David Schapira (D)
Web site: www.davidforaz.com
Position: District 17 state House Representative
Former math teacher David Schapira, 26, is running for one of two seats in the Arizona House of Representatives.
What unique experience would you bring to the job?
I think having taught in a high school classroom is important. I think having that personal experience of knowing what the impacts of public policy are in a classroom would definitely benefit me in the state Legislature.
What are the most important issues for District 17?
I think education. Obviously for our district higher education is a huge issue that's been largely ignored by the state Legislature, and tuition has gone up increasingly.
What are the most important issues for ASU?
I think keeping tuition low is important, but it doesn't begin and end there. I've taken classes at ASU and I've taught public school here in our state, and the predominant issue as far as classroom management is class-size reduction. Specifically on campus, a lot of freshmen have classes that have hundreds of students in them, and it's tough when you can't directly ask the professor questions, when the TAs are so incredibly busy.
What can the state Legislature do about rising education costs?
[I would make] sure that the state Legislature is taking its responsibility and following our state's constitution, which says higher education should be as nearly free as possible. It really is incumbent on the Legislature to make sure that our state's universities get adequate funding so that tuition will not be increased like it has been in the past few years.
Why should ASU students vote for you?
I think that when it comes to the effect that the state Legislature has on the day-to-day lives of ASU students, my plans at the Legislature will benefit ASU students in more ways than just what will change at the University. ... And so in addition to investing as much as I can into our state universities, I will also work to make sure that when you folks graduate there will be good-paying jobs out there for you in Arizona.
Compiled by Jonathan J. Cooper. Reach the reporter at jonathan.cooper@asu.edu
