This past week, Arizona teachers flocked to an annual leadership conference on reshaping K-12 education to prioritize social justice, focusing mainly on controversial ideologies like social emotional learning (SEL). The Arizona K12 Center — a Northern Arizona University (NAU) affiliate, established leader of 23 years in professional educator development and gatekeeper to National Board Certification — hosted the conference. (National Board Certification has long been held as the highest and most respected teacher certification).
Two of the featured guest speakers at the conference, Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan, lectured at length about equity and a concept called “street data,” a term the pair focused on in their eponymous book on anti-racism, “Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation.”
“Street data” appears to be a term that Safir and Dugan coined. They argue that schools currently rely on “satellite data,” or measurable marks of proficiency and success like test scores and graduation rates. Safir and Dugan advocate for the eradication of satellite data. Instead, they insist teachers should focus on “street data,” such as students’ “brilliance, cultural wealth, and intellectual potential” and other experiential data from parents, teachers, and even the community. However, the emphasis is on a pedagogy built around students who would serve as “agents of their own learning” according to the authors.
“Education can be transformed if we eradicate our fixation on big data like standardized test scores as the supreme measure of equity and learning. Instead of the focus being on ‘fixing’ and ‘filling’ academic gaps, we must envision and rebuild the system from the student up―with classrooms, schools and systems built around students’ brilliance, cultural wealth, and intellectual potential. Street data reminds us that what is measurable is not the same as what is valuable and that data can be humanizing, liberatory and healing,” read the book description.
Their book also declared that there was no defined end goal for equity because it’s a dynamic journey, not a destination.
The conference focused on social justice issues with ongoing concerns about student achievement. Arizona Department of Education (ADE) assessment of test score data from the 2020/2021 school year revealed an overall 4 percent drop in English-Language Arts scores, with a passage rate of 38 percent, and an 11 percent drop in math scores, with a passage rate of 31 percent.
The vice chair of the Arizona K12 Center is the ADE Deputy Associate Superintendent, Bruce DuPlanty. The ADE gave $7.5 million to the Arizona K12 Center in 2021 for a teacher residency program and to expand their reach across the state. During the summer of 2020, ADE partnered with the Arizona K12 Center to release Arizona’s Induction Program Standards. They’ve received millions more from the ADE since their inception in 1999.
Government employees on the board of directors include: Pinal County School Superintendent Jill Broussard, Mesa Public Schools Superintendent Andi Fourlis, Prescott Unified School District Professional Development Director Kelli Bradstreet, Yuma Union High School District Chief Academic Officer Eric Brooks, Roosevelt School District Innovation and Learning Executive Director Richard Ramos, Scottsdale Unified School District Psychologist Yadira Flores, Phoenix Elementary School District teacher Yolanda Wheelington, and Flowing Wells Unified School District teacher Ben Collinsworth. Also on the board is former Arizona State Board of Education member Janice Mak.
Arizona Public Service (APS), the largest electric company in the state, has a seat at the table: their vice president, controller, and chief accounting officer, Beth Blankenship, serves on the board of directors.
Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) former President Ann O’Brien is also among those on the board of directors.
All three of Arizona’s public universities are also represented on the board of directors: University of Arizona (UArizona) College of Education Dean Bruce Johnson, Arizona State University (ASU) Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College professor Laura Corr, and NAU College of Education Dean Ramona Mellott.
In the past, the Arizona K12 Center has received a collective total of millions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the Department of Education since their inception. The center began with former Republican Governor Jane Dee Hull.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden nominated Phoenix attorney Roopali Desai as a candidate for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Desai is best known for her election law work. Some of Desai’s most prominent recent work included her representation of the Arizona Secretary of State’s office after the 2020 general election. Desai served on Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ transition team from December 2018 to January 2019.
In court filings to the Arizona Republican Party’s challenge to the state’s mail-in early voting system, Desai characterized challenges to election integrity as “legally baseless” means to an end of restricting voter rights. In her work, she echoed progressive challenges to election integrity doubts as a threat to democracy.
“Their claims are part of a broader ongoing effort to sow doubt about our electoral process to justify infringing voting rights,” wrote Desai.
Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen ruled earlier this month that mail-in voting didn’t violate the state constitution.
Roopali Desai is an exceptional attorney and will make an exceptional judge. I am thrilled with her nomination and grateful for all the work she has done on behalf of this office. She has always stood with us in defending Arizona's voters. https://t.co/uxGEESWsCL
— Secretary Katie Hobbs (@SecretaryHobbs) June 15, 2022
Desai also sued to stop the State Senate’s Cyber Ninjas-led audit on behalf of the Arizona Democratic Party. That lawsuit failed; Desai then sued for open records access to the audit. That case is still underway.
Desai also served as counsel for Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) successful challenge to the state’s mask mandate ban last November, a ruling that overturned a number of laws tied to the state budget.
On other school matters, Desai defended a challenge to Prop 305 in 2017 — a ballot initiative brought by Save Our Schools Arizona (SOS), a public school activist organization opposing school choice expansion. Voters rolled back school choice expansion through the ballot initiative in November 2018. Desai joined SOS’s board of directors in January 2019, and has served on it since.
Desai wrote the 100-word ballot initiative summary for Prop 208, then defended challenges to it. The Arizona Supreme Court sided with Desai on the ballot initiative summary. However, the Maricopa County Superior Court struck down Prop 208 as unconstitutional in March.
Desai also wrote the 100-word ballot initiative summary for Prop 207, which legalized marijuana for adults over 21 years old.
In the past, Desai served as legal counsel for the campaigns of Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Congressman Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01), the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona (PFFAZ), and the United Phoenix Firefighters Association.
I’ve known Roopali for over 10 years. She's a trusted legal expert highly regarded across the political spectrum in Arizona, known for her integrity and fairness. Glad to see the President nominate her to serve as a U.S. Judge. https://t.co/SdOl4u1VUL
USA Today named Desai one of their 12 national honorees for 2022 Women of the Year. Desai is also a professor of practice with the University of Arizona (UArizona) James E. Rogers College of Law. Desai earned her bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies from UArizona, later earning her Master of Public Health and a law degree from the university.
Along with Desai, Biden’s circuit court nominees were Eastern District of Louisiana Judge Dana Douglas for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bradley Garcia for the D.C. Circuit.
Biden’s latest district court nominees were Puerto Rico District Court Clerk María del Antongiori-Jordán for Puerto Rico District Court, Puerto Rico Court of Appeals Judge Gina Méndez-Miró to the Puerto Rico District Court, Puerto Rico District Court Magistrate Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé for Puerto Rico District Court, and attorney Jerry Blackwell for the Minnesota District Court.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Wednesday, the State House Ways and Means Committee passedlegislation establishing school choice for all parents who choose to use it. The 6-4 approval marks a historic advancement for expansion of the state’s school choice program, Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA).
The legislation, HB2853, comes from State Representative Ben Toma (R-Peoria) about 11 years after the ESA Program launched.
I just introduced legislation to provide every Arizona child the ability to go to the school of their family’s choice. #HB2853pic.twitter.com/9uoU3UN7GZ
Bipartisanship was far from the committee during discussion of this bill. Democrats insisted that voters in the past rejected universal ESA expansion, that families would spend their ESA dollars frivolously or wastefully, that there weren’t enough regulations on non-public schools, and that public schools would be bled of crucial funds. Republicans insisted that post-pandemic voters support universal school choice, and that parents knew what was best for their children and would choose accordingly.
Toma challenged the idea that Arizona’s public schools were underfunded, something that Democrats like State Representative Kelli Butler (D-Paradise Valley) and Arizona Education Association (AEA) President-elect Marisol Garcia testified. Toma asked for a definitive number that constituted “fully funded.” Garcia suggested that outranking other state’s funding totals would constitute “fully funded.” In response, Toma pointed out that education funding increased by 48 percent during his tenure in the legislature, adding that much of those funds didn’t end up in teacher’s salaries.
State Representative Brenda Barton (R-Payson) concurred with Toma’s assessment, saying that in her 11 years she’s never gotten a hard answer from any public school proponents or officials of what “fully funded” meant for them.
Chairwoman Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) estimated 25,000 students might utilize the ESA program if expanded under HB2853.
“If we’re helping a student get a lifeline, at the end of the day I’ll actually know we’re doing a good job as a legislature,” said Bolick.
Several Democrats insisted that they wanted to see long-term data on ESA students’ performance rates. Toma said there wasn’t a way to issue a fair comparison of those students because a majority of current users had disabilities, and comparing performance across different disabilities wasn’t an “apples to apples” comparison.
"Arizona has really been a leader on school choice …
"Some of our friends on the left are going to make the argument that the government should be the arbiter and the decider of where children go to school — and I respectfully disagree."
State Representative Pamela Powers Hannley (D-Tucson) argued that program effectiveness could still be measured through methods like sheer counts of private and charter school students.
“I think it’s important to know how many students are enrolled across the state because this is state money,” said Powers Hannley.
There are about 1.1 million charter and public school students.
State Representative Mitzi Epstein (D-Chandler) compared private schools to Walmart stores, insinuating that they were a less desirable option that communities were stuck with. Epstein also challenged why taxpayers should have to pay for children to visit the school they desire.
As a rebuttal for worry over potential private waste of public dollars, Toma pointed out the controversy over Buckeye Elementary School District paying its superintendent over $1.7 million in “additional compensation” from 2016 to 2021. Toma doubted that one individual’s misuse of ESA funds would reach that amount. He added that whenever people are involved, misuse is bound to happen.
“There are issues with any sort of system in which human beings are involved,” said Toma. “Fraud [with ESAs], if there is fraud, is less than one percent.”
In an attempt to cite waste of school funds, Butler listed allowable ESA expenditures she found objectionable, such as a bouncy castle and a tonal home gym costing thousands of dollars. Both Bolick and Toma reminded Butler that the Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) approved the handbook, clarifying further that Superintendent Kathy Hoffman’s office was responsible for writing it.
The two GOP legislators suggested that their Democratic peer take up her grievances with Hoffman.
Bolick also noted that bounce houses are within individualized education plan (IEP) parameters for curriculum-related therapies. Butler said that was besides her point. She went on to claim the state can’t afford to give every special needs child in the state their own bounce house for several hundred dollars — rather, schools should just purchase one for all special needs students. Butler called the tonal home gym “beyond the pale,” at which point Bolick cut her off for “beat[ing] a dead horse.”
Bolick and Butler contended over whether the entirety of Arizona’s 1.1 million charter and private school students would actually use ESAs.
Butler referenced access to ESA funds as “debit cards” repeatedly, to which Toma and Cobb objected. They, along with Bolick, explained to Butler that she was referring to an outdated system. They also contended with Butler’s attempted characterization of ESA funds as “thousands of dollars in a bank account.” At that point, Bolick suggested again to Butler that she seek out instruction from Hoffman about how the ESA Program works currently.
Among those to testify in favor of ESA Program expansion was Jennifer Clark, a mother of five. She explained that ESAs have helped several of her children with special learning needs like dyslexia and disabilities.
Clark further described how the public school system was currently failing her daughter with its stalled processing of her educational needs. She insisted that HB2853’s allowance for outside assessments would expedite solutions for situations like her daughter’s.
“All Arizonan families deserve equitable access to ESAs regardless of their income or zip code,” said Clark.
Drew Anderson, a South Phoenix Democrat and pastor, pointed out that the majority-white crowd protesting with the likes of Save Our Schools against the bill didn’t represent or understand the needs of minority parents — especially those in inner city schools like the Roosevelt School District.
“I don’t see anybody screaming ‘save our schools’ in south Phoenix,” said Anderson. “I hear them screaming ‘save our children.'”
Anderson described how inner-city children in his area, many from the Roosevelt School District, had to do school at McDonalds during the pandemic because they didn’t have internet at home.
The pastor then explained that one of his church members admitted to selling drugs on the side to get his siblings out of public schools. Their mother is deceased, Anderson explained, and one of the man’s younger sisters was attacked by a group of 14-year-old girls at her school.
“He had to find whatever means he could to try to get his brothers and sisters into private schools. He’s putting his freedom on the line to do that,” said Anderson. “Why is it that the rich kids can afford to go to these better schools, but these poorer kids can’t?”
HB2853 would empower parents with access to taxpayer funds already allocated for their students to apply to the schooling of their choice. The bill would appropriate $2.2 million and 26 full-time equivalent positions from the state general fund in 2023 to the ADE.
HB2853 would also enable ESA funds to be used for public transportation; computer hardware; educational technology like calculators, personal computers, laptops, tablets, microscopes, telescopes, and printers; consumable educational supplies like paper, pens, and markers; and additional disability services and education plan costs.
As for enrollment eligibility, the legislation would reduce the number of hours needed for K-12 online students to qualify by about half. It would also require students in grades 3-12 take nationally standardized tests, which may be swapped out for exams chosen by parents or qualified schools. Students with disabilities would be exempted from that examination requirement. Additionally, qualified schools with 50 or more ESA students must issue the aggregate test scores of all enrolled students or all ESA students annually.
Furthermore, the bill would expand the appeal deadline to 15 business days, and allow parents to represent themselves or designate non-attorney representatives in appeals hearings.
If passed as introduced, HB2853 includes a retroactivity clause rendering it effective as of July 1 of this year.
HB2853 angered school choice opponents. They claimed that the bill would rob public schools of their funding and award it to private schools and special interests.
No. You just introduced legislation to rob public schools at the bidding of private schools & special interests. You are expanding unaccountable entitlement programs for the wealthy, while AZ public schools remain LAST in the nation in funding 😡#NoNewVouchers#NoHB2853https://t.co/qPsD8SKZuS
At the time of press, GOP gubernatorial candidates Matt Salmon and Karrin Taylor Robson signaled support for HB2853.
Freedom is the foundation of any successful educational system.
Every parent across AZ deserves the opportunity to choose the school that best fits their children's individual needs, and they should be able to take their tax dollars with them. #HB2853https://t.co/3ISEBsFgwRpic.twitter.com/q1mHdXksvu
AZ has been a school choice leader for decades. #HB2853 will expand opportunity for every student & vault our state to the front of the educational freedom movement. As Governor, I look forward to build upon this legislation for years to come. #AZgovhttps://t.co/auSuQ52s5c
— Karrin Taylor Robson for Arizona (@Karrin4Arizona) June 15, 2022
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Sunday, Arizona’s two Democratic senators announced a sweeping gun control proposal to curb gun ownership of the mentally ill and domestic abusers, as well as expand mental health and school safety programs.
The proposal hasn’t been introduced as formal legislation, let alone a formal, standalone document. It proposes to prevent court-ruled dangers to the public from obtaining firearms; expand community behavioral health centers, mental health and suicide prevention programs in communities, schools, and telehealth networks, and other similar community support services; add convicted domestic violence abusers and those with domestic violence restraining orders to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); increase funding for K-12 school safety programs and training; increase punishment for evading firearm dealer licensing requirements and for illegal straw purchasing and trafficking; and require juvenile and mental health background checks for firearm buyers under 21 years old.
The legislation is a bipartisan effort, with 10 senators from each party issuing support. Republican senators who signed on were Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rob Portman (R-OH), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mitt Romney (R-UT).
Democrats who signed onto the proposal were Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Joe Manchin (D-WV).
One independent, Senator Angus King (I-ME), agreed to the proposal.
This latest gun control proposal comes less than three weeks after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
In a statement, President Joe Biden commended Sinema for the legislation specifically, along with Cornyn and Tillis.
“Obviously, it does not do everything I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades,” stated Biden. “Each day that passes, more children are killed in this country: the sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives.”
According to the CDC’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) latest data, there were over 45,200 total firearm deaths in 2020. Nearly 24,300 of those deaths were suicides, nearly 19,400 were homicides, just over 600 were legal intervention, and 535 were unintentional. 400 firearm deaths had an undetermined intent.
A vast majority of the firearm deaths occurred in males: nearly 39,000 versus just over 6,200 females. As for race, about twice the number of white men were killed by firearms in 2020 over black men. 21,000 of the men who died were white, non-Hispanic males; over 12,500 were Black, non-Hispanic males; and just under 4,200 were white Hispanic males.
Just under 3,900 of the women who died were white, non-Hispanic females; nearly 1,600 were Black, non-Hispanic females; and over 500 were white Hispanic females.
Blue counties accounted for the top ten highest firearm death rates of all counties in the country. They’ve been ranked below from the greatest to least number of homicides.
Cook County, Illinois: 82 percent were homicides, or 862 out of 1040 deaths; Biden won with over 74 percent of the vote in the 2020 presidential election.
Los Angeles County, California: over 62 percent, or 524 of 837 deaths; Biden won with 71 percent of the vote.
Harris County, Texas: over 61 percent were homicides, or 475 of 773 deaths; Biden won with over 56 percent of the vote.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: over 84 percent were homicides, or 453 of 538 deaths; Biden won with over 81 percent of the vote.
Wayne County, Michigan: over 75 percent were homicides, or 344 of 458 deaths; Biden won with over 68 percent of the vote.
Dallas County, Texas: nearly 61 percent were homicides, or 251 of 412 deaths; Biden won with over 65 percent of the vote.
Maricopa County, Arizona: over 35 percent were homicides, or 249 of 702 deaths; Biden won with over 50 percent of the vote.
Marion County, Indiana: 69 percent were homicides, or 219 of 317 deaths; Biden won with nearly 64 percent of the vote.
Miami-Dade County, Florida: 64 percent were homicides, or 208 of 325 deaths; Biden won with over 53 percent of the vote.
Tarrant County, Texas: over 45 percent were homicides, or 140 of 309 deaths; Biden won with over 49 percent of the vote.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Hours before a scheduled appearance on Monday with former Vice President Mike Pence, Governor Doug Ducey’s office announced that he’d tested positive for COVID-19. Ducey’s communications director, C.J. Karamargin, toldKTAR News that the governor was asymptomatic and “feeling well.”
From Day One, Vice President @Mike_Pence has worked closely with states to secure the border. Grateful to have him at Arizona’s southern border today to get an update on the ground. https://t.co/3uaEyLk0BN
Originally, Ducey was to accompany Pence on a tour of the southern border, followed by attendance at a border security speech by the former vice president at the Arizona Commerce Authority in Phoenix.
During his speech, Pence argued that the Biden administration was exacerbating the border crisis.
“[This border crisis] can be ended almost overnight, if President Biden will just put back the policies the Trump-Pence administration put into effect that reduced illegal immigration by 90 percent,” said Pence.
Pence also lauded Ducey for his leadership and wished him a speedy recovery from COVID-19. In April, the governor coordinated with half of the country’s governors to launch a strike force modeled after his 2015 state-level initiative to address the border crisis.
“Let me say: how fortunate the people of Arizona are to have a leader so principled and devoted to securing the border and keeping our families and our neighborhoods safe,” said Pence.
Among those that met with Pence on Monday were Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and his department, along with Arizona Department of Homeland Security Director Tim Roemer.
We are here today to say with one voice: President Joe Biden must do his duty and Secure Our Southern Border NOW! pic.twitter.com/mnz9ALUZyK
According to the latest Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data, there have been nearly 1.3 million border encounters since last October.
The Biden administration’s attempt to rescind Title 42, policy under former President Donald Trump to expedite expulsion of illegal immigrants, failed last month. The program was slated to end on May 23, but a federal court in Louisiana issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Biden administration from ending the policy.
HUGE. The Court keeps Title 42 in place. We're going to keep fighting – and winning – because Arizonans' lives are on the line. https://t.co/wXqGHegTGC
Ducey credited the senior advisor on the pandemic and lead for statewide vaccination efforts, Dr. Richard Carmona, for ensuring that the vaccine was the best tool to fight COVID-19. As AZ Free News reported, Carmona serves on the board of directors for a major distributor of the COVID-19 vaccine, McKesson.
Dr. Carmona is an incredible source of information in Arizona's response to the pandemic. Received a briefing from him today and we agree: the vaccine is the best tool we have to fight the pandemic. 2/ pic.twitter.com/LhwLCOaRD0
Favorability polls conducted last week through YouGov, Politico, and Harris indicated that voters largely had an unfavorable view of the former vice president. The latestpolling for 2024 presidential picks reflected that Pence falls behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with or without former President Donald Trump in the running.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
