Category: Association Blog

Arizona’s Proposed Budget and What it Means for Charter Students

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date April 27, 2016

The FY2017 budget is now underway in Senate Appropriations while the House continues work on its budget. As introduced, the Senate budget bills show a cut to charter schools through the continuation of Small School Weight reductions for charter networks.

The Association is fervently working to freeze the Small School Weight reductions for FY17 and restore the Additional Assistance reductions taken from charter schools during the recession. Freezing the Small School Weight reductions and restoring Additional Assistance money is crucial to maintaining the strength of Arizona’s charter movement.

Here is an initial update on what is in the proposed Senate language.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

STAR School’s Story

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date April 27, 2016

The educational landscape for Native American students has changed dramatically within the last few decades, as tribes have sought to take ownership of an education system that previously disconnected them from their culture. Learn how a small Arizona charter school, which straddles the edge of the Navajo Nation, strives to interweave its academic focus with traditional Navajo values.

Here is their story.

Association Blog

Charters Support Prop 123

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date April 7, 2016

Public education in Arizona is at a precipice.

Arizona saw modest gains in student enrollment over the last decade with a 5.8 percent increase, but enrollment is projected to rise dramatically as our state’s K-12 population could grow by 57 percent over the next 14 years.

States with growing student populations face a variety of fiscal challenges in recruiting and retaining the necessary workforce, and in providing the physical space to house students, according to the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

So how do we begin addressing Arizona’s K-12 funding challenges?

Proposition 123.

Prop 123, which is on the ballot for Arizona’s May 17 special election, adds funding over the next 10 years to K-12 education and settles a funding lawsuit between the legislature and public schools. The settlement includes money from the general fund and increased distributions from the State Trust Land, which exists to support public education.

The Arizona Charter Schools Association strongly supports Prop 123. Our members overwhelmingly voted to donate $10,000 to support Prop 123 on behalf of Arizona’s charter schools and students. In addition, we have created a neutral fact sheet, vetted by an education attorney, to help our members get out the word about Prop 123.

Registering voters is permissible for schools, and the last day to register is April 18. Please spread the message and visit www.arizona.vote to register.

Association President and CEO Eileen B. Sigmund wrote this letter, which was originally published in the Association’s monthly e-newsletter on Thursday, April 7, 2016. Read the full newsletter here.

Association Blog

Parents Not Allowed to Opt Students Out of AzMERIT

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date April 5, 2016

AzMERIT testing has started and questions have arose regarding whether parents can opt their students out of the test, as some parents have already made that request. While it’s understandable there may be some confusion, parents cannot opt students out of AzMERIT, according to a memo issued by the Attorney General on Oct. 9, 2015.

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Read the Full Opinion Here

Association Blog Press Releases

Arizona Charter Schools Closing the Achievement Gap

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date March 22, 2016

Arizona’s achievement gap is among the smallest in the country and charter schools top many of the rankings.

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Charters at the Capitol

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date March 3, 2016

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A Note from Eileen

Representing every legislative district across Arizona, school leaders turned out for ‘Charters at the Capitol’ Wednesday to discuss how charters are changing lives in their unique schools. Governor Doug Ducey met with our leaders and recognized their academic success, as Arizona charter students outperformed nearly every state on the 2015 Nation’s Report Card.

In our 130 meetings scheduled with 27 legislators and the Governor, along with my presentation to the House Education committee, we highlighted how charter students are exceeding the state average in every grade for reading and math. Charter leaders also discussed how the instability of Arizona’s K-12 funding impacted their plans to expand and serve thousands of families on wait lists.

The schools represented have diverse educational philosophies, such as STEM, Waldorf, Arts, and Socratic methods of learning. Our leaders drove from all corners of the state including Sierra Vista, Kingman, Tucson and Bisbee to participate.

With 170,755 students and 556 public charter schools, Arizona’s charter community is committed to student success and strengthening K-12 education, ensuring a vibrant Arizona.

I want to personally thank the Governor, legislators and everyone who made ‘Charters at the Capitol’ a great success.

Sincerely,

Eileen B. Sigmund
President and CEO
Arizona Charter Schools Association

Association Blog

Arizona Expands Charter School Options to Low Income Students

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date February 23, 2016

Arizona has again demonstrated that we are a state invested in increasing quality choice for students.

On Monday, the Arizona State Board of Education unanimously approved Charter School Program grant funding for the creation and expansion of 11 charter schools serving disadvantaged students. The majority of the applicants were supported by New Schools For Phoenix, a non-profit whose mission is to support the development and expansion of high quality schools serving low-income students in the Phoenix urban core.

Arizona was one of only eight states to receive the highly competitive $23.6 million federal grant to increase the number of high quality schools available to disadvantaged students. This year’s $7.5 million grant allocations will help these charter schools grow to serve over 5,000 students.

The Association was an integral part to ensure Arizona would be eligible for the federal grant. During the 2015 legislative session, the Association worked with lawmakers to consider progress towards academic performance expectations as one of the most important factors in determining charter renewal. This accountability measures was a deciding factor for the U.S. Department of Education’s grant award to Arizona.

This year’s awardees include:

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Charter Teachers Share Education Experiences with Lawmakers

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date February 10, 2016

Elizabeth Tavasci speaks before the House Education Committee.

Education remains a priority for politicians and voters, with lawmakers sending Prop 123 to the ballot, polls showing education as a top issue and the usual spate of education bills circulating through the State Legislature this session.

With education at the forefront of policy discussions, the House and Senate Education Committees have made it a priority to highlight some of the positive happenings in Arizona’s schools.

For the last few weeks, Education Committee Chairs Rep. Paul Boyer and Sen. Sylvia Allen have invited teachers to share their experiences in Arizona’s public education system with committee members.

And charter teachers have led the way.

Association Blog

Myth Busters

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date February 1, 2016

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Get the Facts about Arizona’s Charter Schools

Arizona has always stood at the forefront of the nation’s charter movement since the state enacted its charter laws more than 20 years ago.

Families here are choosing charter schools.

Today, there are 556 public charter schools serving 170,755 students. That’s nearly 30 percent of the public schools in Arizona.

Charter schools aren’t just boasting growth; they have the results to prove it. Arizona’s charter students outperformed nearly every other state on the Nation’s Report Card and exceeded the state average of students passing AzMERIT in 2015.

But even after 20 years, there are still myths about charter schools. That’s why we’re launching our “Myth Busters” campaign to share the facts about charter schools, including:

Association Blog Charters Changing Lives

Erik’s Story

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date January 26, 2016

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 556 public charter schools serving over 170,000 student, charters play an integral role in shaping the lives of Arizona’s youth. We plan to share how Arizona’s charter schools are changing lives every day.

Here is Erik’s story.