Education - AZ FREE NEWS

Horne Applauds Rejections Of Questionable ESA Requests

Jan 25, 2024

By Elizabeth Troutman | The Arizona Board of Education’s decision to uphold rejections of questionable Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) expense requests shows that “we allow only what public schools provide at reasonable cost,” according to State Superintendent...

West-MEC Reports Increased Attendance And Academics Scores From Fall

Jan 23, 2024

By Elizabeth Troutman | Western Maricopa Education Center reported high attendance and academic achievement scores in the fall 2023 semester. West-MEC is a career and technical education school district with 45,000 students across its four campuses and 49 high...

State Treasurer: Gov. Hobbs’ Education Funding Plan Is ‘Dangerous And Unsustainable’

Jan 21, 2024

By Corinne Murdock | Gov. Katie Hobbs’ proposed education funding plan is “dangerous and unsustainable” according to State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. Hobbs’ plan, if passed by the state legislature, would renew Proposition 123 for another decade and...

National School Choice Week Fair To Take Place At Children’s Museum Of Phoenix On Saturday

Jan 17, 2024

By Elizabeth Troutman | Families and educators will gather on Saturday for a fair celebrating National School Choice Week. "National School Choice Week is a time for families to explore different options available to meet their children's educational needs. It...

Horne Wants Schools To Report On Holocaust History Education Compliance

Jan 15, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski | Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction is holding the state’s schools accountable for educating students about the Holocaust. Last week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced that he requested “all Arizona...

University Of Arizona Agrees To $2.5 Million Settlement, Endowment For Slain Professor

Jan 11, 2024

By Corinne Murdock | On Tuesday, the University of Arizona (UArizona) announced a $2.5 million settlement with the family of slain Professor Thomas Meixner. Former UArizona graduate student Murad Dervish fatally shot Meixner in October 2022. In a copy of the...

Gov. Hobbs Repeats False Claims About ESA Program In State Of The State Address

Jan 9, 2024

By Corinne Murdock | Gov. Katie Hobbs is claiming that the state’s school choice program is rife with abuse and in need of serious reform. In her State of the State address on Monday, Hobbs claimed the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program lacks...

Teacher Arrested For Sexual Abuse Of Minor Mocked Arpaio For Deporting ‘Super Hot’ Minors

Jan 7, 2024

By Corinne Murdock | A Phoenix-area Spanish teacher, 50-year-old Ernesto Moncada-Cota, was arrested earlier this week on allegations of a sexual relationship with a minor student. Law enforcement charged Moncada-Cota with six felony counts of sexual...

In 2023, 65 Arizona Educators Faced Discipline For Sexual Misconduct With Minors

Jan 5, 2024

By Corinne Murdock | 65 Arizona educators and 23 certified in Arizona faced discipline relating to sexual misconduct with minors in 2023. According to Arizona State Board of Education (ASBE) board meetings, 88 educators’ alleged and/or admitted behavior with...

Hobbs Announces Plans To Dismantle ESA Program

Jan 3, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski | Mere days before the start of the 2024 Arizona legislative session, the state’s Democrat governor is finally telegraphing her primary plan for the months ahead – though her proposal is likely dead on arrival with the Republican-led House and...

ESA Program Saw Significant Growth In 2023

Jan 3, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski | Arizona’s historic universal school choice program has seen significant growth in its first full year of operations. Last month, the Executive Director for Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, John Ward, sent three emails to...

Horne On ESA Report: “Nothing Is Being Withheld”

Jan 2, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski | The holiday season didn’t bring holly and jolly to the ongoing feud between Arizona’s Democrat Governor and Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction. In the days leading up to Christmas, Governor Katie Hobbs and Superintendent Tom Horne...