Arizona Education Network

In This Issue:

* Budget Special Session Starts Today: The Writing is on the Wall for Public Education in Arizona
* Arizona Auditor General Report on Classroom Spending 2009: A Closer Look News Under the Radar
* Four Steps You Can Take to Support Public Education in Arizona: Vote, Vote, Vote, Vote

Doug Lemov and Deborah Loewenberg Ball, education researchers, identify 49 teaching techniques that contribute to excellent student outcomes. In math, students whose teacher got an above-average M.K.T. (Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching) score learned about three more weeks of material over the course of a year than those whose teacher had an average score, a boost equivalent to that of coming from a middle-class family rather than a working-class one.” In essence, an educator just knowing the subject matter is only one contributor to student learning.

In this issue: *Proposition 100 *How are the education cuts affecting you?

In our February 19, 2010 newsletter and here on our website, we solicited your stories on how cuts to public education funding are affecting you. Here you’ll find some of the responses we’ve received.

In another blow to fiscal responsibility in AZ, four bills have successfully passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee in recent weeks, which would expand the private school tax-credit program if adopted. Three of these bills would increase private school tax-credit contributions allowing an approximate loss of $60 million to Arizona’s general fund, and would require nearly 8,000 students to transfer from a public school to a private school in order for these programs to be, at best, budget neutral.

Arizona Education Network takes a closer look at the private school tax credit program and its history in order to understand the evolution of the program, the issues that have been raised and the potential changes in the future.

Arizona public school districts are responding to charter school models with innovative programs, and some are offering their own charter schools.

December state payments to Arizona’s three public Universities were finally made on January 21, 2010. The Arizona Republic is reporting that the payment did not include the amount owed the universities from the general fund; only the tuitionheld by the state was remitted.

Education Week has recently released its annual Report Card on American public education, and it shows mixed results for Arizona.

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The recent issue of  The Atlantic looks into the hotly debated question of what makes a good teacher.  Proposals in the new Race to the Top standards will require teacher compensation tied to student performance.  Under this teacher accountability model, identifying teacher excellence will be even more important.  The article points out that; “[s]tates must try to identify great teachers, figure out [...]

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Update to post below:
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US Census Department Figures show that the Arizona population increased 28.6% from April of 2000 to July 2009.
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During the same period, average daily membership (the term used to refer to the total enrollment of students through the first 100 days of the school year) in Arizona schools increased 22.7%.  (According to a report [...]

Arizona Excels at School Choice; Fails in School Investment
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Arizona enters the new decade as the national leader in school choice.  Arizona parents can choose to open-enroll their children in the public school that best meets their needs, choose among almost 500 charter schools or even receive a tax credit funded scholarship to offset some [...]

The Arizona Republic reported that private school tuition tax credits that are earmarked for individual students may be in violation of federal law.

A bi-partisan task force met in the House today for a second hearing covering investigations of School Tuition Organizations (STOs) and reform of the private-school tax credit program.

On Wednesday 10/21/09, the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed its April 2009 decision that the Arizona School Tuition Organizations Program for private schools is unconstittutional.

The Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune have each published their respective analysis on private school tax credits, school tuition organizations (STOs), how they are meeting the spirit or intent of the tax credit legislation, transparency of programs and costs, and the players/organizations involved.

In response to a warning by Governor Brewer that some services may face cuts or elimination, Senator Russell Pearce suggested specific cuts to education.

In the wake of $133 million in state cuts to education, Arizona school districts have opted to place overrides or bonds on the November 3, 2009 ballot. The Arizona Education Network encourages voters to vote “YES” to these overrides or bonds so that these school districts can restore funding back to levels necessary for educating Arizona’s future.

Public Education & The AZ Constitution–It’s Indisputable!
Why did some Arizona Legislators sign a “No Tax Pledge” that puts them in direct conflict with the Arizona Constitution they are sworn to uphold?

Arizona’s public school standing in the educational world has been slipping over the last decade, to the point where it has now reached a crisis point in funding, ideology and prioritizing. It needs to be stated and reiterated that public education was vital to our Arizona founders, who recognized the integral relationship between a strong public education system and the viability of Arizona as a state.

Enter into this section of the website for practical and factual rebuttals to some of the most “interesting” spin out there!

While charter schools like Basis are known for their excelling programs, many other charter schools have not met their promises.

With the recent k-12 budget cuts the AZ legislature has enacted, many students are coming back to the new school year with larger than ever class sizes.

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Public education has long been recognized as the crucial component for ensuring our economic and civic structure in the state of Arizona.  John Goodwin, the first governor of the Arizona Territory, stated definitively that “self-government and universal education are inseparable.  The one can be exercised only as the other is enjoyed.”  As early as [...]

Ready! Set! Go back to school! Your AEN team have a few additional items of academic swag to add to your list; tools you’ll need to be an effective advocate for your child and his/her school community.

A look into how high schools in the Vail, AZ area are replacing traditional textbooks with multi-media sources.

Impact Washington special interest group’s No New Taxes pledge has on the budget crises in Arizona.

The Arizona Department of Education released the 2009 AIMS test results for Arizona students.

Earlier this summer Governor Brewer renewed the Arizona Community College Council.

Question: I just read that Senate President Robert Burns reiterated the urgency of our budget situation…just before he himself left for a special interest junket in Georgia. Is this true? This sounded a little dubious to us – why would the leader of the Senate skip out on important, on-going negotiations this week regarding our unresolved multi-billion dollar deficit, especially just issuing the “all-hands-on-deck” directive? While we hoped that this was just political gossip, we confirmed today that it’s TRUE…Senator Burns is leaving this afternoon for a week-long American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conference!

Education pioneer, Geoffrey Canada’s quest to provide the poorest children in NYC an education that will enable them to compete. An interesting book covering the creation of the Harlem Children’s Zone.

25,000 Students in Arizona Now Homeless; Up 18% in Past Year

More bad news for Arizona student today as The Arizona Republic reported Arizona Department of education student homeless numbers for 2008-2009. The article reports that; “[t]he number of homeless schoolchildren in Arizona has surpassed 25,000 – equivalent to the population of Fountain Hills.”

July 1, 2009 – AEN Interviews Tom Horne, Superintendent of Public Education

In the wake of Governor Brewer’s veto of the education portion of the budget, Arizona Education Network contacted AZ State Superintendent Tom Horne for his comments on the impact of the veto on public education in Arizona.

The following article is a rebuttal of sorts to information that has been disbursed by not only the president of the senate, but some legislators and special interest groups. It contains information on pupil funding, teacher salary, school rankings and other subjects that need truthful clarity.

Best Practices – What works? What ideas are out there for improving our schools?
Click this link to read more about top performing schools, effective academic programs, accountability enhancements and what other states and countries are doing to improve their schools.

How many students should there be in an Arizona classroom? A response to ATRA’s Special Report April 2009

A review of the educational history of Arizona

Personal and Corporate Tax Credits & STOs: What they are and how they work.

You can learn more about our organization by contacting us with your questions.

A new report has been released by the Arizona Auditor General “Arizona Public School Districts’ Dollars Spent in the Classroom Fiscal Year 2008.”

Glen Kerslake of DM-50, Lawrence Portouw of Ft. Huachuca-50 and Steve Yamamori of Fighter County Partnership write a letter to Governor Jan Brewer highlighting the possible ramifications to the military installations in Arizona if the education cuts the legislature is proposing pass.