Welcome to 🌵 Arizona Unscripted—the podcast where we celebrate the people, places, history, food, events, and local stories that make Arizona one of the most fascinating states in America. Each week, host Bart and co-hosts Diane and Jim, and Kathryn bring together guests from communities across the Grand Canyon State for relaxed, unscripted conversations about the issues, people, and experiences shaping life in Arizona. Whether you're a lifelong resident, a newcomer, or simply love discovering the Grand Canyon State, 🌵 Arizona Unscripted invites you to join the conversation.

In this episode, we turn our attention to one of Arizona's most important topics—education. Bart, Diane, and Jim are joined by Jacob George, a public school board member, and Beth Lewis, educator and co-founder of Save Our Schools Arizona, for a thoughtful discussion about public education, school funding, Arizona's ESA voucher program, and the role schools play in building strong communities.

The conversation explores the importance of public schools in both urban and rural Arizona, the challenges educators face, how education shapes the future of our communities, and why informed civic engagement matters. Our guests also share their personal journeys into education advocacy and discuss ways Arizonans can become more involved in supporting their local schools.

Whether you're a parent, educator, student, community leader, or simply someone who cares about the future of Arizona, this episode offers an informative and respectful conversation about one of the issues that affects us all.

Thank you for joining us on 🌵 Arizona Unscripted—where every community has a story worth telling, and every conversation helps us better understand the people and places that make Arizona unique.