Tag: Phoenix New Times
#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.
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 Superintendent of Public Instruction Race Too Close to Call. See related news here
The race between Republican and Democratic candidates for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction remained too close to call Wednesday morning.
Frank Riggs, a Republican businessman and ex-California Congressman, eked out a slight lead of fewer than 6,000 votes as of 11:18 p.m. over his Democratic opponent, Kathy Hoffman, 834,440 votes to 828,955, according to the Secretary of State’s website.
Agreement on school funding ends at whether more is needed. See related education funding news here
Arizona’s public education system could use more money– a point few argue against. The disagreement comes when elected officials and education advocates start talking about how to get there.
Arizona School Boards Association lobbyist Chris Kotterman made that observation as he reflected on a proposal to increase personal income taxes for the wealthiest Arizonans.
He recalled a roomful of the education community’s representatives discussing the idea and his own trepidation about it..
An income tax hike would draw too much well-funded opposition to be successful, he said, but don’t expect ASBA to lobby against the proposal.
Statewide news: A parents’ guide for what to expect during the teacher walk-out
Why are teachers walking out of school?
A majority of teachers voted to walk-out of classrooms to protest low teacher pay and per-pupil funding said leaders of Arizona Educators United and Arizona Education Association during a press conference on Thursday, April 21.
#RedForEd organizers: Arizona teachers will vote on walkout. See related stories here
Teachers across the state will vote this week on whether to walk out for more education funding, according to Arizona Educators United, the grassroots group coordinating the #RedForEd movement.
Organizers late Sunday said educators would vote in person Tuesday through Thursday to determine whether they would follow the lead of teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky.
Report: Arizona Soars to 49th in Elementary Teacher Pay – For Now. See related stories here
Arizona elementary teachers are no longer the worst-compensated in the country, researchers say.
We’re now second-to-last behind Oklahoma, but maybe not for long — teachers there are on the picket lines.
Allhands: Forced recess in Arizona? Now, this is a mandate I can get behind. See other state education news here
If you care about your kid’s grades, you’ll applaud the new mandate for two school recess periods each day.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1083 last week. The bill applies to both district and charter schools in kindergarten through third grade initially and kindergarten through fifth grade after August 2019.
Arizona Teachers Willing to Set Walkout Date: ‘We Must Do Whatever We Can.’ See related stories here
The Arizona teachers in the grassroots #RedForEd movement are moving closer to a statewide school walkout. Leaders have said that they’re willing to set a walkout date, and they’re framing a school “walk-in” protest next week as a dry run for a walkout.
