Arizona Education Network

Arizona Leaders Indroduce School Safety Legislation Following Newtown Tragedy

aenadmin — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:31:28 +0000

January 25, 2013

This issue hits home for all of us as we want to make our schools as safe as possible, following the tragedies in Newtown and other communities.
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The Governor has allocated only $3.6 million for school-resource officers (police officers trained to work with students) in schools, amounting to only 100 officers throughout the state. The Legislature cut funds for school resource officers, so the only guaranteed funding is from Prop. 301, a 0.06-cent sales tax that expires in 2021.
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House Minority Leader Chad Campbell (D-Phoenix), a potential gubernatorial candidate, has proposed comprehensive legislation that funds more school resource officers, school counselors and funding for mental illness. He would fund part of the plan by eliminating the private school tax credit that diverts public funds to private schools and the controversial school tuition organizations that manage those funds. (For related articles on tax credits for private schools in Arizona, click here.)
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Former chair of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Rich Crandall (R-Mesa) wants to identify a permanent funding source for school resource officers so the funding won’t be subject to yearly state budget cuts. He doesn’t think the pro-privatized education Legislature will ever do away with private school tax credits, so he’s floating an alternate funding source: excess Clean Elections funds.
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Neither supports the idea floated by Attorney General Tom Horne to arm school principals and teachers; however, Sen. Crandall said he would support allowing one school official to be armed in rural areas of Arizona.
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To watch an interesting exchange between the two legislators on PBS, go to: http://www.azpbs.org/video/vidlink.php?vidId=5454

Urge Arizona AG and State Legislative Leaders to Not Waste Taxpayer Dollars in Pointless Appeal

aenadmin — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 00:18:59 +0000

January 25, 2013
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The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled this month that the Legislature must start FULLY funding inflation, as voters mandated in Prop. 301. (The Legislature had tried to use a loophole in the ballot language to avoid making these payments.) This year, this would amount to $74 million or about $74 a student. To figure out what this would mean for your district, multiply the number of students in your district by $74. (The Legislature continued to fund inflation for charter schools, so the court ruling will not affect charter funding.)
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Not surprisingly, legislative leadership wants to appeal this case to the Arizona Supreme Court even though Attorney General Tom Horne is reluctant to do so.
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It’s time for the Legislature to abide by voter will and appellate court decisions. Please tell them so and encourage Tom Horne to hold the line and not appeal. The clock is ticking; an appeal must be filed by mid-February.
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Please urge Tom Horne, Senate President Andy Biggs and Speaker of the House, Andy Tobin, to save taxpayer dollars and not file a pointless appeal. Please make these three phone calls today:
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Attorney General Tom Horne: (602) 542-5025

Senate President Andy Biggs: (602) 926-4371
Speaker of the House, Andy Tobin: (602) 926-5172
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Read the Arizona Court of Appeals Opinion here.
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Related news articles:
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Court: Ariz. education spending must account for inflation ~ Arizona Republic, MaryJo Pitzl, January 15, 2013

Governor Brewer’s Education Budget

aenadmin — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:54:43 +0000

January 25, 2013
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Gov. Jan Brewer released her proposed education funding budget late last week (1/18/2013). It calls for an additional $110 in continual funding ($110 per student) and $61 million in one-time funding (mostly for building repair and construction). For more details, click here.
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This is far less than the $725 million ($725 per student) that Prop. 204 would have guaranteed. Remember, Gov. Brewer urged voters to torpedo Prop. 204, promising that she would fight for education funding. That clearly was an empty promise.
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The problem: There is not enough funding in the state coffers to adequately fund public education, that’s why a broad-based coalition sought a dedicated funding source through Prop. 204. It was extremely irresponsible for Gov. Brewer, Treasurer Doug Ducey, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, business lobbyists, some charter school advocates and Republican Party operatives to fight Prop. 204, knowing that its loss would shortchange Arizona’s children and hamper our state’s ability to attract good, high-paying jobs to Arizona.
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Here’s another catch to Brewer’s budget – $36 million of those funds and $18 million of existing funds would be distributed to students based on the new A-F school district rankings. So, in these reverse Robin Hood plan, funds would be redistributed to benefit schools where students are already excelling, typically in higher-wealth areas. Many times, schools in high-poverty areas actually need more funding to implement longer school years, fund more tutoring, etc. Not surprisingly, this plan is being brought forward by members of the charter school industry who can cherry-pick higher-achieving students and counsel out poor performers. (For an interesting exposé into the Arizona charter school industry, see article below.)
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Legislative leaders say there isn’t enough money to fund what Brewer is proposing, so even her low-ball numbers aren’t guaranteed. We’ll follow this debate closely and let you know what you can do in coming weeks.

Insiders benefiting from charter deals, Arizona Republic, November 16, 2012
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Arizona charters want purchasing policies to stand, Arizona Republic, January 10, 2013

Present This Update at Your School’s Monthly PTO/PTA/FFO Meeting

aenadmin — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:38:28 +0000

Every PTA/PTO/FFO is permitted to have a legislative report presented at its monthly meeting. The report must be a regular item on the agenda. This report can include information on the legislative action on education, budgets, school board elections, overrides, bonds and propositions. The report must be informational and cannot advocate a political position and is a great way to make sure parents and teachers are up to date on education issues that will affect them.

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Update: January 25, 2013

In this post-Prop 204 world, we plan to keep you informed about the education budget as it moves through the Legislature. We have some key action items for you to take below to put pressure on legislative leadership.
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In addition to following this article, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for those last minute budget updates and/or calls to action!
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Some Good News First
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The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled this month that the Legislature must start FULLY funding inflation, as voters mandated in Prop. 301. (The Legislature had tried to use a loophole in the ballot language to avoid making these payments.) This year, this would amount to $74 million or about $74 a student. To figure out what this would mean for your district, multiply the number of students in your district by $74. (The Legislature continued to fund inflation for charter schools, so the court ruling will not affect charter funding.)

Not surprisingly, legislative leadership wants to appeal this case to the Arizona Supreme Court even though Attorney General Tom Horne is reluctant to do so.

It’s time for the Legislature to abide by voter will and appellate court decisions. Please tell them so and encourage Tom Horne to hold the line and not appeal. The clock is ticking; an appeal must be filed by mid-February.

Please urge Tom Horne, Senate President Andy Biggs and Speaker of the House, Andy Tobin, to save taxpayer dollars and not file a pointless appeal. Please make these three phone calls today:

Attorney General Tom Horne: (602) 542-5025

Senate President Andy Biggs: (602) 926-4371

Speaker of the House, Andy Tobin: (602) 926-5172

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Governor Brewer’s Education Budget

Gov. Jan Brewer released her proposed education funding budget late last week. It calls for an additional $110 in continual funding ($110 per student) and $61 million in one-time funding (mostly for building repair and construction). For more details, click here.

This is far less than the $725 million ($725 per student) that Prop. 204 would have guaranteed. Remember, Gov. Brewer urged voters to torpedo Prop. 204, promising that she would fight for education funding. That clearly was an empty promise.

The problem: There is not enough funding in the state coffers to adequately fund public education, that’s why a broad-based coalition sought a dedicated funding source through Prop. 204. It was extremely irresponsible for Gov. Brewer, Treasurer Doug Ducey, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, business lobbyists, some charter school advocates and Republican Party operatives to fight Prop. 204, knowing that its loss would shortchange Arizona’s children and hamper our state’s ability to attract good, high-paying jobs to Arizona.

Here’s another catch to Brewer’s budget - $36 million of those funds and $18 million of existing funds would be distributed to students based on the new A-F school district rankings. So, in these reverse Robin Hood plan, funds would be redistributed to benefit schools where students are already excelling, typically in higher-wealth areas. Many times, schools in high-poverty areas actually need more funding to implement longer school years, fund more tutoring, etc. Not surprisingly, this plan is being brought forward by members of the charter school industry, which can cherry-pick higher-achieving students and counsel out poor performers. (For an interesting exposé into the Arizona charter school industry, see article below.)

Legislative leaders say there isn’t enough money to fund what Brewer is proposing, so even her low-ball numbers aren’t guaranteed. We’ll follow this debate closely and let you know what you can do in coming weeks.

Insiders benefiting in charter deals ~ Arizona Republic, November 17, 2012

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Join the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) for a webinar on Thursday, Jan. 31, from 1:30-3 p.m. to get details on the governor’s proposed budget from John Arnold, director of the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting. This webinar is being co-hosted by ASBA and Arizona Association of School Board Officials (AASBO). Click here to register!

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School Safety
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This issue hits home for all of us as we want to make our schools as safe as possible, following the tragedies in Newtown and other communities.

The Governor has allocated only $3.6 million for school-resource officers (police officers trained to work with students) in schools, amounting to only 100 officers throughout the state. The Legislature cut funds for school resource officers, so the only guaranteed funding is from Prop. 301, a s.06-cent sales tax that expires in 2021.

House Minority Leader Chad Campbell (D-Phoenix), a potential gubernatorial candidate, has proposed comprehensive legislation that funds more school resource officers, school counselors and funding for mental illness. He would fund part of the plan by eliminating the private school tax credit that diverts public funds to private schools and the controversial school tuition organizations that manage those funds. (For related articles on tax credits for private schools in Arizona, click here.)

Former chair of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Rich Crandall (R-Mesa) wants to identify a permanent funding source for school resource officers so the funding won’t be subject to yearly state budget cuts. He doesn’t think the pro-privatized education Legislature will ever do away with private school tax credits, so he’s floating an alternate funding source: excess Clean Elections funds.

Neither supports the idea floated by Attorney General Tom Horne to arm school principals and teachers; however, Sen. Crandall said he would support allowing one school official to be armed in rural areas of Arizona.

To watch an interesting exchange between the two legislators on PBS, go to: http://www.azpbs.org/video/vidlink.php?vidId=5454

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Bills the Arizona Department of Education is tracking as of January 25, 2013
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SB1100 - ASDB (Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind); Continuation
SB1103 - Charter schools; zoning procedures
SB1104 - Charter school pupils; JTEDs
SB1204 - Charter schools; applications; renewals; revocations
HB2047 - Pupil assessments; AIMS transition
HB2060 - School district governing boards; censure
HB2071 - ADE; operations
HB2168 - School age; increase; parental permission
HB2202 - School districts; leases
HB2403 - Teacher employment contracts; electronic signatures
HB2427 - Schools; unification; consolidation; initial meetings
HB2458 - Empowerment scholarship accounts; fraud prevention

List can be found here.
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A Message to All Prop 204 Supporters

aenadmin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:11:31 +0000

The Arizona Education Parent Network wishes to thank all of the supporters of Prop 204–Quality Education and Jobs–for their passionate grassroots effort to help Arizona’s schoolchildren.The executive branch, legislative leadership and special-interest lobbyists who created this education funding mess put up quite a fight. The Prop 204 campaign was able to clear every hurdle they put in the way, except the last.The Prop 204 campaign did not have an answer to the almost $1 million in dark money brought in from out-of-state special interest groups linked to the anti-public education Koch billionaire brothers from Kansas. The opposition used those dark dollars to fund a barrage of misleading TV ads in the final weeks that could not be answered because the campaign’s limited resources were long gone. Before the negative ads began, voters were prepared to pass Prop 204, according to polling commissioned by the campaign.But this journey is not over. It has just begun. This effort was started by a group of parents, teachers and local business leaders who are not satisfied with the status quo for our children. It has now grown into a movement that will continue on. The dramatic de-funding of Arizona’s schools is putting the future of our children at risk, as well as the future of the state’s economy.

The people behind this movement are empowered by what happened on Election Day, not discouraged. The opposition had to resort to very deceptive tactics to win. Those type of tactics ultimately turn people off and will not be successful a second time. And we must find a solution to this problem.

AEPN urges those members of the Legislature who are committed to public education to start working on a solution. AEPN will work with anyone who wants to identify a way to start adequately funding schools in Arizona to meet the needs of our students. Arizona politicians cannot be allowed to merely shuffle the deck chairs of existing state dollars and pretend they are adequately funding education in Arizona. So AEPN will be keeping watch and staying involved until we restore education to the priority it simply must be for the sake of Arizona’s school children and the economic well-being of the state of as a whole.

Proposition 204 Officially Kicks Off Campaign with Rally

aenadmin — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:09:05 +0000

Supporters officially kicked off the campaign for the Quality Education and Jobs Initiative, Proposition 204, on Sunday in Phoenix and Tucson. Advocates handed out t-shirts, yard signs and bumper stickers and encouraged supporters to paint “YES on 204” on their car windows. The proposition provides a floor for education spending in Arizona and will strategically reinvest in an education system that suffered the largest cuts in the country in the past four years.

For details on the Quality Education and Jobs Initiative, which renews the one-cent sales tax, provides dedicated funding linked to performance and accountability for students of all ages, and prevents legislators from cutting K-12 funding, click here.

Sales tax touted in rally to gain voters’ support, Arizona Republic, Sept. 16, 2012

Supreme Court Upholds Education Supporters’ Will: Quality Education and Jobs Will Be on Ballot

aenadmin — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:42:16 +0000

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Secretary of State Ken Bennett who fought to thwart the will of over 290,000 voters who support the Quality Education and Jobs Citizen’s Initiative–Proposition 204. In July, Bennett rejected the record-number of petition signatures filed by the campaign on a technicality. Superior Court Judge Robert Oberbillig–in a speedy, common-sense decision–rejected Bennet’s argument that the initiative had failed to comply with Constitutional requirements. Bennett’s office appealed to the Supreme Court, which yesterday, affirmed the Constitutional right of Arizona voters to the initiative process.

For more information on the court’s ruling, click here.
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Important Voting Information

aenadmin — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:40:30 +0000

As the November 6th election gets nearer, we wish to provide you with this important voting information:

Last day to register to vote: October 9, 2012
On- Site Early Voting Begins: October 11, 2012
Last Day to Request a Mail-in Ballot: October 28, 2012
How To Request a Mail-In Ballot: Click Here

As you know, Arizona has undergone a redistricting process that has resulted in new congressional and legislative districts. Your district numbers at both the federal and state levels have likely changed. Click on the link below to view the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission maps that describe these new districts.

Maps of New Congressional and Legislative Districts

Arizona Public Schools Spend Least in Nation on Administrative Expenses

aenadmin — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 17:38:51 +0000

The US Census Bureau report released last week–Public Education Finances: 2010–shows Arizona public schools spend the least in the nation on administrative expenses. These figures are contrary to the much-touted mantra that Arizona schools waste tax dollars on hefty administrative salaries and expenses and thus do not merit continued and further investment by our taxpayers.

The table with the relevant data can been found at this link. (Click on the table titled Per Pupil Amounts for Current Spending of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems by State: 2009-2010 on the Contents page of the PDF file).
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The data shows that Arizona spent $420 per pupil on administrative expenses, compared to the national average of $774. That Arizona spends nearly 50% less than the national average testifies to the truth that Arizona public school administrators value classroom spending as much as our taxpayers do and have responded to the state’s budget crisis by trimming administrative expenses before classroom spending as much as possible.

Those in Arizona who try to justify that we spend so much less on public education with arguments that dollars are wasted on administrators cannot maintain credibility in the face of hard data like that presented by the US Census Bureau.
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Report: Arizona 48th in education spending, East Valley Tribune, June 22, 2012

AZ Auditor General Report: AZ Spends Nearly $2,500 Less Per Pupil Than National Avg., Arizona Education Parent Network

New Poll Finds Arizona Voters Overwhelmingly Support Increased Funding for Public Education

aenadmin — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:31:35 +0000

A new poll by the Merrill/Morrison Institute released May 17, 2012 shows overwhelming support by Arizona voters for increasing funding for public education.

Among the findings in the poll:

97 percent of Arizona voters say a top-quality public school system is either crucial (70%) or very important (27%).

More than seven in ten Arizona Voters (74%) say the state Legislature provides public schools with less funding than they need.

While less than half of those polled rate Arizona’s public schools as excellent (2 percent) or good (42 percent); and 41 percent rate the state’s schools as poor and or very poor (9 percent) - 71% of Arizona voters oppose shifting funds from public schools to parochial, private and/or charter schools.

Nearly two-thirds of Arizona voters (63 percent) prefer that funding for public schools comes from extending the 1-cent sales tax rather than relying on the state Legislature for appropriate allocations.

To see the complete report from the Merrill/Morrison Institute, click here.

For details on the Quality Education and Jobs Initiative, which renews the one-cent sales tax, provides dedicated funding linked to performance and accountability for students of all ages, and prevents legislators from cutting K-12 funding, click here.

Budget Deal Underway for FY 2012-2013

aenadmin — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:58:35 +0000

News that Governor Brewer and legislative leadership reached a deal on the budget went out late last week. Today, both chambers are scheduled to consider multiple floor amendments to bills that were passed through the appropriations process in February. The budget package is expected to pass both chambers today, allowing the Legislature to sine die or adjourn the session by Wednesday, May 2.
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Bill amendments are not available online at the time of this posting. However below are some of the specifics that relate to K-12 public education, as shared by the Arizona School Boards Association. We’ll update once the amended legislation is available online.
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K-12 budget details

$40 million for K-3 reading intervention programs (Move on When Reading). [See below for details on how this funding will be allocated to school districts and charter schools.]
$50 million increase above the current year’s budget to CORL funding (capital outlay revenue limit)–$35 million of this is the backfill of CORL dollars that were swept from districts last year. CORL dollars can be used at the district’s discretion for capital or operational needs. This budget allocation totals $80.9 million less than the established funding formula would prescribe for our schools.
No restoration of prior year soft capital cuts. (Governor’s budget originally included $200 million for soft capital.)
$12 million for Building Renewal to be awarded through a statewide grant process.
No money for new school construction or local bond expansion capacity.
$6.2 million to Department of Education for upgrade of statewide “education learning and accountability” (data) system. $5 million of this is from the state’s general fund and $1.2 million is collected from a $6 dollar assessment per full-time student from the state’s public community college and university students.
2% inflation increase for transportation formula. No inflationary increase to the base support funding level.
2% increase of charter school additional assistance.
$3 million to the Innovative Education Programs Grant fund. (See below for details on how this funding will be awarded.)
$1 million to the State Board of Education for its investigative unit.
Amendment allowing JTEDS to fund 8^th grade JTED programs with a local property tax assessment.
Includes policy language to help the ADE access federal funding for adult education programs.

A big-ticket budget item

$450 million to state’s rainy day fund (budget stabilization fund).

K-3 Reading Program

§ Adds a K-3 reading support level weight to the per-pupil funding formula. Appropriates $40 million statewide, and permits the State Board of Education (SBE) to use up to $1.5 million of the amount on technical assistance and state level administration of the K-3 reading program (including two full-time positions).

§ Requires the SBE, in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), to establish a K-3 reading program to improve the reading proficiency of K-3 students.

§ By October 1, 2012, each school district and charter school must submit to the SBE a plan for improving the reading proficiency of its K-3 students. The plan must include baseline data on the K-3 student’s reading proficiency and a budget for spending monies from both the K-3 support level weight and this new K-3 reading support level weight. This reading plan must be resubmitted each year by October 1, and it shall include data on program expenditures and results.

§ These monies from the K-3 reading support level weight must only be used on reading programs in grades K-3 with particular emphasis on students in grades kindergarten, first and second.

§ Each school district and charter school assigned a grade of C, D or F or that has more than 10% of its third grade students reading far below grade level (per the AIMS test) shall receive monies only after their reading program has been approved by the SBE.

§ Requires the ADE to solicit gifts, grants, and donations from any lawful public or private source in order to provide additional funding for the K-3 reading program.

§ Repeals the reading program weight on July 1, 2022.

Innovative Education Programs Grant

§ Establishes a $3 million “Innovative Education Programs Grant” program.

§ Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to use this one-time amount to fund innovative educational programs in public schools. The SBE shall award program funding on a competitive grant basis. Grants shall be awarded only for use in school district and charter schools for innovative education programs that have a proven track record of success in improving student achievement and on related technology, instructional delivery and materials.

§ Each grantee shall be required to match its state grant with an equal or greater match of private sector funding.

§ Grantees must submit a report on program results to the SBE by October 1, 2013.

The budget bill numbers are:

SB1523/HB2852 general appropriations

SB1529/HB2858 k-12 budget reconciliation bill

By way of comparison, below are Governor Brewer’s budget recommendations:.

No increase in base funding per student for public schools.
$50 million in funds designated to help young, at-risk readers who are facing the Move on When Ready 3rd grade litmus test for reading.
$200 million allocated for soft capital expenses: books, computers and other in-classroom supplies.
New approach to funding the construction of new schools and building renewal.(NOTE: The current system for school construction and building renewal–the School Facilities Board (SFB)–was established in response to Roosevelt v. Bishop which dealt with inequities of school facilities between districts. It is unclear at this point whether Governor Brewer’s recommendations would be in compliance with this court-mandated system.)
A one-time allocation of $100 million for building renewal. (NOTE: The building renewal formula mandated by the SFB has not been fully funded since FY2008.)
$4.6 million in GED funding.
$10 million for SMART scholarships.

AEPN’s President Ann-Eve Pedersen to receive Crystal Apple Award May 4th

aenadmin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:32:38 +0000

Our own Ann-Eve Pedersen is one of five people who will receive the Crystal Apple Award bestowed by the Metropolitan Education Commission, an organization which recognizes those who improve our academic environment and promote graduation from high school. On Friday, May 4, 2012, Ann-Eve will be the first ever recipient of the Education Advocate Award for her work with AEPN. Congratulations to Ann-Eve and her fellow honorees:

Calvin Baker, superintendent of the Vail School District: to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award

Debbie Young, on faculty at Richardson Elementary School: to receive the Teacher Award

Barbara Mathers, counselor at Chaparral Middle School in the Sunnyside School District: to receive the Counselor Award

Emily Watson, a senior at Sunnyside High School: to receive the Youth Award

Also to be honored Friday afternoon with the Corporate Award, IBM of Tucson will be thanked for its legacy of supporting K-12 education, and specifically its science, technology, engineering and math endeavors.

The Quality Education and Jobs Act–New Stories and Opinions

aenadmin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:32:40 +0000

Check here for news stories and editorial opinions in support of the Quality Education and Jobs Act.

Leadership Council Supports 1-Cent Tax, Arizona Public Media, April 23, 2012

Into the mind of . . . Ann-Eve Pedersen, Arizona Republic, April 23, 2012

Campaign seeks to retain 1-cent tax hike , Arizona Daily Star, March 10, 2012

A voice for the people by Linda Valdez, azcentral.com, March 18, 2012

The Quality Education & Jobs Act is here! Arizona Students Association, March 22, 2012

A new sales tax for schools? by Ann-Eve Pedersen, March 24, 2012

Help get the Quality Education and Jobs Act on the ballot by David Safier on March 24, 2012

Education tax would help with past cuts, E.J. Montini, azcentral.com March 24, 2012

It’s Official – We’ve Launched the Quality Education & Jobs Initiative Campaign!

aenadmin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:36:26 +0000

Friday, March 9, 2012

Dear Friends:

We want to share some very exciting news! Today at 10 a.m., we launched the Quality Education and Jobs Campaign to strengthen our children’s education and our state’s economy.

We filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s Office that allows us to begin collecting signatures to place a once-in-a-generation measure on the ballot this November. (We’ll have a table at the Festival of Books in Tucson – Booth # 218 – if you want to stop by this weekend to sign the petition.)

The Quality Education and Jobs Initiative will ask voters to renew the one-cent sales tax to achieve the following:

Protect K-12 education funding from further legislative cuts and create a dedicated source of revenue for education across the spectrum – benefiting students of all ages.

Help educators implement new, more rigorous Common Core standards for K-12, which come online in 2015-2016, as well as other reforms.

Create university and community college scholarship programs, and provide funding for university operations.

Reinvest in career and technical education at the high school and community college levels, as well as GED programs.

Create a poverty index that directs resources to school districts and charters schools to help children living in poverty succeed and to fund voluntary preschool programs.

Provide funding for KidsCare, a healthcare program for children living in poverty, and create a Family Stability fund for state agencies and non-profits that help address hunger, homelessness, family violence and child care.

Create new jobs and protect public safety by protecting state funds that are directed toward DPS officers and transportation projects, and by creating a new fund to build roads, rail and transit.

Our all-volunteer team has spent the past 10 months working to make this a reality. We appreciate all of your support along the way, and look forward to working with you so we can win in November!

First, we have to collect 172,809 signatures by July 5 to get on the ballot. We have hired professional petition circulators who will begin collecting signatures this weekend, but the more we can collect through volunteers, the more funds we’ll have to spend connecting with voters through mail and advertising.

Can you help?

We will be having training sessions for volunteers who want to circulate petitions and join our speaker’s bureau. If you are interested and haven’t signed up already, do so here: Campaign for Quality Education and Jobs.

This is a true grassroots effort, so we also will need your donations to run the campaign. You can donate online at www.qualityeducationandjobs.com or by check. You can send donations to:

Quality Education and Jobs

530 McDowell Road, #107-290

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Be sure and note your occupation and employer on the check. There are no limits to the amount that individuals can give to an initiative effort. Corporations are also allowed to donate.

To read the ballot language and the press release, please go to the campaign website, www.qualityeducationandjobs.com.

Thank you!

Your AEN team,

Ann-Eve Pedersen

Eileen Jackson

Jen Darland

Lisa Ferko

MaryLee Moulton

Legislative Alert: AZ Senate Appropriations Hearing Budget Bills Tuesday, February 20, 2012

aenadmin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:00:48 +0000

Word came out mid-afternoon Monday February 19, 2012 that a package of ten budget bills had been assigned to both the Arizona Senate and House Appropriations Committees for Tuesday, February 20, 2012. Both committees are scheduled to begin at 8AM. The late notification gave fewer than 18 hours for the public to review and prepare any testimony either in support for or opposition to the proposed appropriations or reductions. While we’ve learned to expect the unexpected, Tuesday’s proceedings could make quick work of the budget process, putting a budget with very little public input before a full vote in both chambers before the end of the week.
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Below is a listing of education related bills with a brief description. Be sure to check back, as this post will be updated during Tuesday’s hearing to reflect changes/clarification, related testimony, committee votes and/or amendments, as well as to include links to reviews from state family and children/health and human service agencies.
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Senate Appropriations Committee can be viewed by clicking here, agenda here.
House Appropriations Committee can be viewed by clicking here, agenda here.
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(2/21/2012) Near the end of the House Appropriations hearing, Rep. Vic Williams (LD26) reiterated Committee Chair, Rep. Kavanagh’s (LD8) earlier comments/clarification with respect to the expedited process by which the budget bills have been heard. Essentially, the “hurrying of the budget through appropriations” is to advance budget discussions with the Governor’s office.
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HB2852/SB1523: General Appropriations; 2012-2013
**Passed Senate Appropriations: 9-3, 1 Not Voting; Passed House Appropriations: 9-4.**
Background: The Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) projects a General Fund balance of $583 million in fiscal year 2012 and $431 million in fiscal year 2013. The JLBC also projects a budget shortfall of $142 million in 2014 due to the expiration of the temporary 1-cent sales tax passed in 2010.
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HB2852/SB1525 requires the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to continue to defer $952 million in Basic State Aid and Additional State Aid in fiscal year 2013, until July 1, 2013 that would otherwise be apportioned to school districts and appropriates the same amount in fiscal year 2014 to pay for the deferral. The bills exempt charter schools from payment deferral.
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Appropriates, in addition to any other fiscal year 2012 appropriations, $32,714,800 from the state general fund to the ADE for basic state aid associated with a retirement contribution increase from 47 percent to 50 percent. Requires ADE to reimburse employees for contributions made in excess of 50 percent of the total retirement contribution in FY 2012.
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Requires Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to continue to defer $200,000,000 in fiscal year 2013, until after July 1, 2013, which is allocated in the individual campus appropriations, and appropriates the same amount in fiscal year 2014 to pay for the deferral. Stipulates that Arizona Department of Administration is to distribute the $200,000,000 to ABOR no later than October 1, 2013.

HB2858/SB1529: K-12 Education; Budget Reconciliation; 2012-2013
**Passed Senate Appropriations: 9-3, 1 Not Voting; Passed House Appropriations: 9-4.**
Continues the fiscal year 2012 base level funding of $3,367.72 for fiscal year 2013. [Editor's note: (2/21/2012) Sen. Al Melvin (LD26) restated his $9,000 per student state funding myth during the Senate Appropriations hearing on the K-12 portion of the FY 2012-2013 budget.]

Increases transportation support per route mile formula by 1.7% for fiscal year 2013.
Directs Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to reduce the amount of basic state aid that would be allotted for Capital Outlay Revenue Limit (CORL) by $93,864,800. For districts that are not eligible for basic state aid, ADE shall reduce their district’s CORL appropriation by the amount they would be reduced if they were eligible for basic state aid.
Funds Joint Technical Education Districts (JTED) for fiscal year 2013 at 91% of amount provided by law.
Suspends Building Renewal Formula for 2013. (NOTE: this formula has not been funded since FY 2008).

Rep. Vic Williams introduced an amendment to equalize JTED funding so as to not negatively impact So. Arizona JTED. Amendment was withdrawn but Rep. Williams stated intent to see issue addressed later in the budget process.

HB2859/SB1530: Higher Education; Budget Reconciliation; 2012-2013
**Passed Senate Appropriations: 9-3, 1 Not Voting: Passed House Appropriations: 9-4.**

Community Colleges:

Continues to suspend capital outlay for fiscal year 2012.
Allows each community college to use any of its capital outlay funding for operating aid expenses in fiscal year 2013.
No funding for adult education.

Universities:

Continues to allow the legislature to appropriate state matching funds on a less than 2:1 ratio for surcharges on student registration fees deposited into the Arizona Financial Aid Trust for fiscal year 2013.
No funding for growth.

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By way of comparison, below are Governor Brewer’s budget recommendations:.

No increase in funding per student for public schools.
$50 million in funds designated to help young, at-risk readers who are facing the Move on When Ready 3rd grade litmus test for reading.
$200 million allocated for soft capital expenses: books, computers and other in-classroom supplies.
New approach to funding the construction of new schools and building renewal.(NOTE: The current system for school construction and building renewal–the School Facilities Board (SFB)–was established in response to Roosevelt v. Bishop which dealt with inequities of school facilities between districts. It is unclear at this point whether Governor Brewer’s recommendations would be in compliance with this court-mandated system.)
A one-time allocation of $100 million for building renewal. (NOTE: The building renewal formula mandated by the SFB has not been fully funded since FY2008.)
$4.6 million in GED funding.
$10 million for SMART scholarships.

Senate Appropriations Committee Members:
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Sen. Don Shooter, Chairman: dshooter@azleg.gov
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Sen. Ron Gould, Vice Chairman: rgould@azleg.gov
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Sen. Rick Murphy: rmurphy@azleg.gov
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Sen. Al Melvin: amelvin@azleg.gov
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Sen. David Lujan: dlujan@azleg.gov
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Sen. Linda Lopez: llopez@azleg.gov
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Sen. Jerry Lewis: jlewis@azleg.gov
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Sen. Lori Klein: lklein@azleg.gov
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Sen. Rich Crandall: rcrandall@azleg.gov
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Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford: ocajerobedford@azleg.gov
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Sen. Andy Biggs: abiggs@azleg.gov
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Sen. Sylvia Allen: sallen@azleg.gov
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Sen. Paula Aboud: paboud@azleg.gov
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House Appropriations Committee Members:
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Rep. John Kavanagh, Chairman: jkavanagh@azleg.gov
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Rep. Justin Olson, Vice Chairman: jolson@azleg.gov
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Rep. Vic Williams: vwilliams@azleg.gov
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Rep. Steve Urie: surie@azleg.gov
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Rep. Michelle Ugenti: mugenti@azleg.gov
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Rep. Anna Tovar: atovar@azleg.gov
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Rep. Nancy McLain: nmclain@azleg.gov.
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Rep. Russ Jones: rjones@azleg.gov
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Rep. Matt Heinz: mheinz@azleg.gov
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Rep. Tom Forese: tforese@azleg.gov
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Rep. John Fillmore: jfillmore@azleg.gov
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Rep. Chad Campbell: ccampbell@azleg.gov
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Rep. Lela Alston: lalston@azleg.gov
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Related Articles:
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Arizona legislature releases budget ~ Arizona Republic, Alia Beard/Mary Jo Pitzl, 2/20/12