Tag: KTAR News
#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.
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 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.
Arizona schools win big as state racks up $330M in land sales. See more state education news here
Earlier this year, a piece of state-owned land in north Phoenix sparked an hourlong bidding war. The winner? Arizona school.
The 269-acre parcel in Desert Ridge sold for $79 million, about $25 million more than its appraised value. Since then, the Arizona State Land Department has been on a selling spree.
The agency charged with managing 9.2 million acres across Arizona sold more than $330 million in land during 2018. That’s up from $44 million in 2017.
Arizona teen suicide prevention hotline calls increase before holidays. See related news here
While many teens count down the days until their holiday breaks, some aren’t so excited.
“There’s a lot of misconception about holidays and even breaks being a time that kids are happy about being on vacation, that kids are happy about not being at school,” Nikki Kontz, clinical director for Teen Lifeline, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday.
Teen Lifeline is a nonprofit dedicated to teen suicide prevention that was founded in Phoenix in 1986.
Calls to the group’s crisis hotline typically increase in the weeks leading up to holiday breaks, Kontz said in a blog post.
Opinion — How Arizona is preparing the leader of the next generation
“Caring for Kids will benefit Child Crisis Arizona and Arizona Helping Hands, two organizations whose mission is helping support foster families in Arizona.”
As business leaders here in Arizona, we have a responsibility to help grow the next generation of leaders. And school-based organizations play a key role. During this holiday season teens are finding ways to serve through a variety of groups.
Student government, National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) all help tweens and teens look beyond themselves and into the needs of their community. At Canyon State Credit Union, we are deeply involved with FBLA, and this year, their State Service Project is dedicated to a cause close to our hearts, Caring For Kids collection drive.
Arizona schools chief says student safety goes beyond armed officer
Kathy Hoffman, Arizona’s newly elected superintendent of public instruction, said she believes keeping students safe goes beyond having armed officers present in schools.
Ensuring school safety, according to Hoffman, has as much to do with students’ mental health as their physical health.
“I think that student resource officers have a place in our schools but it shouldn’t be the solution in every school,” Hoffman, who was elected to the position on Monday, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday.
Election updates: Thousands cast ballots at polls, but early ballots could take up to 9 days to be tallied. See related news here
… At this time, the Arizona Secretary of State’s website says that with 99 percent of precincts reporting (which is the people voting at the polls in person on Election Day) that 1,739,565 ballots were cast and voter turnout was 46.81 percent among Arizona’s 3,716,161 registered voters.
But the results in two races that are too close to call – for U.S. Senator and Superintendent of Public Instruction – may not be known for up to 9 days, depending on when early ballots mailed in, early ballots dropped off a the polls on election day and provisional ballots are verified and counted, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
Arizona education board adopts new standards, support for evolution. See more statewide education news here
The state Board of Education on Monday rebuffed a bid by schools chief Diane Douglas to adopt standards for public schools crafted by a Christian college for Arizona.
But whether schools may be allowed to use the standards from Hillsdale College remains an open question. Several board members said it might be appropriate to have that as an option for schools that choose not to follow the standards for history, social studies and science that the board did adopt, by a 6-4 vote.
