the
agency, the fact that the
Senate president is pushing out
a budget that doesn't address
that is unacceptable.
$31 million, CPS successor, $5
million for the transition.
I think that is mostly a place
holder here.
Governor wants $81 million.
Is this the Senate president
and Senate republicans saying
this is a starting point, we
can move from here.
>> No, I believe it is just an
exercise in futility.
This definitely throws a monkey
wrench into the whole project.
It doesn't fully fund and have
a solid commitment of an
investment in public education,
and as representative Campbell
mentioned, the CPS, you know,
placeholder.
If we learned something from
last year in the fiasco is that
we have to address this issue
properly.
And coming out with a budget
such as this really leaves us
vulnerable to what happened
last year with our
uninvestigated cases.
>> The Senate version I think
is $9.2 billion in spending,
$100 million more than last
fiscal year, that is an
increase, is it not?
>> Yes, it is.
The math is an increase,
definitely.
But it is not enough.
And we're coming out of
recession.
We have had five, six years of
massive cuts to our
infrastructure, massive cuts to
education most notably.
And for all of the touting that
governor Brewer does of the
track record under education,
education governor, she has cut
funds for schools than any
other governor in the history
of state.
We have to catch up.
We have to reinvest.
$100 million simply isn't going
to do it.
We have money again.
We have needs.
We need to use the money to
fulfill the needs just like you
would in your personal budget.
If you hadn't been making money
and all of the sudden you
started to make money again and
your kids needed things for
school, clothing, food, you
would make sure that you
started to buy those things.
You wouldn't sit on that money.
You would spend it so your
family was better off.
>> There are some things in the
Senate proposal that goes
against the governor in a
curious way.
Highway user funds.
Sounds as though the Senate is
saying we can transition some
of that money back to where it
is supposed to go in the first
place.
Governor's proposal had nothing
there.
>> That is an important issue.
Think you have an agreement
with all parties in the
legislature -- we have an
infrastructure that is
crumbling.
Outside of Maricopa county, we
have streets, roads in cities
and counties that are falling
apart and that are a safety
hazard for many of the
constituents.
The issue addresses the issue
of tourism.
We have to have the
infrastructure in place.
The issue, it has bipartisan
support, you know, from people
there at the capitol and from
cities and towns.
It is definitely a step in the
right direction if we want to
move Arizona forward.
>> How many steps in the right
direction does there need to be
for democrats to say, you know,
you're going to wind up with
option A, option B, and maybe
an option C.
>> Yes.
>> But none of those options
are going to be democratic
proposals.
At what point do you choose one
or do you just say can't go
there?
>> You know, I don't know.
We have to see.
What we would like to see,
though, is for us to be at the
table like we were last year
under the Medicare debate --
job creation -- I think that is
what the people of the state
want.
I think people are sick of
partisan politics.
Sick of one party dominating,
be it the republicans here,
democrats somewhere else.
They want the parties to work
together.
When we work together what we
get is usually a better result
and that is something we can do
here with the budget.
>> Nothing in here for the
common core -- that has to
change.
The governor is big on this.
I know a lot of folks.
Is that the kind of thing, like
Medicaid last session, you
could find yourself in a
coalition making change?
>> I believe education is the
key for us to move the state
forward.
This issue of the common core
or lack of the funding in the
current budget is a big issue.
Currently the -- in the past
week, in the Senate, we've
essentially killed four
anti-common core bills.
That was joined together with
democrats and republicans.
Now we see a republican budget
that says just the opposite.
That says we're against common
core.
Again, does it have -- this
budget has no money for the
assessments.
So, it really is detrimental to
our schools.
They have invested millions of
dollars, thousands of hours in
time in training our teachers
and yet, you know, they're
taking extreme position right
now of not moving our
educational system forward.
The other issue as well in
education, not properly funding
in public education.
We see bills in not only the
house and Senate that give
funding to private schools.
We are handing over taxpayer
money without any
accountability and
encouraging -- we have our
superintendent, a public
education -- he is a
superintendent of public
education, not private
education.
He is essentially giving money
to private schools.
>> Certainly making robo calls
to that effect.
You have education.
You also have CPS successor
here.
I will call it the successor
because we don't know what it
is going to be called.
That could be a position in
which democrats again could
find themselves in a coalition.
We're seeing like maybe draft
work coming up here.
What are we hearing?
>> In the initial stages.
Don't want to get too far ahead
of ourselves.
Agreement between some
republicans and democrats,
separate the agency, reform in
how the cases are handled from
the intake and -- and we need
to get money.
If you look at this budget that
senator Biggs put out, again,
there is not enough money for
caseworkers.
It doesn't come near close
enough in terms of meeting
funding priorities that the
governor has outlined and I
think most of us on the
democratic side agree with when
it comes to fixing CPS.
One thing that we need to focus
on and this is where I think
the democrats and a group of
republicans could join
together, preventative services
to help keep children out of
the CPS in the first place.
Child care subsidy, fund that
program again, allow the single
mothers going back to work and
have the child in child care
instead of leaving them home
with -- we need to put child
care subsidies back in the
budget.
Should be a priority.
I think we can get that done
this year.
>> Audits, oversight could be
part of the plan -- good ideas?
>> Absolutely good ideas.
If we are going to learn from
our mistakes, we must address
the real issues.
Draft legislations that are
coming out.
Again, the issue of
preventative and intervention
services needs to be tackled,
and, again, the issue of
neglect, what the focus is of
the new agency is it going to
be solely on child safety?
Is it going to be again
incorporating child prevention
services and intervention
services?
Today, I mean, it is a perfect
opportunity for us to set the
reset button on CPS and we need
to do it jointly and work
together on this process.
>> Before we go, new
registration, voter
registration numbers are out.
>> Yes.
>> Independents are number one,
which is a surprise.
Republicans number two.
Democrats are not only number
three, they have lost -- you
guys have lost ground even
more.
What is going on out there and
how do you -- I mean, we
understand -- how do you
address it?
>> Yeah, I think there is two
things going on.
I think this is a trend we're
seeing nation wide first of
all.
Independent affiliation is
growing as people I think are
getting fed up with partisan
politics and I think a lot of
that is coming from D.C. and
filtering to the local level.
Younger people are registering
as independents more and more.
And even though they're
probably going to register as
independent, they're probably
going to vote more with
democrats than they do with
republican because they're
probably more progressive on
the social issues.
I -- just because they're
registering I does not mean
they don't affiliate many ways
with democrats as --
>> You have the issue with
1062, Garner much attention and
have people come out and
register.
As representative Campbell
said, yes, more independents
being registered.
The issues presented at the
state capitol, political bills
being presented will engage not
only the Latino community, but
include the LGBT community,
come out and voice their
disagreement with -- with what
is happening at the capitol
and, again, we have great
candidates that are running for
office that will engage voters
and have them come out and turn
out the vote here in Arizona.
>> I'm happy people are
registering as independent.
I hope they look at parties --
and actually look at
candidates.
I think that is better for our
side than their side in our
state.
I hope these independents will
start to vote in primaries.
That's where the elections are
being decided and we are seeing
more extremism and more
division because you have a
small group of people,
especially on the republican
side, controlling the outcome
of the elections and they do
not reflect the vast majority
of voters.
>> Again, what you think and
hoping is happening out there,
and what is happening is people
are falling off of the
democratic party bus why and
what do you plan to do to
address it?
>> As far as the democratic
party, we have a plan to go out
and engage voters and register
them as well.
Like representative Campbell
said people need to be engaged
in the primaries.
That is the focus of turning
Arizona blue.
You know, in the coming future
as well.
But, again, it is about looking
and holding our elected
officials accountable.
It is one thing to say you
support education and it is
another thing to vote.
Holding our public officials
accountable, getting engaged in
the process.
That is essentially what I
think every Arizonan wants.
>> We have to stop it right
there.
>> Thank you.
>>> Tonight's focus on Arizona
technology and innovation
looks at a compu-girls, a
program for adolescent girls
that combines computational
skills with key areas of
social justice.
The program was founded by
Kimberly Scott, women and
gender studies associate
professor at ASU's school of
social transformation.
Scott was recently honored at
the White House for being a
stem access champion of change.
>> Congratulations on that
honor.
Very nice.
>> Thank you.
It was a lot of fun.
>> Let's talk about
compu-girls.
Give me a definition.
>> It is a technology program
second airily, really focused
on getting girls ages 13 to 18
to redefine themselves and use
technology in the process.
>> I notice that it was -- the
quote here was culturally
relevant tech program for
girls.
What does that mean culturally
relevant.
>> Since then we have really
thought about that and we
talked about it being
culturally responsive.
We are trying to provide girls
with the skills so that they
can find themselves.
So many of the girls come from
under privileged backgrounds,
girls from group homes.
Girls who are TRUANTS, girls
that are teen moms.
So what we do is have lessons
and activities so that the
girls can question their
identities and ultimately
transform them and then in the
process, further their
communities.
>> Is it a question of raising
the bar or just making a
different bar to hurdle?
>> I think it is making a
different bar.
Not necessarily to hurdle, but
a different bar in order to
bring not only yourself but
your peers into a different
type of playing field.
>> Encourages computational
thinking.
>> I think it is a fancy way of
critical thinking.
Computational thinking refers
to getting students to think
more like a computer, but I
think it is more like how to
approach a problem in a way
that makes sense.
One of the young ladies said
after her experience in
compu-girls, she may not be
able to know everything how a
hardware, software works, but
she has the thinking skills to
figure it out.
And I think that is a great
example.
>> Is it the situation where
some girls come in and you just
know that they need to be
convinced that he can do it?
They probably can do it, but
they need to be convinced that
they can do it.
>> In our experience, most of
the girls know that they can do
it.
In fact, that's why they're
there, but they haven't had
access to the resources or the
opportunities to do it.
>> Yeah, so that is an
important thing.
As well as, again, I'm using
some words from your stuff,
techno social analytical skill.
What does that mean?
>> Yes.
We are trying to get girls to
be techno-social change agents.
Not only seeing your identity
as a leader in your community,
an individual who can change
the way the community functions
and improve it, but use the
technology to engage in that
process.
>> Talk about the technology.
What is used?
>> So, we use -- video
documentaries.
We use scratch, which is a
software produced by MIT
teaching the girls how to
create games or simulations and
we play around with virtual
world, in which the girls
create culminating projects.
>> Talk about this -- open SIM
technology.
That is like Sim City
technology.
>> Yes, we have used Sim City.
>> Do they enjoy this?
Do you have to keep pushing or
do you have to slow them down
because they're so excited
about it?
>> They're typically very
excited.
When I first started the
program in 2007, I wanted to be
enjoyable and I limited the
time.
It was the girls who said they
needed more time.
They would ask the mentor
teachers to come in on Saturday
and Sunday's.
>> Good luck with that.
>> Yes.
>> The peer mentoring approach,
what is that?
>> What we do is as the girls
progress through the courses,
we teach them how to not only
be accountable to themselves
but to the group as a whole.
And so part of that is having
the girls identify their
strengths and share it with the
group and teach other group
members how to identify their
strengths.
>> Again, is this the kind of
thing that works in conjunction
with regular schooling?
Is it regular -- how does that
dynamic play out?
>> Here in the state of
Arizona, and we are the mother
site because we do have a site
in Colorado.
A couple of sites in Colorado.
Here in Arizona, we typically
offer our programming during
school breaks.
So, it's fall break.
In fact, we have a group of 40
going right now during spring
break, and Colorado, however,
they have integrated the
program sometimes within the
school in the eighth period.
>> When you talk about under
privileged girls, resource
districts, what are looking at?
What kind of girl, if there is
such a thing, the typical girl
involved in the program?
>> And that's a really good
question.
There really isn't a typical
girl per se.
What we found is many of the
girls have not necessarily come
from two-family households.
As I indicated earlier, some of
them have come from group
homes.
They're in transition.
Some of the girls don't attend
school regularly because they
feel that the school doesn't
trust them.
And then we do have some girls
who are the stars.
What we do is not accept a girl
based on her GPA or her
academic achievement but based
on her willingness to engage in
the program.
>> With that in mind, how do
you assess how they're doing?
How do you -- are there tests?
Are there guidelines out there?
How do you assess?
>> Oh, no, not tests.
We do not do tests and I think
that is part of the appeal.
We do have mentor teachers who
are following a curriculum that
I co-created and there are
specific benchmarks throughout
the curriculum.
Peer mentors, many of whom are
individuals that have graduated
from the program and come back
and volunteer their time and
they give a lot of one on one
or one to five interactions
with the girls saying how
they're doing.
We also demonstrate to the
girls some of the more
successful projects from the
past, and they can gauge their
progress based on their
assessments.
>> Do some of the more
successful girls from the past
come back and help out?
>> Absolutely.
Some of them come back and help
out.
Some of them also help to
publicize the program.
Recruitment periods, many of
the girls both in Colorado and
here will go out on the
campaign trail, so to speak,
and in addition, many of the
girls have had the opportunity
to present with me at national
and international conferences.
>> For those who come, maybe a
fractured family in a way, but
those who do have relatives or
family, what kind of reaction
are you getting from them when
they see the girls doing this?
>> Wonderful.
The parents and care givers
have been exceptionally
supportive.
At the end of each of the
courses, and we presently have
three courses, the girls
organize a showcase.
And we call -- a closing
ceremony, and we invite
community leaders.
In fact, you are invited if you
would like to attend, and their
parents and grandparents and
grass top and grass roots
leaders and we get some
wonderful support.
>> I know you mentioned 2007
was when this started.
>> Correct.
>> And this is your baby here.
>> Yes.
>> Was there one thing that got
you off on this?
I mean, obviously it is a great
idea.
It is a good inception, but was
there one person, one thing
that where you said I have to
do this?
>> There is many things, but I
guess the biggest moment for me
was when I was teaching in the
4th grade classroom back east
in what was considered a high
needs district.
I was consistently and
regularly depressed by how so
many adults did not believe in
the children.
And in their disbelief, they
prevented them, I felt, from
many times having access to
rigorous curricula, high
expectations and ultimately to
them fulfilling their
achievement.
>> Now you changed that, do you
see the world having changed a
little along those lines?
>> I think the world has
changed.
I think that resonates with the
point that occurred at the
White House.
There were 10 of us doing very
similar work in terms of trying
to engage a broader community
with access to stem.
>> Congratulations again on the
honor by the White House.
>> Thank you.
>> Continued success with
compu-girls.
You're doing great work.
Good to have you here.
Thanks for joining us.
>> Thank you.
>>> In tonight's focus on
sustainability, we take a
video tour of a
micro-dwelling exhibit.
Micro-dwellings are very small
homes that are often built
with salvage material and are
designed to have positive
benefits on the environment.
An exhibition of
micro-dwellings is on display
at the Shemer art center and
museum in Phoenix.
Videographer Juan Magana
recently visited the exhibit.
>> The Shemer art center is
presenting an exhibit of
micro-dwellings.
Each builder is creative.
It's all do-it-yourself
products.
The way the builders approached
this exhibit was with the
guideline of having to create
something that was 600 square
feet or less.
Many of these builders have
used recycled or repurposed
materials.
Many of them have also used
found objects.
As you can see, we talked about
found objects.
This steam shovel has been
repurposed and is now a pizza
oven.
Every weekend, he is offering
pizza on site that has been
baked in the oven of the bay
city steam shovel.
This building was designed by
Dan Dwyer.
And it is all out of Styrofoam.
Most of them will be taking
down and then transporting to
another location where they
will then hook up Plumbing and
electricity and that kind of
thing.
But, yes, some of these
buildings are designed so that
you could actually live off the
grid, so to speak, and live
more simply.
This dwelling actually is
called the beetle box.
It pays homage to a mid-century
architect who lived and worked
here in Phoenix.
I think most of the dwellings
have been done for very
personal reasons.
A lot of them you will see are
studio spaces.
So, or an outdoor space like
the beetle box to extend, you
know, the indoor living, urban
living to be more outdoors and
that kind of thing.
This dwelling was actually
built as a studio for a
landscape architect.
The design that is so unique
about this it is all meant to
be indoors outdoors.
This is an exhibit of what can
be done in order to sort of
live off the grid.
>> The collected
micro-dwellings will be on
display through March 23rd.
For more information, check out
Shemerartscenter.org.
Tomorrow, our weekly look at
state politics with the
"Arizona Capitol Times" and we
talk with Congressman Gosar
about the issues on capitol
hill.
That is all of the time we have
right now.
Thank you for joining us.
You have a great evening.
>> "Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the friends of eight, members
of your Arizona PBS station.
Thank you.
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