Month: April 2017

Fair Grades for Schools Matter

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Post date April 21, 2017

Editors update: On April 24, 2017, the Arizona State Board of Education voted 7-2 to adopt the Ad Hoc committees recommended models for elementary and high school.

By Eileen Sigmund

How good is my child’s school?

One way parents can find out is through Arizona’s school accountability system, known as the A-F letter grades. On Monday, the Arizona State Board of Education is poised to make a historic decision: updating Arizona’s A-F letter grade system.

After eight months of working to craft a system that evaluates Arizona’s public schools, the State Board’s Ad Hoc committee has recommended an equitable accountability system. The Ad Hoc Committee relied on the work of technical experts; you know, the Ph.D.-type that can run data models and differentiate how the proposed A-F models measure the impact of the school, rather than the zip code of its students.

Press Releases

Association commends Gov. Ducey, lawmakers for expanding pathways to higher education

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Post date April 19, 2017

HB 2078 supports innovation, excellence & opportunity in K-12

Phoenix (April 18, 2017) – Thanks to the continued support of excellence and innovation in K-12 education, lawmakers have secured an alternative path to higher education for Arizona’s students.

Signed by Governor Doug Ducey on April 17, House Bill 2078 clarifies the concurrent coursework programs presently offered in many high schools and defines best practices for the operations and funding of these programs.

“Concurrent coursework provides students an opportunity to graduate high school with not only their high school diploma, but also with an associate degree or credits toward a degree,” said Eileen B. Sigmund, Arizona Charter Schools Association President and CEO. “This legislation will ensure that public schools across the state can continue to offer innovative programs that challenge students and bring higher education within reach of more Arizonans.”

Association Blog

The overregulation of public charter schools

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Post date April 13, 2017

In this guest blog, Jeanne Allen founder of the Center for Education Reform (CER), tackles the overregulation of public charter schools. A fervent supporter of flexibility and innovation in education, Allen has been at the forefront of the education reform movement since founding CER in 1993. Below, Allen explains how a bill circulating through the Arizona State Legislature could impede that progress.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Central Phoenix charter school creates a blueprint for academic success

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Post date April 4, 2017

By Jamar Younger

For Judy White, the decision to open Midtown Primary School in a low-income community in Central Phoenix wasn’t just a choice, it was a calling.

White and co-founder Belinda Suggs sensed a need for quality education and community involvement in the neighborhood when they opened the K-4 public charter school in 2002.

Although the idea of opening a public school serving students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds would deter some educators, White and Suggs stared down the challenge and sought to figure out how to succeed with that population.

The task of creating a high-achieving school in a low-income neighborhood has puzzled many educators, but the two administrators have seemed to find the right pieces for success at their small public charter school.

Tags Central Phoenix, charter schools, K-12, Phoenix, public schools, school choice