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Prop 123 – It’s not sustainable and it’s not a solution
While many good-hearted people have encouraged supporting Prop. 123 because they claim it is a good start and injects badly needed money immediately into the classroom, unfortunately, they are wrong. First, there will be a lawsuit regarding whether or not the enabling act requires Congressional approval to implement the Proposition. During the lawsuit, which could take several years, no monies wil[...]
Tribal officials lukewarm to plan to use federal money on school choice
Tribal leaders were noncommittal Friday about a proposal that would divert Bureau of Indian Education funds into education savings accounts that individual Native American children could use to attend schools of their choosing.
School officials worry passage of Prop. 123 could dim enthusiasm for bond elections
All signs point to passage of Proposition 123, but some school districts are worried about voter fatigue when they return to the polls in November to ask for more money.
First Catholic School in the Territory
The original St. Joseph’s Academy (called the Convent School) was established in 1868 adjacent to Tucson’s old St. Augustine Cathedral. It was a thick-walled adobe building, built in the “fashion of the country’’ with earthen floors and a roof of sagebrush and cactus interfaced on pine rafters and covered with mud.
Outpouring of criticism puts voucher expansion on life support
Legislation to let every child attend private and parochial schools on the public dime is on life support, and possibly dead -- at least in its current form.
Capitol Spotlight: Palmer to join Helios Foundation
Janice Palmer, director of governmental relations for the Arizona School Boards Association, has accepted a position as vice president & director of policy for the Helios Education Foundation. Her new responsibilities will include guiding the foundation’s new strategic direction in the school reform movement in Florida and Arizona.
Arizona school data shows uneven distribution of ethnic groups
Two decades after Arizona helped pioneer the charter school movement, enrollment data show the schools don’t match the school age demographics of the state and, in many cases, their neighborhoods. White - and especially Asian - students attend charter schools at a higher rate than Hispanics, who now make up the the greatest portion of Arizona’s school age population.
House panel votes to restore technical education money
A House panel moved quickly Monday to restore funding for Joint Technical Education Districts ahead of a $30 million cut to the programs that, without action, will kick in this coming school year.
Borrelli’s bluster hides truth about bill: bad education policy
I was disappointed to see Mr. (Sonny) Borrelli misrepresenting information about First Things First as a means of getting support for his latest bill to sweep the early childhood education funds, allegedly to help K-12 schools remediate kids not reading well in first and second grade.
First Things First money should be given to public schools
In 2006, Arizona voters passed a cigarette tax based on the promise of funding early childhood development programs through a newly created organization named “First Things First.” Taxpayers have become the victim of this promise, which was a great idea that has been misshapen and lost its way and original mission.
A balancing act
A host of bills requiring schools to do more are moving through the legislative process.
School choice should be an everyday mission
Near the spot where he took the oath of office last year, Gov. Doug Ducey celebrated National School Choice Week with students and their families from across Arizona. Organizing the event are the same groups that, over the past decade and before, disagreed over issues such as school funding and academic standards and in some instances even sued Arizona over how to provide a quality education for e[...]
