Category: In the News

Charter Association Applauds Governor on Education Proposals

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date January 9, 2017

Focus on Teacher Pay, High-Performing Schools Highlights of Governor’s State of the State

The Arizona Charter Schools Association released a statement today expressing support for the proposals outlined in Gov. Doug Ducey’s State of the State address.

“The Arizona Charter Schools Association applauds Governor Ducey for his strong focus on K-12 education during today’s State of the State. While we look forward to further policy and fiscal details, the Governor made it clear today K-12 education is a top priority,” said Eileen B. Sigmund, President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. “Specifically, we are encouraged by Governor Ducey’s emphasis on the beating heart of every school: its teachers. Legislators should support the Governor’s call to boost teacher pay, attract teachers to low-income schools, and incentivize good teachers to study, work and stay in Arizona. Governor Ducey also signaled his commitment to assist high-performing public schools, including those doing good work in challenged communities.”

Association Blog In the News

“Fund What Works”

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date January 4, 2017

Association President Eileen Sigmund outlines goals for upcoming legislative session, says state needs to fund high performing, rapidly improving schools

Arizona needs to prioritize state money to support its most successful schools and clear the path for students who want to simultaneously attend high school and community college.

That’s the message from Association President and CEO Eileen Sigmund, who recently outlined those goals in a story published by the Arizona Republic on Jan. 4.

Association Blog In the News

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.

Charters Changing Lives In the News

Association President Celebrates Charter Success

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date February 16, 2016

“Charter students are beating state averages at every grade level. Beyond the data, charters are changing lives and giving students and families a world of new academic options.”

-Eileen Sigmund, Association President and CEO
Phoenix Business Journal 2-16-16

In the News

Sen. McCain Explains Why Everyone Should Support Charter Schools and School Choice

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

Sen. John McCain has shown himself to be a staunch supporter of charter schools and school choice.

In a recent Fox News op-ed, McCain extolled the benefits of school choice and highlighted the successes of Arizona’s charter movement as an example of why it’s important to provide a quality education to students, regardless of zip code.

McCain specifically mentioned the latest round of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which showed Arizona’s charter students bucking trends and achieving results that puts them on par with some of the highest ranking states in the country.

The Senator also praised charter schools for the overall innovation, and teacher and school leader empowerment seen in many schools.

In the News

Politics in the Yard with Association President Eileen Sigmund

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

Association President and CEO Eileen Sigmund appeared on the CW6’s Politics in the Yard with Jaime Molera in December. The new political talk show discusses Arizona issues with a CW6 twist. The fast-paced, fun and entertaining weekly show appears on Sunday nights at 7 p.m. on the CW6.

Jaime and his guests talk politics with the biggest leaders in Arizona, play side-splitting games and have a few laughs, turning political talk on its head.

In the News

20 Years of Arizona Charter Schools

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date December 22, 2015

Arizona’s charter schools have continued to thrive after 20 years, with charter students consistently outperforming their peers on state and national tests. The Cronkite News Service interviewed Association President and CEO Eileen Sigmund and leaders from some the state’s best schools, who explained why school choice is an important piece of the education landscape.

In the News

Arizona Excels at School Choice

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date December 16, 2015

Arizona does many things well, including school choice, according to an Arizona Republic year-in-review column that ran last month. School choice was among eight items listed as the Arizona’s biggest strengths and reasons we stand out from other states.

The article calls Arizona a “leader” in the charter school movement, noting that the concept of school choice is still a novelty in many other states. More work needs to be done to equitably fund public schools and serve poorer students, but the state’s progress is undeniable.

In the News

Republic Editorial Praises School Choice, Outlines Steps for Improvement

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date November 9, 2015

An Arizona Republic editorial recognized Arizona’s emergence as a national leader in school choice while explaining the benefits of providing options to parents and students.

The editorial also points out improvements that need to be made in order to preserve a robust school choice environment, which includes properly funding schools and holding choice options to high standards.

In the News

Legislative Deal Could Stabilize School Funding System

Post author By acs@@dmin
Post date November 6, 2015

The $3.5 billion school funding deal recently approved by state legislators during a special session should inject some stability and certainty into Arizona’s school funding system, said Association President and CEO Eileen Sigmund.

Sigmund described the significance of the funding measure in a recent Arizona Republic story, which discussed what the deal could mean for charter and district schools.