Tag: azcentral
Opinion by Education Forward Arizona— Arizona lawmakers must stop holding school funding hostage. Now
Rather than staying laser-focused on academics, superintendents, principals and teachers across Arizona are distracted by the potential scenario of financial doom and having to prepare cuts of about 16% to their budgets – or more than $1 billion.
Cuts that would mean teacher layoffs, reduced instructional time and reduced services. Some small rural districts are contemplating whether they will shut down altogether.
All of this is occurring while the money sits available, but unable to be used.
That’s right. And here’s why.
Dozens of Arizona school board members to Ducey: Delay in-person school opening until October. See more state education news here
More than 60 school board members from districts across the state have signed onto a letter asking Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to delay the reopening of in-person schooling until October.
Ducey ordered a delay to the start of in-person lessons until Aug. 17.
“A lot of school staff are coming to us saying, ‘We’re afraid of going back to school,'” Adam Lopez Falk, a school board member in the Alhambra Unified School District, said. “Kicking it to the 17th isn’t going to do much for a lot of us.”
Save Our Schools Arizona, an education advocacy organization, joined in the calls to delay in-person class until October.
#RedForEd redux? Arizona’s teachers, lawmakers fighting similar battles as in West Virginia. See more state education news here
Teachers in West Virginia walked out of their classrooms last year and rushed their state’s Capitol.
Arizona teachers followed on their heels, walking out last spring over meager paychecks and thinned classroom funding.
As West Virginia lawmakers considered a voucher-style program this year; so did Arizona lawmakers.
And with tension growing in West Virginia over legislation educators believe to be retaliation for last year’s #RedForEd walkout, tension over similar proposals in Arizona is flaring, too.
House panel OKs asking Arizona voters to increase sales tax to pay for education. See more state education news here
A House panel voted (Feb. 18) to ask voters to increase what they pay in sales taxes to fund public education.
The proposal would put a measure on the 2020 ballot to boost the current 0.6-of-a-cent sales tax earmarked for schools to a full penny.
That would bring in an extra $450 million to $500 million a year, with 75 percent earmarked for K-12 education, 20 percent to keep tuition affordable at public universities and the balance for community colleges.
11 education bills to watch at the Arizona Capitol. See more state education news here
Almost a year after the #RedForEd walkout, state lawmakers continue to face immense pressure from educators and parents to improve Arizona’s public schools. …
Legislators spent the first month of this year’s session introducing a flurry of education bills. Many won’t make it to even the first step toward becoming law — a public committee hearing and vote.
But some have.
Arizona Education Superintendent: Teacher Shortage a ‘Crisis’. See more state education news here
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman told the state House Education Committee that the teacher shortage is a “crisis.”
During her first state of education speech to the committee, Hoffman said when she speaks with teachers they often talk about pay.
“Time and time, pay, competitive pay, is always the top issue. Many feel their pay has even been decreasing over the years,” she said.
Arizona Superintendent Kathy Hoffman talks ‘dream come true’ as she heads into office. See more state education news here
The oath has been taken, the official photo is up, now it is time to get to work for Arizona’s new Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kathy Hoffman. The former teacher and speech therapist admits it is still sinking in.
“To really have my vision come to reality and to be getting to work on the issues I really care about has just been like a dream come true,” Hoffman told me.
Arizona lawmakers urged to approve $56M for child care for needy families. See more state education news here
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is urging lawmakers to approve a plan to put $56 million toward expanding child care assistance for thousands of children.
In a (Jan. 16) announcement, the governor’s office said half of the funds would go toward expanding the number of parents eligible to receive those subsidies, impacting an estimated 5,100 children.
The other half would be put toward increasing the average monthly child care subsidy rate by as much as 17 percent. That would affect about 39,000 children.
Ducey focuses on water, school safety, teacher shortage in State of the State. See more state education news here
Gov. Doug Ducey said securing Arizona’s water future is his chief priority during his State of the State address Jan. 14 at the Capitol in Phoenix. …
The Safe Arizona School’s plan with more school counselors, more police officers on campus, improved background checks and restricted access to firearms for people who are a lethal threat “will make our schools safer and it’s time for us to get this done,” Ducey said. …
Ducey said more is needed for K-12 education funding with a focus on results, reforms and resources. …
“Four years ago, I heard what sounded like a really good idea to address the teacher shortage,” Ducey said. “If someone graduates from an Arizona university, is willing to stay in Arizona, and teach in a public school, why not allow them to graduate debt-free by providing a scholarship?”
Arizona Fails to Allocate Early Childhood Education Funds Efficiently, Report Finds. See other state education news here
By Candace Manriquez Wrenn • Arizona Public Media Arizona scored near the bottom in a report ranking how efficiently states distribute money for early childhood education. The Bipartisan Policy Center ranked Arizona 42nd in the nation. The report found that there are just too many agencies in charge of federal dollars and conflicting age and income […]
