Lawmakers are moving legislation that would ask voters to approve a new way of teaching English Language Learners in Arizona.
Read More »Legislation that changes ELL program gains support
Student success is about teachers, not the state’s English policy
Our policy leaders should regulate school programs with the same ‘light hand’ that they believe in regulating everything else, including themselves. Simply put, Arizona’s citizens know that our teachers need to be supported and basic principles of fairness should apply to all of us. Children should not be forced to learn English through structured state-mandated English policy.
Read More »Democrat with little political experience becomes most effective in 2019
But even with the 17-13 split in the Senate, the 31-29 split in the House, the Democrat who accomplished the most during the First Regular Session of the 54th Legislature is the one who was criticized for her lack of political experience during the campaign – and she wasn’t even a lawmaker.
Read More »The good, the bad, the ugly of my first legislative session
I am proud of what we accomplished this year and of the relationships we’ve built. It makes me optimistic about the possibilities the next legislative session holds as we commit ourselves to proactively building coalitions to find sustainable, effective solutions for education.
Read More »Senate president to kill highly supported ELL bill 
A bill to eliminate the state’s four-hour-a-day English language learning requirement for students whose second language is English has reached the Senate with nearly unanimous support, but Senate President Steve Yarbrough may kill it.
Read More »Auditor general’s report shows need to prioritize classrom spending
The slide in the percentage of education funds that ends up in Arizona classrooms appears to have stopped. But it also isn't getting any better.
Read More »Court to hear Arizona English-learning case
A federal appeals court has scheduled a January hearing on an appeal of a judge's ruling in favor of Arizona's programs for students learning English.
Read More »Extracting funds for K-12 
Crandell’s overhaul of school finance plan attracts skepticism and support
It’s a puzzle that has vexed policymakers, education leaders and business groups for decades, but it’s one that Sen. Chester Crandell hopes to solve: How can the state revamp education funding to be both fair and simple?
Reforming election reform 
Debate over HB2305 continues after opponents gather enough signatures to put it on the ballot
Groups opposing the state’s election reform law rejoiced on Oct. 29 when the secretary of state concluded the referendum against the law has enough signatures to appear on the 2014 ballot.
Sebelius visits Phoenix call center, offers few solutions to ‘Obamacare’ website problems 
As lawmakers on Capitol Hill grilled contractors responsible for HealthCare.gov, the failing website allowing access to a new federal health-insurance marketplace, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was thousands of miles away in Arizona.
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