Related articles:

Napolitano zeroes in on state's needsNapolitano calls for 'affordable' health care for childrenNapolitano's second term begins with promise to spend more on schools and teachersNapolitano weighs request for state to run photo radar

Mechanical
Pioneer Landscaping
Diesel Fleet Mechanic Trades/Construction
Pioneer Landscaping
Yard Person/Loader Operator Driver/Transportation
CPC Southwest Materials
Drivers Trades/Construction
Pioneer Landscaping
Yard Person/Loader Operator Trades/Construction
Wentz and Patrick Construction
Carpenters & Helpers Production and Manufacturing
Pioneer Landscaping
Crushing Crew Trades/Construction
Baker Brothers Plumbing
Dry Wallers

In her state of the state address Monday, Gov. Janet Napolitano described a number of big-ticket proposals to deal with Arizona's rapid growth — the need for better highways and transportation systems and changes in the state's schools, for example.

In the areas of education, social services and a willingness to commit to transportation innovations, Arizona has a well-documented and embarrassing reputation as an underachiever. If the governor's speech had an underlying theme, it was this: The past is not predictive of the future; positive changes are necessary and possible.

The Tucson version of the state of the state that Napolitano will present at noon today is expected to be based on concepts presented Monday.

But all the lofty goals she sketched out are at the top of a steep hill.

Earlier this month the annual "Quality Counts" report from Education Week ranked Arizona 43rd in academic achievement and 49th for students' "chance for success."

Behind the numbers there's a human cost and an economic black eye for a state that hopes to attract new corporations and professional employees. Employers want not only an educated workforce but good schools for their employees' families.

The governor's speech acknowledges that the state's mandated educational requirements need fixing. She described her "One Arizona Education Initiative" and encouraged the state Board of Education to require students to take four years of math, three years of science, "as well as a solid grounding in language arts, civics and fine arts."

It's about time, we say.

In addition, she recommended raising the age at which a student can quit school. She said she would raise the dropout age from 16 to 18 "and make funds available for tutoring, mentoring and special services to get these at-risk students back on track."

If the standards she proposes are adopted — and we believe they should be — it will create a necessary revolution in Arizona's public education system. Almost every education-related study in the last six years has indicated that we must implement major changes in the system or reconcile ourselves to becoming a haven for unskilled, low-wage workers.

An important part of the governor's fifth state of the state address acknowledges that there is a link between a child's health and his or her ability to learn.

The state already has a public health insurance program, called KidsCare, under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS, and Napolitano wants to build on it. One of the steps she's proposing is absolutely essential. When KidsCare was originally adopted by the Legislature, the law essentially prohibited AHCCCS from contracting with schools to provide outreach.

As the governor explained, "We have an estimated 100,000 children who are eligible for AHCCCS or KidsCare but have never been signed up because their parents simply don't know about it. Even though one of the main places uninsured children are found is at school, we have an outdated law that keeps us from doing simple outreach there. That makes no sense. I call on you to repeal the gag rule. Let teachers talk to parents, so that our children get the health care they deserve."

Perhaps buoyed by her huge victory in last November's election, the governor has laid out a social agenda for her second term that reflects some of the abysmal realities of life in Arizona. In effect, she challenged legislators to set aside their pet ideologies and accept the need for practical remedies.

There was what sounded like a wake-up call in this speech. At long last, there were pronouncements about tackling the demands that come with mind-boggling growth.

"Since 1990, our population has already grown by 65 percent — and it's expected to nearly double again in just over 20 years," Napolitano observed. Arizona is the fastest-growing state in the nation.

But our highways are no longer adequate. Our mass-transit system is still 99 percent talk. And the need for a guaranteed, reliable water source remains a matter demanding immediate attention.

Napolitano's programs for tackling infrastructure needs will be fleshed out when she submits her budget to the Legislature Friday.

We applaud the governor's decision to make a major effort to produce a better-educated population. The push to address growth issues head-on is long overdue, both in the Legislature and the governor's office.