Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

Gov. Doug Ducey inked his approval Monday to extending the 0.6-cent sales tax for education until 2041 as an education group which helped pressure for legislative action is mapping out what it plans to do to get some new money into classrooms -- including a possible strike.

The protesters included dozens of teachers from nine schools in west Phoenix and Glendale who called in sick in the first job action teachers have called since organizing earlier this month.

Arizona Senate President Steve Yarbrough said state lawmakers will fast track a bill to permanently extend a sales tax dedicated to public education through both chambers on Thursday.

Nothing in HB 2460 requires a school district to sell or rent to anyone. But the bill says that once a property is offered for sale a lease, the district cannot pull it off the market "solely because a charter school or private school is the highest bidder.''

The head of the statewide teachers union said Wednesday a strike may be necessary to get salaries closer to where he believes they should be. But not this year.

The Roosevelt Elementary School District levied and spent $13.5 million earmarked for desegregation activities, but without operating any specific programs for that purpose.

More volunteers are being sought to advocate for students with special education needs who have no one in their lives to see that those needs are being met.

Arizona high schoolers may get a little bit of extra state help getting into the colleges of their choice.

In her annual State of Education speech Monday, Douglas cited statistics showing that more than one out of every five teaching vacancies at the beginning of this school year still remained unfilled four months later.

A new nonprofit backed by business groups is running ads on television and online to put a positive spin on the state of Arizona’s education.