Proposed law to allow 10 Commandments in classrooms advances
A state lawmaker and congressional candidate said Tuesday it is because of Christianity that other religions have been allowed into the United States.
Work in progress: teacher pay raise plan gets initial OK
Republican lawmakers’ plan to increase teacher pay by extending Proposition 123, which uses state land trust funds, passed out of a Senate committee Wednesday.
Successor to Prop 123 needed to preserve K-12 education funding
As Proposition 123 nears the end of its 10-year lifespan, it’s time for an updated law to ensure Arizona’s investment in K-12 doesn’t diminish.
Safety of children in schools linked to mental health support
Ensuring the safety of our children within the walls of our educational institutions is paramount. Keeping our schools safe requires more than building security. Effective school safety efforts require a multidisciplinary approach, including comprehensive mental health services.
Number of failing schools fell; alternative schools headed the other way
The number of schools getting an F on the state’s annual report card has fallen sharply, going from 49 in 2019 to 24 this year, but the number of failing alternative schools rose over the same period.
Hopi leader tells panel that red tape, financial hurdles put aid out of reach
The chairman of the Hopi tribe told a Senate panel this week that promises of federal funding remain just that – promises – for smaller tribes for whom the money is inaccessible because of bureaucratic and financial hurdles.
Empowering innovation, tenacity aids people with disabilities
As we observe National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us honor the tenacity and innovation of people with disabilities. Together, we can break down obstacles and champion equal opportunities, not as a dream but as recognition of this fundamental right for all.
Advocates say Horne’s bathroom recommendation ‘others’ transgender students
Jessie Jordan, an 11-year-old at West Elementary School in Coolidge Unified School District, told her mom she wanted to be called a girl when she was 2 years old. Jessie now identifies as a binary gender, wears dresses, has long hair and can practically run a marathon in high heels, said Johanna Jordan, Jessie’s mother. But, when the fifth grader is at school, she uses the nurse’s bathroom, wh[...]
Student and teacher mental health programming supported by Covid funds could be in limbo
Student and educator mental health programming supported by Covid grant relief funds may be in limbo after the Arizona Department of Education requested reports on the efficacy in remedying learning loss.
Wadsack, Hobbs disagree over meeting tied to vouchers
A member of the legislative Freedom Caucus is boasting that she's getting a meeting with Gov. Katie Hobbs, a meeting she said will let her explain to the governor the virtues of making vouchers of taxpayer dollars available to all parents so their children can attend private and parochial schools.
Violence is being used to destroy democracy
The Second Amendment was originally written so that state militias could respond in defense of democracy if the government turned into a tyranny. Now the Second Amendment has been perverted to give individuals guns so they can overthrow the government and create a tyranny.
Want the facts about Arizona’s ESA program?
Allowing Arizona parents to choose the educational option that works best for their children is proving to be a highly popular policy. Rather than sharing hyperbole and rhetoric that undermines the choices families are making, the state’s policymakers would be wise to heed this truth and continue to plan responsibly.