by Staff Reporter | Mar 29, 2024 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona Republican lawmakers and concerned parents won a recent victory to protect the state’s universal school choice program from a volley of new regulations.
Over this past weekend, Arizona legislators were involved in a battle over the Draft Parent Handbook for the ESA Program for School Year 2024-2025. Unbeknownst to many ESA families, the handbook was posted to the Arizona State Board of Education’s website – linked to an agenda item – with multiple proposed changes of a significant nature, giving interested parties mere days to leave feedback. The recommendation from the Department was for the State Board of Education to adopt the revised handbook when it convened on Monday, March 25.
A group of parent-stakeholders, led by a long-time watchdog of the ESA program, Christine Accurso, discovered the existence of the handbook and poured through its contents, finding numerous examples of added regulations for students and families. They compiled the list and notified as many other parents as possible.
The parents also reached out to Republican lawmakers, who were shocked to learn about the lack of transparency and the efforts to overregulate the program, which was contrary to the legislative intent. Senators Jake Hoffman and Wendy Rogers, among others, immediately sprang into action to stop the revised handbook from becoming Department policy.
Thanks to the legislators’ and parents’ involvement, the State Board of Education ultimately reversed course on its initial recommendation, voting to maintain the previous year’s handbook with no changes.
Save Our Schools Arizona Director Beth Lewis, who has been a staunch opponent of the ESA program, was extremely disappointed with the outcome from the State Board of Education. After the Board’s vote, she said, “The proposed regulations rejected by Supt. Horne and Republican lawmakers would have provided a thin veneer of oversight for Arizona taxpayers.”
One of the ESA parents, Kelly Kenney, told AZ Free News, “I was shocked about the increased regulations because the new handbook changes will limit the educational opportunities for my child. This would directly impact her access to the type of resources that she absolutely needs. If the ESA program was supposed to be regulated in this way, it would spell it out in the statutes. I’m very glad the State Board saw things our way and sided with the parents in this program.”
The Arizona Department of Education’s “X” account issued a short statement following the vote from the State Board, writing, “Superintendent Horne is thankful for Senate President Warren Petersen and Arizona Senate Republicans for helping garner support from the state board of education to allow more time for input from parents on the ESA handbook.”
In the days leading up to the State Board of Education meeting, Republican legislators had several conversations with individuals at the Arizona Department of Education, informing them of their displeasure with this action and holding them accountable to the original intent of the ESA law. To ensure that ADE understood the seriousness of the situation and the resolve of legislative Republicans, Senator Jake Hoffman wrote a letter to the State Board, which was signed by many of his colleagues, including Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma.
The letter stated that ADE’s “proposed changes restrict[ed] the program further than the Arizona State Legislature intended.” It also highlighted “the failure to allow for public engagement, comment, or input in the shaping of these new regulations,” calling this “incredibly concerning.” Two requests were made of the State Board of Education in this communication. The first was to reject the draft handbook and greenlight the 2023-2024 handbook for another school year. The second was to “form a stakeholder working group consisting primarily of ESA parents, private school administrators, and home schooling parents” for the 2025-2026 handbook.
In an exclusive comment to AZ Free News, Senator Hoffman explained why he took the lead against the proposed changes in the draft ESA handbook. He said, “Transparency and robust public input from those most impacted by these regulations are critically important. Unfortunately, the system failed the Arizona families who rely on empowerment scholarship accounts for the educational success for their children. Thankfully Superintendent Horne and the State Board of Education took the opportunity to remedy this failure. Their decision to reject the deeply flawed 2024-2025 handbook, and instead adopt the current handbook until ESA families and educational providers have a multi-month opportunity to engage with ADE staff on the next handbook was the right move for the children relying on this incredible program.”
Just before the legislators’ letter was delivered to the State Board of Education on Friday evening, the ESA Executive Director wrote an email of his own to ESA families with the “ESA Program Response to Misinformation.” The director stated that “incorrect information has made it into the public dialog regarding payment of ESA purchases…that ESA account holders will not be paid for their allowable purchases until after they have completed an educational program.” The director also noted that the draft handbook had been posted on the State Board of Education’s website since Friday, March 15. Sources told AZ Free News that the alleged complaint was one that they had not seen lodged against the draft handbook and that none of the other concerns brought by parents about proposed changes in ESA policy or guidance were addressed in the director’s email.
The director’s email to ESA families on Friday, March 22, was believed to be the first since January 24, when the program sent an “important update on new features from ClassWallet.” The director had previously sent three consecutive emails to families in late-December 2023. In one of those emails, the director asked parents to submit their “suggestions for specific changes…to [be] made to the ESA Parent Handbook.” The deadline for submissions was January 2, 2024 – four days after that email hit inboxes.
Another ESA parent, Rosemary McAtee, gave the following comment to AZ Free News: “I was appalled to learn how the education department was trying to slide a new handbook past the parents, to the state board, without any input from the parents. I am glad that members of the board voted to include us in the process by allowing more time for our input. This week was a win for ESA parents! I’ve been in this program for 5 years and every year there has been a public process. We really haven’t heard anything at all from the department in the past 7 months when we were accustomed to weekly email updates.”
Solicitation of public comment on changes for the 2024-2025 Draft ESA Handbook was handled much differently – and with less transparency – than the previous year’s redlines. Last year, ADE issued a press release and transmitted an email to ESA account holders to explain the proposed changes.
The uproar over the draft handbook follows another instance where a Republican legislator was forced to intervene in an issue raised by parents. In February, ESA parents asked Rogers to resolve the backlog of orders in the program, which was believed to be around 85,000 (or over four months old), according to sources. AZ Free News was made aware of at least one Arizona private school that experienced severe funding issues due to the lack of reimbursements for ESA students who attended.
After Rogers contacted ADE with her concerns and request to pick up the pace of reimbursements, the issue almost literally evaporated overnight. AZ Free News was told that thousands of orders may have been approved in mere hours – and many more followed in the following days.
In an interview with AZ Free News, Rogers explained why she chose to involve herself over the stockpile of orders from ESA families, saying, “Numerous constituents, including family members had become exceedingly frustrated at the slow turnaround time for reimbursements from the ESA program. People from all over the state wrote me. They know that I fight, and that I’m outspoken. So I began writing terse letters to the Arizona Department of Education and I got results for my people on an individual basis, one by one. Then the word got around among the ESA families and everyone began to write me. So I started inundating the department with these letters, every one of which was carefully and separately written in-depth describing how these reimbursement delays adversely impacted their ability to school their children.”
The rural Arizona state Senator added, “Then all of the sudden, I heard that thousands of ESA reimbursement approvals were done over one night with no scrutiny. This is not a way to run a business. This just feeds the controversy on whether or not expenditure approvals are correct or valid. The ESA program was running well last year. I heard from many families how well run it was. Now it has run amok. There is no excuse for it. It must be repaired. Our children are too important. The legislature put this ESA program in place and now it’s up to administrators to manage it properly.”
The former director of the ESA Program, Christine Accurso, was at the center of both episodes, continuing to be a sounding board for hundreds of parents and an effective liaison to the Republican-led legislature on behalf of stakeholders. After the positive action from the Board on Monday morning, Accurso wrote, “Superintendent Horne committed to having his team work with key stakeholders – mainly parents – in creating the next one. Many Republican lawmakers stepped up to help their constituents, after receiving hundreds of emails this past week, and their advocacy paid off. As an advocate, defender and watchdog of this program for the past 10 years, I am so glad to see this outcome. This is exactly what we wanted and needed to have happen. The parents who attended and spoke at the board meeting did a great job advocating for their children’s education.”
When Accurso inherited the ESA Program in January 2023, there were over 60,000 orders for marketplace, direct pay, and reimbursements. Even with a steady increase of new enrollees adding a significant amount of orders to the existing backlog, Accurso and her team managed to whittle the requests down to essentially ‘zero,’ and drastically minimize the delay in response time to parents.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 29, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Governor Katie Hobbs stands to enjoy a major public relations benefit from her newly-announced $30 million medical debt relief program.
Under the contract, the nonprofit behind the program which began earlier this month, RIP Medical Debt (RMD), must give credit to Hobbs whenever describing projects or programs within the program. That credit includes the inclusion of logos or insignia approved by the governor on all communications, like: flyers, advertisements, and press releases.
The contract also requires RMD to have all other communications, including the letter template notifying recipients of medical debt absolution, to not only be approved by Hobbs’ office, but to double as a vessel for the governor to conduct desired content and data harvesting.
Under the contract, RMD’s notification letters must ask recipients to share their medical debt stories and any other pertinent information. Those stories — along with “related insights” gleaned from recipients by RMD’s resident anthropologist — would then be passed on to the governor’s office.
“The letters transmitted by Contractor also include a request for Program recipients to share their stories,” stated the contract. “Patient stories and related insights shall be shared with the Governor’s Office on a regular basis.”
It is unclear as to what the governor intends on using those stories and related insights, especially whether they will play a role down the road in encouraging voter turnout or ginning up support for the governor’s reelection in 2026.
The contract also enables the governor to obtain certain information from the program: the names of medical providers who have and haven’t agreed to participate; data analysis of program impacts on factors like ZIP code, race/ethnicity, patient/guarantor insurance type, income levels; and other, unspecified data reports on a regular basis.
Lack of specificity doesn’t just occur in the contract’s provision on all required data reports from RMD. The nonprofit must also submit an annual report containing “qualitative data” and “any other reporting reasonably requested” by Hobbs.
The contract does limit data-gathering to comply with HIPAA requirements.
Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) noted in its conclusion of a security questionnaire on RMD’s qualifications as a vendor — a pre-contract protocol — that RMD didn’t offer their department proof of certain requested information security controls. Rather, RMD offered a generic response unrelated to questions posed by AZDOHS.
“Responses appear to be copy-pasted from their information security policies, and some do not actually address the controls,” stated AZDOHS.
Ultimately, AZDOHS passed RMD as a qualified vendor, noting that every control had a policy reference and eight information security policies were provided.
In addition to monitoring and compliance, the contract requires RMD to develop a number of distinct plans detailing program administration, budgeting and financial management, marketing and outreach to recruit medical provider participation, and performance measurement.
The program received an initial $20 million using federal COVID-19 relief funds, with the contract allowing for another $10 million in federal relief funds at Hobbs’ discretion. The millions are estimated to cover up to $2 billion in medical debt.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Mar 28, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Arizona State University’s business school is launching a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in Business degree. Applications for fall 2024 admissions are now being accepted.
The school announced Monday that the W. P. Carey School of Business will present the first AI graduate degree program from a business school in the United States.
“There is no doubt that AI is quickly becoming a vital business skill. We are excited to meet the needs of students and employers through our new graduate degree program within our top-ranked information systems department,” said Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel dean and W. P. Carey distinguished chair in business.
The program will be held on the Tempe campus. It incorporates an applied curriculum and career coaching.
The degree aims to help students develop technical AI and professional skills needed to thrive in the technology and business world.
“Students will learn to understand and plan for the implications and possibilities enabled by artificial intelligence, in addition to the importance of governance, ethics and principled innovation,” said Pei-yu Chen, chair of the Department of Information Systems and Red Avenue Foundation professor. Chen also serves as the co-director of the Center for AI and Data Analytics for Business and Society.
Students in the program will learn to analyze diverse business situations and apply AI to further business goals; understand and effectively communicate the impact of AI transformations; practice mindful AI and pay attention to ethics, bias, welfare, privacy and trust; and lead cross-functional conversations and collaboration for effective implementation.
“W. P. Carey has been at the forefront of integrating AI into its academic programs, showcasing a commitment to leadership in AI education and its applications in business,” said Dan Mazzola, faculty director of the MS-ISM program. “The school’s offerings of AI-focused degrees, alongside various AI-related certificates and concentrations, highlight its active role in shaping the conversation around AI and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in technology.”
W. P. Carey also offers a certificate in artificial intelligence in business. Credit completed in the certificate program can later be transferred toward several W. P. Carey master’s degrees.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 28, 2024 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona State University (ASU) is facing a lawsuit over the inclusivity training it mandates for faculty.
The Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute sued the university earlier this month over the allegedly discriminatory training, on behalf of longtime ASU philosophy and religious studies professor Dr. Owen Anderson. The organization specifically alleged that ASU’s training violated Arizona law, A.R.S. § 41-1494(A), prohibiting trainings, orientations, or therapies that present any blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex.
“Arizona state law prohibits mandatory training for state employees and use of taxpayer resources to teach doctrines that discriminate based on race, ethnicity, sex, and other characteristics,” said Goldwater Staff Attorney Stacy Skankey in a press release.
Contested aspects of the ASU training, “ASU Inclusive Communities,” required faculty to acknowledge the history of white supremacy and social conditions persisting its existence as a structural phenomenon; society’s normalization of white supremacy; the sociohistorical legacy of racism, sexism, homophobia, and structural inequalities that impact minority faculty; white privilege; antiracism; and the relationship between sexual identities and power and the privilege of heterosexuality.
The training also included a video to which Anderson objected. The video encouraged faculty to “critique whiteness,” and to ascribe definite beliefs of good and evil as inherently racist.
“And what colonization did, was it really created this system of binary thinking,” stated the video. “There were folks that were inherently good and folks that were inherently bad, and that led to the systems of superiority that were then written into the foundational documents of our Nation.”
In addition to completing the training, ASU required faculty to pass an exam. The correct answers for that exam reinforced controversial concepts of systemic bias, intersectionality, land acknowledgement, equity, decolonization, microaggressions, and social justice. The Goldwater Institute claimed in their lawsuit that the inclusivity training only served to teach concepts of blame or judgment based on race, ethnicity, or sex.
“The Inclusive Communities training provides discriminatory concepts including, but not limited to: white people are inherently racist and oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; heterosexuals are inherently sexist and oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; white people should receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of their race or ethnicity; white people bear responsibility for actions committed by other white people; land acknowledgement statements are a way of holding one race or ethnicity responsible for the actions committed by other members of the same race or ethnicity; transformative justice calls for an individual to bear responsibility for actions committed by other members of the same race, ethnic group or sex; and dominant identities (whites or heterosexuals) are treated morally or intellectually superior to other races, ethnic groups or sexes.”
As justification for its call of decolonization, the ASU training also challenged the validity and goodness of the American founding.
In a press release, Anderson said that his employment shouldn’t hinge on his submitting to ideas that conflict with his beliefs.
“This ‘training’ is simply racism under the guise of DEI. It goes against my conscience, and I want no part of it,” said Anderson.
The contents of this training were obtained last May through a public records request by the Goldwater Institute. Prior to filing the lawsuit earlier this month, the organization sent a letter to the Arizona Board of Regents last fall asking ASU to cease and desist spending on the inclusivity training and others like it that allegedly run afoul of state antidiscrimination law.
The university requires faculty to repeat the inclusivity training every two years.
The case, Anderson v. Arizona Board of Regents, is in the Maricopa County Superior Court.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 28, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The Republican Party of Arizona is moving its shop ahead of the November General Election.
This past weekend, The AZGOP announced that it “had a successful ExComm with a quorum from across the state representing county parties who are energized and ready to win in November.” The party revealed that an “overwhelming” majority of the Executive Committee had made “a strategic decision to select a new office space.”
AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda released a statement following the vote of the Executive Committee, saying, “First and foremost, we need a location with easier access for volunteers and campaigns. Funds from the sale will be placed in the dedicated building fund account for the next administration.”
She added, “This board is always going to follow the wishes of the body. Strategically relocating the office is another great step in moving the party forward. We are focused on one thing and one thing only: winning.”
The vote, according to the AZGOP press release, was 38-4 in favor of selling the current location. There were four abstentions.
The announcement highlighted that in the spirit of transparency, “all offers [for the sale of the property] and evaluating the locating of the [new] office” will be presented to the Executive Committee “before any action takes place.”
Daniel Scarpinato, Chief of Staff to former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, praised the move in a post on his “X” account. He wrote, “A great move by Gina Swoboda – this was a horrible location for a party HQ. Impossible to park. No access to the building. Try getting volunteers in there. Another step in the right direction.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 27, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Senate Democrats are protesting their Republicans’ efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
Last week, three Democrats walked out of the Arizona Senate Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security Committee, during a hearing on HB 2748. The bill would “make it unlawful for a person who is an alien (unlawful immigrant) to enter the State of Arizona from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry,” and it would “outline penalties for violations of illegally entering the state and provide immunity from civil liability and indemnification for state and local government officials, employees and contractors who enforce this prohibition” – according to the purpose from the chamber.
The proposal was sponsored by Republican State Representative Joseph Chaplik.
After three Democrats in committee walked out over discussion of the bill, the Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus “X” account posted, “Senate Democrats are turning their back on Arizona just like Biden has turned his back on America. Today, Democrat Senators walked out of committee in protest of hearing bills aimed at securing our southern border and protecting Arizonans against border-related crimes. As border-related crimes have more than doubled in some areas of our state, Democrats continue to be more concerned about protecting criminals than Arizona citizens.”
After the walkout and vote, Senator David Gowan, the committee’s chair, said, “Senate Democrats are turning their back on Arizona, just like Biden has turned his back on America. This week, the Democrat senators pictured on the right walked out of my committee on Military Affairs, Public Safety & Border Security in protest of hearing bills aimed at securing our southern border and protecting Arizonans against the horrific crimes associated with the invasion. This criminal activity has more than doubled in some areas of our state, including my home of Cochise County.”
Gowan added, “Sadly, Senators Gabaldon, Diaz, and Bravo refuse to even have a conversation on solutions to protect our citizens. They disgracefully chose to pose for photos, rather than listen to powerful testimony and discussion regarding several solutions, including the mirror to my Aggravated Unlawful Flight bill, which would create tougher penalties for drivers who endanger the life of another person while attempting to flee law enforcement. Our law enforcement and the citizens of Arizona deserve more respect.”
The piece of legislation passed out of the committee with a 4-0 vote (with three members not voting).
Last month, the bill was approved by the Arizona House of Representatives with a 31-28 vote (with one vacant seat).
The bill stands a certain chance of a veto from Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who has already rejected one other Republican solution to the border crisis.
HB 2748 will now be considered by the full Senate chamber.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
