Helios Education Foundation, in partnership with WestEd, headed research on chronic absences rates and found in 2021, one in five K-8 students in Arizona schools was chronically absent. The learning loss from absences, compounded with learning loss from the pandemic, continues to threaten student mobility and drop-out rates.
Read More »Education funding, election issues expected to be among most contentious issues in session 
The 2023 legislative session is being brought to you by the letter E. As in education funding and election issues. These promise to be among the most contentious issues as lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday.
Read More »It’s time to address school spending limit
We should not wait any longer – the Legislature must take up the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) as soon as possible to ensure our schools have budget certainty.
Read More »Not quite universal, but families flocked to universal voucher program 
Arizona parents have flocked to apply for the state’s new universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, which let any family apply for state funds to pay for their child’s schooling, regardless of need.
Read More »Ducey: no special session to address education unless lawmakers tackle other issues 
Lame duck Gov. Doug Ducey said Monday he won't call a special legislative session to deal with problems with school funding before his term ends this month until he gets a promise that lawmakers will deal with some issues on his own agenda.
Read More »Taxpayers must fund tab for attorneys hired by lawmakers who killed Prop 208 
Arizona taxpayers are going to pick up the tab for attorneys hired by Republican lawmakers who successfully killed a 2020 voter-approved plan to tax the state's most wealthy to fund education.
Read More »Arizonans deserve better budget after difficult year
Budgets are moral documents. They show what we value and prioritize as a state. Both of us stand ready to work together with our legislative colleagues and the Governor on a responsible budget that puts all Arizonans first.
Read More »Business owner, Libertarian former judge to challenge Prop 208 in court 
A Scottsdale business owner and a retired judge are challenging the legality of the just-approved tax hike on the wealthy to provide more dollars for K-12 education.
Read More »Supreme Court explains reasons Prop 208 returned to ballot
Trial judges cannot keep voter-proposed initiatives off the ballot just because the description doesn't mention every provision, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday, a conclusion that should make it easier to put future initiatives to voters.
Read More »Arizona’s economy does not need a tax increase
Arizona’s economy is just starting to come back from a devastating spring and summer due to the pandemic shutdowns. The last thing we should do is pump the breaks on the recovery by putting in place the largest permanent tax increase in state history.
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