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Recent series of political plights plague governor
The bad news started when a pedestrian was struck and killed by a self-driving Uber SUV in Tempe. Some blame was directed at Gov. Doug Ducey for welcoming the technology company to test autonomous vehicles in Arizona with little-to-no oversight.
The Breakdown, Episode 12: What do you want, and when do you want it?
Public school teachers and their supporters turned out in the thousands on March 28 with a list of demands for their elected representatives, but they may not get what they want - not right away anyway.
Ducey signs sales-tax extension, teachers call for more
Gov. Doug Ducey inked his approval Monday to extending the 0.6-cent sales tax for education until 2041 as an education group which helped pressure for legislative action is mapping out what it plans to do to get some new money into classrooms -- including a possible strike.
Jordan Harb: Starting a life of politics and public policy
Jordan Harb, the 17-year-old Mesa student who helped organize a student walkout on March 14 to mark the one-month anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., said he won’t be deterred by lawmakers’ lack of response.
The Breakdown, Episode 10: Pardon me
Pardon the noise - the soothing sounds of Capitol traffic are back this week, but so are our reporters with the latest.
Douglas renews call for tax hike to fund teacher raises
In her annual State of Education speech Monday, Douglas cited statistics showing that more than one out of every five teaching vacancies at the beginning of this school year still remained unfilled four months later.
Ducey courts school districts with more K-12 money
Looking for a scapegoat a year ago, Gov. Doug Ducey accused school officials for the woes of the Arizona teacher, whose average salary is among the lowest in the nation. Nearly a year later, the governor sounds like a changed man.
Ducey budget proposal makes public school teacher pay raises permanent
One year after claiming local school officials can’t be trusted, Gov. Doug Ducey now has faith that state monies are going to pay teachers higher salaries.
Report shows lots of teaching job vacancies, uncertified teachers
A new report shows that nearly 2,000 teaching positions in Arizona remain vacant four months into the school year. And 866 have quit since August or just never showed up.... […]
Teachers say low pay ends careers in Arizona, leaves some at crossroads
Arizona teachers have not been quiet about their reasons for abandoning the profession and even the state: high stress, low morale and low pay. Yet the state’s response has not been enough to end the ongoing crisis, a new report from a Washington D.C.-based think tank concludes.
Teacher shortage hits state’s schools for deaf and blind too
The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind have continually struggled to recruit and retain teachers who know their subject matter and are certified to teach students who are blind or deaf.
Christine Thompson: Fired (up) over Arizona’s education policy
Christine Thompson may be most known for the drama that very publicly unfolded when Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas in 2015. But over the past four years she also experienced a different sort of “whirlwind."
