Arizona Education Network

As the First Regular Session of the Arizona Legislature concluded in the early hours of April 20, 2011, a disturbing pattern emerged: the silencing of those who would defend Arizona’s students.  This Legislature passed five bills–HB2002, SB1329, SB1365, SB1116 and HB2219–aimed at stifling stakeholders in public education. If all these bills become law (two have already been  Continue Reading >

The Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts bill (SB1553) creates a new way for public funds to be used to pay for private and parochial schools for special education students.  The Empowerment Scholarship Accounts will be used to pay parents rather than private schools directly, answering the major legal objection to the previous attempt to use public funds to pay  Continue Reading >

The recent tax cut package passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Brewer will cost the state’s general fund millions in revenues and may potentially endanger funding to K-12 education.  The business tax cuts begin to phase in during tax year 2012.  It is important to point out that the special one-percent education sales tax will  Continue Reading >

The Arizona Legislature finally agreed to refer the decision to the voters on Tuesday, May 18, 2010.