Jay Heiler, our newest AZ Board of Regents member

by David Safier

When I read Jay Heiler's resume in a story about his appointment by Brewer to the Board of Regents, I was a bit concerned.

For instance, his education experience: He was President of the Board of St. Francis Xavier School, worked with Great Hearts Academies (if I remember correctly, these are charter schools that used to be private Catholic schools), is on the board of the Arizona School Choice Trust, and is the President of the Board of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. This is not my idea of a public school guy.

Add to that his membership on the board of the Goldwater Institute, and you get the complete picture. He's going to help move the regents to the right and push for privatization whenever he can.

Oh, and he was Chief-Of-Staff under Governor Fife Symington.

Tedski makes the point that Regent Fred DuVal was criticized for his political involvements by Republicans. I guess Heiler is different, because he has the right kind of political involvements.