A personal, nuanced view of charter schools
by David Safier Commenter Susan gives as clear a presentation as I've read of the reason parents should have a number of public school options, including charter schools. Advertisement It's a complex issue for me. I am an ardent supporter of the public school system. I went to several parochial and public schools myself, so … Read more
Send Your Political News to Blog For Arizona
Blog for Arizona is pleased to announce a new feature for 2012. Because mainstream media do not cover local campaigns except within a narrow window of coverage shortly before a primary or general election, BforAZ will strive to provide our readers with in-depth election coverage throughout the year. With the number and coverage of newspapers … Read more
A bizarre (and heartwarming?) New Years Eve experience
by David Safier If you're a few libations along and the witching hour has not yet arrived, here's something you might do. Go to Itunes or some equivalent where you can listen to 30 second clips of songs from albums. Search for "Bob Dylan: Christmas in the Heart." Then listen to a few clips. It … Read more
A cautionary note about charter school expansion
by David Safier Arizona is awash in charter schools — the most per capita of any state — and there is a push to expand still further, encouraged by $14 million coming from the U.S. DOE to AZ earmarked for charters, to be followed by another $50 million a few years down the road. Charters … Read more
New blog in town
by David Safier We've got a new blog in town: pocobravo. Its first post is dated December 21. The host of the site is Luke Knipe who describes himself as "a native Tucsonan and a lifelong Democrat." And he prefers to refer to the site as "an online publication" — more specifically, "a brand new, … Read more
Comment on “Donation saves the school” story
by David Safier Right below this, you'll find something I wrote about an $850,000 tuition tax credit donation back door voucher that comes straight out of the state's coffers. An insurance firm is using the law allowing unlimited corporate tax credits to pay tuitions for private schools. It will get every penny back when it … Read more
The “donation saves the school” story, and the back story
by David Safier I had to read the article 3 times before I could put all the pieces in place. This isn't a hit on the reporter, Emily Gersema of the Republic. She includes all the necessary details. But the ins and outs of the story are so complex, it's tough to digest it all. … Read more
