A report shows that almost 40% of educators disciplined in 2023 were punished for sexual misconduct. One third of cases were associated with assaultive (non-sexual) behaviors.
“From only the cases adjudicated in 2023, 39% of cases were associated with sexual misconduct, followed by 28% associated with assaultive (non-sexual) behaviors,” the Arizona State Board of Education’s 2023 Enforcement Action Report says. “Substance-related cases decreased to 15% of all the 2023 cases, while breaches of contract decreased to 7%. Cases associated with fraud and theft remained constant at 11% in 2023.”
The report provides an overview of the type and frequency of discipline it has imposed on educators, certificated and uncertificated, who have participated in unprofessional or immoral conduct.
The number of cases processed by the State Board Investigative Unit has increased, but the board claims this is due to increased staffing and improved efficiency in processing cases, rather than an uptick in activity by teachers.
Still, some parents and parent advocates said their increasing awareness of predators in public school classrooms and lazy administrators desperate to fill classrooms played a significant role in complaints.
“There are few things worse in our society than the abuse of our precious children,” former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas told the Arizona Daily Independent. “Parents send their children to school assuming they will be safe from predators. Yet according to this report 67% of the enforcement cases in 2023 were sexual misconduct or non-sexual assault. This is just of the cases that have been reported and investigated. How many cases go unexposed, unreported and in some cases under-disciplined?”
Douglas wondered how many children may not realize they are being abused because of how they are being sexualized in their school’s sex-ed classes.
“How can people who have been trained as the teachers of our children abuse them in such horrific ways? Shame on our ‘Colleges’ of Education – 25% of the disciplinary actions from ASU. Where is our Board of Regents?”
Male educators represent more than half of enforcement actions, while 39% of actions involve women.
The largest disciplined group, representing 30% of all cases, are educators with secondary teaching certificates, which are usually used to teach middle and high school.
Educators with elementary teaching certificates and educators with substitute teaching certificates make up more than one third of all discipline cases.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
This ranking is particularly notable with fatal car accidents increasing across the country, with the number of deadly crashes climbing by nearly 10% from 2020 to 2022, according to Forbes.
In honor of Aggressive Driving Awareness Month, Forbes Advisor compared the 50 most populated cities across five key metrics, including the number of fatal car accidents involving drunk drivers, distracted drivers, and speeding, to determine which cities have the worst drivers.
Tucson has the fourth highest total number of fatal car accidents, with 16.21 per 100,000 city residents, and the fourth highest number of people killed in fatal crashes — 17.02 per 100,000 city residents.
Phoenix has the 10th highest number of fatal car accidents involving speeding, with 3.86 per 100,000 city residents, and the 11th highest total number of fatal car accidents — 13.85 per 100,000 city residents.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is first on the list of cities with the worst drivers, followed by Memphis, Tennessee; Detroit, Michigan; Tucson, Arizona; and Kansas City, Missouri.
Three of the top 15 cities with the worst drivers are in Texas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Additionally, three of the top 10 cities with the best drivers can be found in California, including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego.
More dangerous driving leads to increased risk and higher insurance rates, according to Forbes.
“Getting speeding tickets, running red lights, texting while driving and other reckless behaviors all raise your chances of accidents and damage claims,” the finance advice site wrote. “This makes you a greater liability in the eyes of insurers.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
The city with the largest number of credit card owners was Port St. Lucie, Florida, followed by Nashua, New Hampshire; Irvine, California; Garden Grove, California; and Cape Coral, Florida, WalletHub’s Wednesday survey showed.
“Port St. Lucie, FL ranks first because residents own a lot of cards and are adding new accounts quickly,” WalletHub editor John Kiernan said. “Port St. Lucie residents opened more credit cards than people in any other city during Q4 2023, at 1.45 cards on average. People in Port St. Lucie own an average of 6.39 credit cards, which is more than the average in all but three other cities, so it’s especially important for residents to ensure they make all their monthly payments on time and avoid overspending.”
Wallethub conducted the survey to determine which areas might be financially vulnerable this year, as credit card debt continues to climb due to inflation and record-high interest rates.
“There isn’t a magic number of credit cards you should have in your wallet. It’s good to own multiple cards if you can manage them well, by paying on time, keeping your credit utilization low and waiting at least six months between applications,” Kiernan said. “However, if you’re opening new cards simply to spend beyond your means, you’ll quickly find many cards hard to manage.”
The report measured the average number of cards owned per person and the average number of new cards opened per person in Q4 2023, as well as the percent change in both from Q4 2022.
Residents of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; Wichita, Kansas; Huntington, West Virginia; Portland, Maine; Des Moines, Iowa; South Burlington, Vermont; Lincoln, Nebraska; Pearl City, Hawaii; and Washington, D.C. had the least credit cards.
Tempe is home to Tempe Town Lake, Arizona’s second most popular public attraction, drawing 2.4 million visitors and generating nearly $2 billion in economic impact since its opening.
Technology, restaurants, retail, and hospitality are all rapidly growing in Tempe.
“We have a lot of corporate offices along Rio Salado. So, you’ve got a lot of larger players like Caravana, State Farm, and Open Door,” Colin Diaz, president, and CEO of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, told Fox 10. “We still have a decent amount of health care. There’s financial tech that’s growing as well, manufacturing is still a pretty good space.”
In 2021, Tempe had a population of 179,000 with a median age of 29.6 and a median household income of $64,080.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
Former boxing champion Mike Tyson recently launched a middle and high school in Phoenix, Arizona.
Tyson Transformational Technologies Academy is a Cognia Accredited Micro-School in Arizona for grades six to 12.
The world Champion boxer, entertainer, and entrepreneur partnered with the Foundations Academies School System and undefeated MMA fighter Daniel Puder to start the school.
“It’s important to me that I am able to share my life experiences to inspire the next generation,” Tyson said. “This new educational institution will build core values that I am honored and grateful to be part of the Arizona community. I was thrilled to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony and meeting some of the students.”
The price of tuition is covered through the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) and internal school scholarships.
Since late 2022, all Arizona students have been eligible for an ESA as a K-12 student or as a preschool student with a disability. Families with qualifying students enrolled in the ESA program can use their ESA funds for expenses including educational services, education providers, curriculum, and other educational expenses.
Tyson’s school aims to “redefine learning by combining innovation, financial literacy, mentorship, and community engagement.” The academy will provide quality education and opportunities for personal growth to every youth regardless of their academic challenges, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, the Feb. 15 news release says.
“As a society, we get to build our youths for the next generation,” Puder said. “We are so blessed to have Mike Tyson part of our school system. He inspires our students.”
To enroll their child, parents can contact (480) 448-5181.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
A Phoenix-based group of Teamsters is celebrating the Arizona State House Judiciary Committee’s passage of a bill to protect transit workers.
House Bill 2742 aims to protect transit, airline, and rail workers by significantly increasing the criminal penalty for assaulting them. It has bipartisan support and the endorsement of many transit, airline, and rail employers.
Teamsters Local 104, which represents 1,400 transportation workers across all industries in the Grand Canyon state, said the bill’s progress through the state House is a step in the right direction toward keeping transportation workers safe.
“The advancement of this bill for our members marks another significant step toward acknowledging the severity of crimes committed against transportation workers,” Karla Schumann, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 104, said in a news release. “This legislation directly confronts the critical issue of aggravated assault against transit, airline, and rail employees, underscoring the inherent dangers they encounter daily while serving the public.”
Schumann thanked Rep. Consuelo Hernandez, a Democrat, for sponsoring the bill. Hernandez, who has served as president of the Sunnyside Union School District School Board and worked as district manager of major accounts with ADP, is a member of the Transportation Committee.
“We express our deepest appreciation to Representative Consuelo Hernandez for her leadership and dedication in introducing HB2742, and to the Arizona State House Judiciary Committee for recognizing the urgency of this issue and for swiftly passing this important legislation out of committee,” Schumann said.
Local 104 members joined other transit workers in sharing their personal experiences of violence in their workplaces at the Capitol prior to the bill’s passage. Reported experiences included being struck with fire extinguishers, rocks, hammers, knives, and closed fists.
“State legislators must now pass this bill and have it signed into law as soon as possible,” Schumann said. “Local 104 will continue to advocate for legislation that safeguards our transportation members, ensuring they can perform their duties without fear of violence or harm.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
