Arizona

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Arizona
Illustration with scales holding books and cash
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School Choice & Charters Explainer Education Savings Accounts, Explained
Four states this year have passed laws allowing any parent to spend public dollars on private school tuition or other education expenses.
Libby Stanford & Mark Lieberman, March 27, 2023
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17 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion A Charter Academy Delivering a ‘Classical’ Education Grows in Popularity
At its core, Great Hearts Academy seeks to foster virtuous human beings, explains the schools' CEO.
Rick Hess, February 16, 2023
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5 min read
Image of a teacher working with two elementary students.
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Recruitment & Retention States Are Making It Easier to Become Substitute Teachers
But some question whether that's a good idea.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 9, 2023
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5 min read
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager at the Phoenix Union High School District, in Phoenix, Ariz., meets with community liaisons at Carl Hayden High School.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager at the Phoenix Union High School District, in Phoenix, Ariz., meets with community liaisons at Carl Hayden High School.
Ash Ponders for Education Week
Budget & Finance Q&A Letting Students Decide Where Money Should Go: How One District Did It
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval leads an effort to let Phoenix Union High students decide how significant chunks of money are spent.
Mark Lieberman, February 6, 2023
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4 min read
Cyndi Tercero, family and community engagement manager for the Phoenix Union High School Districts, pictured at a distribution event for students and families in need at Carl Hayden High School in west Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 13, 2023.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager for the Phoenix Union High School District, helps out at a food distribution event for students and families in need at Carl Hayden High School in west Phoenix, Ariz.
Ash Ponders for Education Week
Budget & Finance Leader To Learn From Giving Students a Say in School Spending? A District Leader's Bold Idea Pays Off
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval's initiative empowers students by allowing them to vote on how portions of their school's budgets will be spent.
Mark Lieberman, February 6, 2023
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9 min read
Cyndi Tercero, family and community engagement manager for the Phoenix Union High School Districts, meets with community liaisons at Carl Hayden High School in west Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 13, 2023.
Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, the family and community engagement manager for the Phoenix Union High School district, meets with community liaisons at Carl Hayden High School in west Phoenix, Ariz.
Ash Ponders for Education Week
Families & the Community Photo Essay PHOTOS: 'It's Just So Hard Not to Smile When We're Doing This'
EdWeek photographer Ash Ponders reflects on their day with Cyndi Tercero-Sandoval, a 2023 Leaders To Learn From honoree.
February 6, 2023
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1 min read
Large white hand holding a weighing scale with a bag of money on one side and books with floating letters on the other side showing a balance of knowledge and money
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Education Funding 6 Lawsuits That Could Shake Up How States Pay for Schools
Far removed from annual budgets, these lawsuits hold the potential to force states to direct more funds to their schools.
Mark Lieberman, January 27, 2023
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6 min read
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Recruitment & Retention What Districts Can Do to Prevent Teachers From Quitting Mid-Year
Routine, actionable feedback and small gestures of appreciation go a long way, superintendents say
Caitlynn Peetz, January 18, 2023
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5 min read
Photo of teacher in front o blackboard.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession In Their Own Words An Award-Winning Teacher in India Deplores the Lack of Respect for American Teachers
Former Fulbright Scholar Ranjitsinh Disale has called on American policymakers to pass a resolution declaring support for the teaching profession.
Madeline Will, January 4, 2023
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5 min read
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Marilyn Nieves/E+
Law & Courts A Native Student Barred From Graduation Over a Sacred Feather: Why Her Lawsuit Was Revived
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said a district may have selectively enforced its policy on graduation decorations.
Mark Walsh, December 9, 2022
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2 min read
Image of a clock, calendar, and a pencil.
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Recruitment & Retention Schools Don't Embrace Flexible Work: Ideas From 3 Superintendents on How to Do It
Schools' traditional schedules and practices can be adapted to support some flexible work options, even for teachers.
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 5, 2022
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5 min read
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Laura Baker/Education Week and DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Why National Advocates Are Getting More Involved in School Board Elections
Outside political groups have spent millions in campaigns for school board members that represent their views.
Libby Stanford, October 31, 2022
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10 min read
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Law & Courts Legal Challenges to 'Divisive Concepts' Laws: an Update
Since last year, four states have seen eight lawsuits challenging "divisive concepts" laws.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 17, 2022
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6 min read
Outgoing Arizona schools chief Tom Horne asserts that a major school district in Tucson is violating a new state law by continuing an ethnic studies program designed primarily for Hispanics, pointing out a quotation from a textbook used in the class, at a news conference in Phoenix on Jan. 3, 2011. A federal judge in Tucson, in a finding made public Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, ruled that an ethnic studies ban in Arizona that shuttered a popular Mexican-American program was enacted with racial discrimination. The 2010 law dismantled the Tucson Unified School District program, launching months of protests by students and parents who said it enriched school performance.
Tom Horne, the Republican nominee for the Arizona schools superintendent position, says he would put an end to critical race theory and "indoctrination" if elected.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
States Divisions on Race, Gender Intensify a Fight for State Superintendent
The Arizona election for state superintendent illustrates the polarization engulfing K-12 policy nationwide.
Libby Stanford, September 30, 2022
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9 min read
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