Welcome Fellow 2020 Vision Participants

by David Safier I want to welcome any of you who participated in Voices for Education’s 2020 Vision Community Meeting this morning to this blog. Let me tell you a few things about how the blog works, and how you can participate in the discussion. Blog for Arizona is Mike Bryan’s baby, and he has … Read more

Congress Must Stand Fast in Rejecting Bush’s Assault on the Constitution

by John Adams The US House of Representatives is right to reject the Administration’s cynically crafted version of the extension of the FISA amendment, the so-called Protect America Act of 2007. Rather, our House acted wisely in passing its own version of the extension, which deletes immunity from prosecution for telecommunication providers who abetted secret … Read more

Sinema Reveals Hypocrisy of GOP on Gay Marriage

Link: Same-sex marriage measure dealt blow. Rep. Krysten Sinema managed to maneuver an amendment onto the GOP proposed anti-gay marriage referendum that would have granted certain legal rights to domestic partners. The amendment is widely seen as effectively killing the bill because many GOP lawmakers have now withdrawn their support as a result of the … Read more

McCain Hasn’t Examined 21st Century G.I. Bill

by David Safier Democratic Senator Jim Webb and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel are cosponsoring a bill that would update the G.I. Bill so its educational benefits cover today’s tuition and living expenses. More than 50 Senators have signed on, Democrats and Republicans. Both Obama and Clinton are among them. But Arizona’s own war hero John … Read more

Do Schools Improve When States Take Them Over?

by David Safier Yesterday I wrote about a bill in the legislature to have the state take over Phoenix’s Roosevelt School District for 3 years. Is it a good idea? I asked. Has it been done elsewhere? I did some research. Yes, it has been done elsewhere. Sometimes the state takes over a school district, … Read more