increased the awareness of education issues in Arizona and helped move the needle. “I think we’ve seen a lot of improvement over the years, including education being the top issue for voters,” she said. “We started Vote 4 Education 10 years ago, and we have tools for people to study up and speak up — things to ask people running for office that they can lean in on and learn more about how they approach education.” The point is that virtually every important decision regarding education funding and policy in the state is made by an elected official — or by voters directly at the ballot box. To wit, as Thompson broke it down: • The federal government heavily funds early childhood (age 0-5) programs, so the president, Senate and House of Representatives make the key decisions. • For kindergarten through 12th grade, there’s a mixture of funding on the local, state and federal level. On the state level, the governor and the Arizona Legislature determine education funding, which is overseen by elected school boards on the local level. Local voters get to directly weigh in on bond and override elections — bonds generally build facilities, and overrides usually are for programs. • Local dollars generally fund community colleges with some state funding outside Maricopa and Pima counties. Community college districts have an elected board of directors that sets policy and oversees funding. • On the university level, the state Legislature appropriates funding. The universities are overseen by a Board of Regents appointed by the governor. See a common thread there? Your vote directly impacts who is making decisions on education policy — Our students are counting on us to make sure education is a top priority for our elected leaders. SEPT/OCT 2020 | 28 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA

and you even vote directly on bonds and overrides, as well as statewide ballot initiatives such as the Invest in Ed initiative on the November ballot. “You ask somebody if they are ‘for education,’ and 99.9 times out of 100, they will say yes,” Thompson said. “You need to get into the details to see if a candidate’s values align with yours as a voter. Education is not a red or blue issue — it impacts everyone in our community.” While everything is made a little more challenging by the pandemic, Thompson encourages voters not to be distracted from important issues. “It’s vital to be engaged in the process and ask questions about everything,” she said. “Ask questions of the candidates and proponents and opponents of various proposals. How is this going to better education in Arizona, and what are you doing to move the ball forward? Education is going to be the key to unlocking Arizona’s potential, our children’s potential, and engaging in new ways while we’re dealing with COVID.” To learn more, go to expectmorearizona.org/vote-4-education . Refinancing your mortgage will cost more thanks to a new fee from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Recently, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac surprised us all by announcing a new fee on refinance transactions, which caused a knee-jerk reaction in the mortgage market. It ended up affecting both purchases and refis, and by much more than the amount implied by the fee. “As a result of risk management and loss forecasting precipitated by COVID-19-related economic and market uncertainty, we are introducing a new Market Condition Credit Fee in Price,” Freddie Mac wrote to lenders. Now, had the housing agencies not implemented it so abruptly, things would be very different, but the damage is done. On Aug. 17, 2020, mortgage rates were noticeably higher than at the beginning of the week, even though the bond market said they should be lower. From here on out, we expect them to be better-connected but still prone to inconsistencies for the next few weeks. If you’re in the middle of a refi and have not locked in your rate, you will see a slight difference in the rate or cost. The great news is, rates are still historically low and it’s still a great time to refinance. KIESHA McFADDEN CHECKING IN WITH... MARKET UPDATE /// FALL PHILANTHROPY /// I’m incredibly excited to be part of this year’s Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels (AHRA) Night of Hope Gala on 10/24/20 as a sponsor and captain of Team Fight Like a Kid. AHRA’s mission is to bring dignity and comfort into the harsh world of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. And though this year’s event will be slightly different, we plan to make the same important impact when it comes to childhood cancer. To buy tickets for the in-person or virtual event, bid on auction items, or donate to Team Fight Like a Kid, go to one.bidpal.net/nightofhope2020. 16930 E. Palisades Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 NMLS #1467650 KIESHA MCFADDEN | 480.252.9365 Kiesha@TolisMortgageUSA.com NMLS #198458 Tom Evans | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR