Since October 2009, Stand for Children—Arizona has been working to mobilize parents, teachers and community members in an effort to improve the quality of education for all children in Arizona.
With over 300 members statewide, chapters have been organized in the Alhambra, Kyrene and Phoenix Union High School districts. Work is being done to add chapters that represent teachers and representatives from our high-performing charter schools to add to the chorus of voices calling for a better education future for our kids.
For a full summary of our successes in 2010, click here.
Arizona’s Race to the Top falls short.
Arizona’s “Race to the Top” ended on August 25, as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the list of states awarded funding. Arizona finished 12th out of 18 states plus the District of Columbia, with 10 states designated to split $3.4 billion in federal funding for education.
"We had many more competitive applications than money to fund them in this round," Duncan said. "We're very hopeful there will be a Phase 3 of Race to the Top and have requested $1.35 billion dollars in next year's budget. In the meantime, we will partner with each and every state that applied to help them find ways to carry out the bold reforms they've proposed in their applications."
Click here to read the full press release on the Department of Education website.
Arizona was considered to be a long shot by many, having finished 40th out of 41 in the first round of funding earlier this year. The state came on strong with its’ second round application, bolstered in part by strong legislative reforms enacted by the Arizona Legislature, including S.B. 1040, which was supported by Arizona Stand for Children.
While disappointing, Arizonans can be heartened by the significant steps that were taken to improve education in just a few months’ time, and without any additional funding. It also underscores the importance of re-evaluating how we’re utilizing education dollars in the state, and the need to continue to make progress on those components of Race to the Top that will yield a quality education system for all Arizona students.
And, we at Arizona Stand for Children know that despite today’s announcement, our work to be part of the solution on behalf of our children will continue. Join us as we prepare to meet the educational challenges of Arizona’s future.
Election Connection—Primary Edition a success!
Nearly 2,000 voters visited Election Connection in the weeks leading up to the 2010 Primary Election. Representing the responses of nearly 100 candidates for Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Arizona Legislature, Election Connection provided voters with objective, non-partisan information on the candidates; positions on education issues.
Stand—Arizona is in the process of updating Election Connection to include only those candidates who made it on to the General Election. Look for a re-launch of the site in mid-September.
Stand Election Camp motivates members.
Thirty motivated Stand—Arizona members turned out on August 7 at the College Depot in the Burton Barr Public Library in Phoenix.
Covering a variety of topics including why it’s important to increase voter participation, increasing voter registration and volunteer recuitement/retention, attendees learned important skills to take back to their communities and effect positive change in voter participation. Small group discussions allowed members to share information and develop action plans to implement between now and November.
Stand—Arizona is planning a second Stand Election Camp on September 11, 2010, at College Depot, this time in Spanish. Keep checking our website and Facebook for more information on how to register.
Join us on Facebook and Twitter!
With the elections gearing up (don’t forget, the Primaries are August 24), there’s a lot of information to keep up with. You can find some interesting information and dialogue on Stand for Children—Arizona’s Facebook page and on Twitter. Become a fan, or better yet, click here to let us know "I Stand for Children."