Lawmakers, Ducey should be proud of state budget
Major budget accomplishments were achieved as real investments in dealing with critical water needs, transportation infrastructure, pension debt payoffs, Rainy Day Fund investments, state employee pay raises and even tax relief as regards to the State Equalization Tax Rate were passed.
ESA opponents pick union politics over racial equality
To be clear, lawmakers should seek to advance policies that protect the rights and liberties of all people, regardless of race or wealth. But especially as union activists seek to point fingers in every direction but their own when it comes to “structural barriers” holding back communities of color, perhaps it is time lawmakers rethink their loyalties and take action to remove the real obstacl[...]
Report: schools can’t fill teacher vacancies
An average 20% boost in teacher salaries in the past four years has apparently done little to entice people into the classroom and keep experienced staffers there.
Public schools brace for possible wave of teacher retirements
While President Trump and his administration try to push schools across the country to reopen, Arizona is facing a situation where positive COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket and teachers who... […]
Great schools innovate to teach our kids successfully during and beyond this pandemic
It is a critical time that cannot be lost in handwringing about whether or not it is possible to teach successfully in this moment. It is. And policymakers can help. Today’s students need the benefit of novel education policies designed around this time and these urgent needs.
Babysitters are paid more than what Arizona spends on students
That title is not a typo. In fact, we think it’s pretty embarrassing.
Put party politics aside, support teachers, students, families
Our schools need a leader who will prioritize service to our children, schools, and communities — and as state superintendent, that’s precisely what I’ll do. It will take collaboration and legislative support across party lines. However, this election showed that communities across Arizona value public education and there is bipartisan support for pro-public education policies.
Pay raise puts slight dent in Arizona teacher shortage
Nearly one in four teaching vacancies that school districts had this year remain unfilled four weeks into the academic year.
20% teacher pay raise made to be permanent
With Arizona’s 2018-2019 state budget now signed by the governor, I wanted to clearly explain how the 20-percent teacher pay raise was determined, how it will be provided to schools,... […]
Wrap up with Steve Yarbrough
After 16 years as an Arizona state representative, then senator, Senate President Steve Yarbrough is calling it quits.
Wrap up with Rebecca Rios
After more than two decades at the Legislature, Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, said she thought it was pretty safe to assume how her last session in the House would play out.
Dan Hargest: The man who clothed ‘Red for Ed’
Dan Hargest started screen-printing T-shirts in his back yard in 1999. Nowadays, he's more well-known as the printer who churned out nearly 25,000 “Red for Ed” shirts in the past two months.