Advocacy in Action: Join us!

The Association is committed to improving the political and regulatory landscape for charter students, families, and operators at the local, state, and federal levels. With nearly 600 charter schools serving over 230,000 students, we are a powerful force when united. The Association provides targeted advocacy at the legislature, is a voice for charter schools on state policy issues, and fights for charter students and teachers in the courts.

Join us in our efforts to protect Arizona’s public charter schools from politics.  Whether you are a parent, a school leader, a business partner, or any other community member that supports increased educational options and opportunities for Arizona families, you can be involved. Click below to fill out the form, and we’ll periodically send you text messages and email updates about how you can help fight for charter schools in Arizona.

Advocacy: Do’s & Don’ts

It is imperative that campaigning and advocacy efforts on behalf of propositions or other ballot measures by school employees stay within the bounds of the law. The following information does not apply to general contact with your legislators or inviting them to visit your school.

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2021 Legislative Summary

Click HERE to download a summary of legislation affecting Arizona charter schools. 

Advocacy Support

On average, Arizona’s public charter schools receive about $1,308 less* on average in per-pupil funding than their district peers. The wide disparities in K-12 funding are due to an outdated school finance system that was last overhauled in 1980.

Source: Annual Report of the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

This members-only resource provides our Association members with up-to-date information and context on the news and issues most important to operating a public charter school in Arizona. Join us today!

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For parents of the more than 1.1 million Arizona students enrolled in a public school, it’s unimaginable that less than a generation ago, the decision about where to send their children to school was made by somebody else. Even worse, that decision was determined not by a child’s individual learning needs, but by the neighborhood in which their parents could afford to live. Charter school legislation changed all that in 1994, and along with the adoption of district open enrollment, affirmed a simple fact: Parents know best when it comes to choosing what’s best for the education of their children.  

For over 25 years, Arizona’s charter school movement has successfully protected this fundamental right for families all across our state, but unless we raise our voices to a new level, the future of our state’s charter schools is in jeopardy. 

As advocates for public charter schools, we educate and mobilize our supporters to tell their stories to elected officials, parents, community leaders, and others to support the expansion and availability of quality charter schools for every Arizona family. 

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There have been no substantial revisions to Arizona’s school funding formula since 1980. Even as our state’s educational landscape has changed, the school finance system has remained essentially the same. Now is the time for your elected officials to equalize the school funding formula to ensure fair and equitable access for every Arizona student.

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Charters Changing Lives

With negative headlines splashed across news outlets, the hard work of our K-12 teachers and leaders is sometimes overshadowed and forgotten. We want to change that. Our Charters Changing Lives campaign is a way to share the stories that are often overlooked: to recognize the efforts of our students, teachers, leaders and community members who dedicate their lives to ensuring student success.

With over 232,000 students attending more than 560 Arizona charter schools in the 2021 school year, it’s clear that public charter schools play an integral role in the lives of young people all across our state.