The State needs to Fully Fund Public School Safety Needs

On December 13, the State Board of Education will consider the Department of Education recommendations for close to 400 school safety grant applications for either new counselors, school resource officers, or social workers. According to reporting from AZ Central, the schools that received grant funding recommendations will be able to provide for “148 counselors, 118 … Read more

Is 2020 the Year the Arizona ELL Law Comes off the Books?

Will the political stars finally align to repeal the law (Proposition 203) mandating English Only Instruction for students with limited English Proficiency in 2020? Proposition 203, passed in 2000, has not yielded the hoped-for outcomes as English learners have fallen behind in both English acquisition and mastery of other core and elective subjects children cannot … Read more

Jay Lawrence is at it Again.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman and most of the public servants entrusted with deciding which schools receive school safety grant monies in the coming weeks are pragmatic public servants that recognize that there is not a one size fits all approach to ensuring children and educators are in a safe education environment. Arizona Legislative … Read more

U.N. climate reports: current efforts are not nearly sufficient to avert climate catastrophe

An alarming United Nations report released Tuesday said global temperatures are on track to rise as much as 3.9°C by the end of the century, meaning only drastic and unprecedented emissions reductions can stave off the most devastating consequences of the climate crisis. ‘The science is screaming’: UN report warns only rapid and transformational action can stave off global … Read more

The Voucher Vultures are back with yet another manufactured ‘crisis’

Towards the end of the legislative session last spring, Republicans introduce legislation in response to the Arizona Department of Education rescinding participation in the ESA program from families on the Navajo Nation because funds from the accounts were used at a private school in New Mexico. The ‘Voucher Vultures’ are using Navajo children as pawns in … Read more