Category: Association Blog

By Christie Megura, NFL Yet College Prep Academy Teacher 

Why do I choose to teach in Arizona?

I hear this question a lot from my parents, colleagues and friends who live outside of our state, who see the additional hours and costs I spend on my profession.

For a long time, pursuing a high level of excellence and expertise was a major factor that kept me engaged in the classroom. But this year I earned my National Board Certification, and for the first time I found myself asking, “Why do I choose to teach in Arizona?”

It’s because of students like Miriam.

By Eileen Sigmund

Reflecting back on 2017, we wanted to highlight how the Arizona Charter Schools Association has worked with our charter community to advance opportunities for our 185,900 students and 556 schools across Arizona.

For decades, our state has been a national leader in education freedom – the radical concept that parents know their own children best and should be empowered to select a school for them that is the right fit.

Parents are using that fundamental right as nearly 1 in 2 K-8 students in Maricopa County don’t attend the district school to which they were assigned based on home address. The Association was a partner in this first-of-its kind research. The actual number is almost certainly higher as we only looked at district and charter school students and didn’t take into account those who are homeschooled, attend private or online schools, or are enrolled in high school.

Charters and choice are the new norm.

By Yvonne Watterson

Arizona, we know families like to choose the best educational fit for their child, and now 14 new charter schools are coming your way.

On Monday, the Arizona State Board of Education made this possible by approving federal Charter School Program grants to schools that will mainly serve low-income families.

These non-profit schools will use the money to open new schools or expand enrollment, increase grade levels and replicate campuses already serving Arizona students.

While the Board approved an unprecedented number of federal start-up grants, this is the final round of the charter school expansion funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

This grant is the only source of funding Arizona charter schools have access to prior to the first day of school.

Think about that.

By Ashley Sweigert, Imagine Tempe Teacher

Why do I love to teach?

For me, it’s that moment when you’re with your students and they are learning something new. That moment when they are struggling with a problem, but work together as a class to figure it out. You’ll see students jump up, start collaborating with one and other, using phrases such as “well I respectfully disagree with you because” or “I respectfully agree with you because.”

I enjoy being able to step back as their facilitator and watch my students as they take ownership of their own learning. Then you’ll notice that “lightbulb go off” and they’ll raise their hands in the air saying, “Miss Sweigert! Miss Sweigert! We figured it out!”

That is why I love teaching.

By Jamar Younger

Arizona parents continue to demand education freedom, and public charter schools serve as a growing number of those choices.

More than 185,900 students have enrolled in charter schools this year, with tens of thousands more waiting to attend schools at capacity.

Recently, a few of those parents have raised their voice in support of their school of choice. These parents wanted to remind the public that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work when it comes to their child’s education.

Below are excerpts of opinion columns recently published in newspapers across Arizona. These stories serve as a reminder that public charter schools are a thriving sector in Arizona’s public education landscape.

By Eileen Sigmund

The ACLU is worried about public schools with “exclusionary” enrollment policies? That’s good to know.

Because for all but the last 20 years of our state’s existence, where you went to school depended on where you lived. Affluent families could afford to buy homes in expensive neighborhoods with high-quality schools. As for everyone else, we were at the mercy of our local district school. Students stuck in failing schools had no escape.

Talk about enrollment suppression and discrimination …

Thankfully, this injustice was significantly curtailed in Arizona over the last two decades with the adoption of open enrollment policies and advent of charter schools. These were hard-fought wins, achieved over the staunch opposition of the education establishment – namely the teacher’s union and school districts.

Where has the ACLU been? Not with Arizona families fighting for access to better schools.

By Jamar Younger

Charter school enrollment has been trending upward for the past 20 years, with charters now serving 17 percent of Arizona’s public school students, a 6 percent increase over FY16.

The trend is set to continue after the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools approved the applications of five new charter schools that are set to open next August. The Board approved the new schools during its regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 11.

These new charters will provide a range of options for students, from STEM curriculums to a dual language immersion program.

The schools will serve about 700 students total, many from low-income neighborhoods in the Phoenix area and Tucson. The Arizona Charter Schools Association provided support for these schools by reviewing their applications, conducting mock interviews and giving guidance throughout the process.