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ESA enrollment hits 75,000, short of some projections
After a year of roving projections, final enrollment and funding for the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in the last fiscal year fell far short of earlier predictions by the Department of Education and the governor’s office, but remained close to the mark on projections by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
Matthew Ladner: Arizona’s school choice guru
Matthew Ladner is one of the biggest school choice advocates in Arizona and he thinks the debate on the topic is not a productive one.
Writer’s claim Arizona schools more segregated now than in ‘50s, ‘60s wrong
In 1994 (when AZ passed open enrollment and charter school laws) 59% percent of Arizona public schools had 70% of their student body from a single race or ethnicity. During the 2017-18 school year (the most recent available) that statewide percentage had dropped to 41%. Arizona students are less rather than more racially isolated in their schools today than in 1994.
Separate reports praise Arizona for its school-choice programs
Arizona earned high marks for its school-choice policies this week in separate reports from two national organizations, which had particular praise for the state’s education savings account program.
Goldwater Institute ‘lobbies’ against registering more lobbyists
The Goldwater Institute is among the most powerful public-policy groups in Arizona.
The organization’s employees draft legislation, regularly meet with lawmakers and testify before committee hearings at the state Capitol. The group even advocated for the call of a 2010 special session in which lawmakers sought to give workers the right to a secret ballot in union elections.
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Proponents say successor to school voucher plan will withstand lawsuits
Teachers unions and advocacy groups that sunk Arizona’s private school voucher system two years ago haven’t made any moves to strike down its successor, even though they say it is blatantly unconstitutional.
But school choice advocates say they followed the instruction of an Arizona Supreme Court justice and the previous program’s critics in crafting the new system, which will all[...]
