Anti-ESA governor is living endorsement of school choice
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is, in spite of herself, perhaps the greatest living billboard for education savings accounts (ESAs) in the nation.
ESA parents complain about mid-year changes
Two months in, Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) parents say the program is at risk of imploding.
Bill to expand ESA reporting advances, barely
A bill that would expand reporting requirements for the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program narrowly passed the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 15.
Senate follows House, OKs waiving AEL
After the House passed a resolution to waive the aggregate expenditure limit, the Senate followed suit.
House votes to waive AEL with bipartisan support
The House voted to waive the aggregate expenditure limit (AEL) today with bipartisan support, clearing the two-thirds majority necessary to send it forward. The resolution, sponsored by Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, needed 40 votes to pass and received 46.
Nation watches as Arizona’s universal ESA voucher fiasco fails
Universal ESA vouchers are already a dismal failure defunding our local public schools, threatening to bankrupt our state and raising red flags about taxpayer-funded discrimination. And the nation is watching as special interests rush to force through vouchers in other states before the cautionary tale of Arizona comes fully to light.
Republican lawmakers show no signs of appeasing Hobbs
One month into a Legislative session that sees the Republican-controlled Arizona House and Senate trying to come to terms with a Democrat as governor for the first time in 14 years, GOP leaders are showing no sign that they will make Gov. Katie Hobbs' first year in office a smooth one.
Legislation to override AEL passes House panel
Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives took the first steps in waiving a spending limit that would require each K-12 school in Arizona to cut 17% of its operating budget.
Pandemic, culture wars revive ‘school choice’ policy push
With memories fresh from pandemic-era school closures and curriculum battles — particularly over how matters of gender and race are taught — legions of parents are trekking to the marble floors of their state Capitols to fight to create education savings accounts, also known as ESAs. Such accounts exist in Arizona and West Virginia, though Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs argues the dollars would be b[...]
Governor targets results-based funding for schools
Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed the end of results-based funding in her budget, effectively untying additional per-pupil funding from achievement determined by the school letter grade system.
Parents protest Hobbs’ proposed repeal of universal ESA
A brigade of strollers and children toting magic marker-adorned posters descended upon the Capitol to protest Gov. Katie Hobbs’ proposed repeal of the universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Hobbs announced her proposed budget with public education funding hinging on savings from repealing universal ESAs.
Hobbs calls for more money for public schools, oversight for charters in first State of the State
Gov. Katie Hobbs is putting education at the top of her agenda for 2023. In her State of the State address on Monday afternoon, Democrat Hobbs said she wants to lift a spending cap that could kneecap public schools, increase funding for public education – specifically teacher pay – and improve oversight of non-district schools that receive public money.