New standards for Arizona's schools required without new dollars
John Huppenthal
State School Superintendent John Huppenthal explains the ``Common Core'' standards taking effect this school year. But Huppenthal said Wednesday he is not convinced that schools need more money to implement the standards despite claims to the contrary from some others. (Capitol Media Services photo by Howard Fischer)
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JMJ posted at 11:12 pm on Wed, Sep 5, 2012.
Huppenthal: No one cares how you grew up and that you ran out of food on Sunday when the grocery shopping waited until Wednesday. It's not about you, it's about our children and providing food for their brains--something you have failed to provide funding for. Just because districts pay for their own professional development doesn't mean there's not a "need" for funding. You're an idiot.
Brewer: You've fought long and hard for education? But, you oppose the sales tax for education. And, you have no alternative plan you can put forth to those of us trying to educate children in this sorry state that has slipped off the radar, academically and educationally? Do you even read what you say to the public?
Republicans: You want these kinds of leaders in our state? OMgosh.
Mike McClellan posted at 9:10 am on Thu, Sep 6, 2012.
Beyond Huppenthal's gratuitously inane remarks, as an old teacher (emphasis on "old"), when I planned out a unit, I started with what I wanted my kids to learn. Then, I created some kind of assessment/test to determine if they had, in fact, learned it.
Because I organized my teaching that way, I knew as the unit went on how I would assess the kids at the end.
Core Curriculum is a great idea to bump up the learning, but in 2015 when the assessment changes from AIMS to the Common Core assessment, teachers will be shooting in the dark as to what the online assessment actually is.
That's unfair to both students and teachers. Everyone who's gonna be accountable for that test ought to know what the test actually is.
Not the specific items but how it'll be organized, what kind of questions, what students will be expected to do on the tests.
Huppenthal and the rest of the dept of ed better get the kids and teachers up to speed on that. Otherwise, 2015 will be a train wreck.
BlueAZDog posted at 9:27 am on Thu, Sep 6, 2012.
The educrats continue to misinform, deflect, and outright lie about the financial information. In the latest data available - compiled by the financial offices of the school districts - they had $211 + MILLION in Soft Capital funds in their accounts at the end of the fiscal year. In addition, they had stashed away more than two and a half BILLION in balances at the end of the fiscal year. Flowing Wells had 1.6 MILLION dollars as an unspent balance in their soft capital account alone
Last, the percentage of tax dollars that the k-12 district schools are spending in the classroom is at an all time low. According to the Arizona Auditor General report, Flowing Wells looks like this: Over the last five years, Total spending per pupil increased by 12 percent. Spending in the classroom varied year to year, decreasing significantly overall from 60 to 53.2 percent. Since their total revenues are over $44 million that is over $3 million that was diverted from the classroom in the last year due to the decisions of the administration and the school board.
The system is supposed to exist for the students, yet the money allocated at the local level demonstrates that there are other priorities more important than to the school board and administration.
chatmandu002 posted at 10:31 am on Thu, Sep 6, 2012.
This article was specifically written to push for prop 204 tax increase. The liberal/progressive media and supporters of this proposition will be releasing these kinds of articles to try and persuade voters. Vote NO on prop 204, it is the legislature's responsibility to provide the money necessary for education. Let them do their job and be responsible for their appropriations. There are too many fingers in this proposition pie and too many special interests with ulterior motives.
"NO" on prop 204
davidflucier posted at 11:09 am on Tue, Sep 11, 2012.
The comments and quotes of both Gov. Brewer and Huppenthal are not only inane, they are irrelevant and totally non responsive.
Don't show me your values (talk is cheap)...show me your budget! And the Arizona budget (past, present and future) is dismal at best.
Where's the beef? Better yet...where's the money? Oh yeah...there is none because Brewer, Huppenthal and the rest of the Tealiban fundamentalists insured that there was none by cutting the educational funding by over $2 billion and decided to increase prison funding instead.
The faster Arizona gets rid of these fundamentalist extremists, the better off Arizona will be.