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Proposition 123 It isn’t a mirage, it’s a big improvement
Is Proposition 123 a “mirage? To some it may seem that way, but looking at the facts and figures, I welcome what it will do as a first step to improving the finances of our public schools in Arizona. Here is why.
Battle over bragging rights keeps JTED funding in limbo
Legislative leaders are engaged in what amounts to a staring contest over what happens this coming week with legislation to restore funding for career and technical education programs.
Lesko bill would eliminate most school desegregation funding
Sen. Debbie Lesko is again trying to eliminate a tax mechanism that allows some Arizona school districts to raise millions of dollars in funding allotted for desegregation and student achievement efforts.
Arizona school data shows uneven distribution of ethnic groups
Two decades after Arizona helped pioneer the charter school movement, enrollment data show the schools don’t match the school age demographics of the state and, in many cases, their neighborhoods. White - and especially Asian - students attend charter schools at a higher rate than Hispanics, who now make up the the greatest portion of Arizona’s school age population.
JTED restoration advances, but unexpected snags pop up
Gov. Doug Ducey has promised to sign a bill restoring funding to Joint Technical Education Districts, if a bill ever reaches his desk.
Ducey willing to sign JTED bill before budget
Gov. Doug Ducey will sign a bill restoring funding to joint technical education districts if the Legislature sends it to his desk.
Ducey halts advance of JTED restoration bill
Gov. Doug Ducey put a swift stop to a vote on a bill that aims to restore funding for technical education districts, sparking a standoff between him and legislators.
House panel votes to restore technical education money
A House panel moved quickly Monday to restore funding for Joint Technical Education Districts ahead of a $30 million cut to the programs that, without action, will kick in this coming school year.
Douglas fights bill to empower state Board of Education
State schools chief Diane Douglas is lashing out of a bill to confirm the power of the state Board of Education, calling it “anti-voter, anti-democracy, anti-education, anti-parents and anti-children.’’
Borrelli’s bluster hides truth about bill: bad education policy
I was disappointed to see Mr. (Sonny) Borrelli misrepresenting information about First Things First as a means of getting support for his latest bill to sweep the early childhood education funds, allegedly to help K-12 schools remediate kids not reading well in first and second grade.
First Things First money should be given to public schools
In 2006, Arizona voters passed a cigarette tax based on the promise of funding early childhood development programs through a newly created organization named “First Things First.” Taxpayers have become the victim of this promise, which was a great idea that has been misshapen and lost its way and original mission.
Pulling at the heartstrings: Lawmakers face a tug of war over unfunded mandates
The scene is familiar at the Legislature’s two education committees. A lawmaker brings a well-meaning bill supported by testimony that pulls at the heart. And as with so many other well-meaning bills over the years, the education groups were there to resist.
