Fifteen years ago, the Arizona lawmakers crafted legislation making possible School Tuition Organizations. The goal was to make a private school education more accessible to all Arizona families. It seemed like an ideal situation. Individuals and businesses that donated to these organizations received tax credits that reduced their state tax bill by the amount donated. Deserving kids from poor and working class families would receive scholarships giving them the type of private school education traditionally reserved for the well-to-do.
It didn’t always work out that way. While many STOs lived up to the ideals of helping families in poor and working class neighborhoods, some did not. Thanks to some fine Arizona investigative reports, problems were discovered. Bad actors were identified. The public and our lawmakers took notice. Reporting requirements were put in place ensuring that donors and the public are made more aware of STOs that fall short.
That’s why Hispanic Council for Reform and Education (HCREO) commissioned a landmark study. We ranked Arizona STOs with more than $100,000 in donations dealing with factors such as overhead costs, and the percentage of scholarships going to poor and working class students.
We want to increase awareness. HCREO travelled the state and found far too few poor and working class parents knew about scholarships available for their children. We’ve hosted community meetings; some of them drew hundreds of people.
Our second goal is to make the general public and potential donors aware of scholarship programs that truly serve poor and working class families. We want to make sure the donations flow to scholarship programs that serve the community as opposed to serving a select few.
We want to make sure deserving kids like Jorge Solis, the son of a landscaper, can continue to attend Glendale Christian Academy. We want to make sure Max Ashton, who is visually impaired, can continue to attend Brophy College Prep and make use of computer technology that allows him to overcome his challenges. And, we want to make sure that when corporations make contributions with the intent of supporting low-income and/or minority communities that the money does just that.
Why should you care? With respect to our public schools, not all of them make the grade. Far too often those schools are in less affluent neighborhoods. Concerned parents in these neighborhoods deserve options. Their children deserve a way out. The method is in place to make this happen; it’s just a matter of getting the donations to the STOs that do it right. For the complete list of STOs that are showing fidelity to the mission of helping the underprivileged in Arizona go to http://evtnow.com/31p online.
For more information call (602) 316-9732 or visit www.hcreo.com.
Christina M. Martínez is owner and CEO of Adelante Public Affairs & Communications, HISPANIC CREO Arizona.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:40 am on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
HOW MANY OF THESE "POOR AND WORKING CLASS" STUDENTS ARE .......ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM MEXICO,GUATAMALA, HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR.
WHY SHOULD "AMERICAN" (AS IN "LEGAL") ARIZONA TAX-PAYERS CONTRIBUTE TO CHARTER SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE ........NON-AMERICAN SCHOOL CHILDREN.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP MEXICAN, HONDURAN, EL SALVADORAN OR GUATAMALAN SCHOOL CHILDREN GET A GOOD EDUCATION THEN SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THOSE NATIONS.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:53 am on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
P.S.............TO WHOM IT MAY (THAT IS IF IT EVEN DOES) CONCERN AT THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE.
WHY CAN'T THE READERS EVER SEE A BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPH OF OUR GOVERNOR JAN BREWER SMILING FOR THE CAMERA AS IN THE ACCOMPANING PHOTOGRAPH OF MS. CHRISTINA MARTINEZ.
JUST LOOK AT THE "SCOWLING...PURSED-LIPS" PHOTOGRAPH THAT ACCOMPANIES THE ARTICLE REGARDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S AMENESTY OF 2 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIEN STUDENTS.
LET'S HAVE A LITTLE......"BALANCED JOURNALISM"....AT LEAST ONCE IN A WHILE IN THE ....EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE.
sockratties posted at 1:22 pm on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
leon – do you eat coal to produce diamonds? Donations made by private citizens (which from the content or your comments never includes you) is the business of those who contribute. The author runs an organization that helps them determine the fidelity of those organizations. You obviously don’t understand that donations are voluntary monies given to organizations by individuals who wish to help individuals or organizations achieve their objectives. These contributions are none of your business.
You are right about never seeing a beautiful photograph of the Governor. I’ve seen lots of photos of her but none of them have been beautiful. They’re usually scowling, mean and hateful. A lot like Pearce and Arpaio. Must come with the politics. Perhaps you can touch one up and submit it.
chuckles3 posted at 1:34 pm on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
We want to make sure deserving kids like Jorge Solis, the son of a landscaper, can continue to attend Glendale Christian Academy.
Hmmm, what makes him deserving? Oh, he is the son of a landscaper? What defines a deserving kid? I wonder......but I am sure skin color and heritage have nothing to do with it.
If you are a middle class white kid, no need to apply.
sockratties posted at 2:43 pm on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
Funny how a commenter can make a racial issue out of an article on verifying contribution usage. Jumped right on Jorge Solis assuming Jorge isn’t white, but conveniently overlooked Max Ashton who is blind and was invited to throw the first pitch at game 4 between the Arizona D-backs and Milwaukee Brewers. Max looks a lot like a middle class white kid. Of course the article didn’t question his or Jorge’s race or color or heritage. The feigned sarcasm and ethnic slur of the commenter did.
mrconservative posted at 6:47 pm on Sat, Jun 16, 2012.
Obama is very condenscending toward people who disagree with him. He needs to start taking responsibility for his own actions and STOP BLAMING BUSH.
davidflucier posted at 7:45 am on Sun, Jun 17, 2012.
Thank you, Christina, for that thoughtful insight to an important aspect of our educational system in Arizona.
It is education that is the foundation of American global competitiveness now and in the future. It is education that builds the spirit and enlightens the soul. But the signs of a better educational system are not positive...particularly in Arizona.
We know that money is not ALWAYS the answer to problems, but, by the same token, we know that slashing over $2 billion in educational funding is not the answer to educational excellence either. Consider, too, that today, 50% of all advanced degrees awarded throughout the US in the areas of STEM are received by non US citizens and at the time of their graduation, and as a matter of current US policy, we then promptly require them to leave the country. Hmmm.
Perhaps it's time to rethink our shortsighted educational policies from start to finish.
The US and Arizona need comprehensive public policies designed to encourage more education, not less...we need better education not a lesser education...we need a more educated workforce, not a less educated one.
This state needs Leadership that has a vision of the future...not ideologues whose short sighted, political goals reach no further than the next election.
sockratties posted at 11:39 am on Sun, Jun 17, 2012.
I work for a company that manufactures equipment used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Our customers are companies like Intel and AMD who make the microprocessors, memories and related components used in computers, phones and just about every other electronic device. Our customers build their manufacturing plants where resources and infrastructure can support their needs. A very important resource is a technically competent workforce from which they can draw their technicians and engineers.
Arizona can’t look forward to increased jobs because we are not enabling our youth to compete. We squabble over politics of education and complain about job loss, blaming corporations for responding to conditions we create through ignorance, greed and special interest politics.
Many blame loss of jobs on lower labor costs in foreign countries. That is not necessarily true for skilled technical jobs. A company can train people to do repetitive grunt work so assembly plants may benefit from low cost manufacturing. High-tech industries need to draw on a workforce that can provide engineers with an education in the STEM areas. Arizona and much of the U. S. is not providing those college grads. Corporations no longer consider Arizona a viable location for long term investment because they would have to import most of their technically qualified staff.
Manufacturing and fabrication plants cost about the same to build anywhere but availability of qualified people is a big factor when planning to invest millions of dollars in long term sustainability. Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, India, Ireland, and China have grads available and more on the way. Arizona at one time was a growth area for the semiconductor industry but has lost the edge, in spite of efforts by ASU to fill the needs with programs such as the East Valley Technical campus. K–12 isn’t providing enough qualified students to the college system, cost of a bachelor degree has sky-rocketed and the knowledge level of a high school grad has been dumbed down to an unacceptable level.
davidflucier posted at 12:12 pm on Sun, Jun 17, 2012.
Sock, thanks for your insight and your comments.
Over 60% of all future jobs created in Arizona will require some form of post secondary education or training. So, again, a good education is the foundation of economic development and well being. Additionally, the American manufacturing employee is (empirically) TEN TIMES more productive than their Chinese and Indian counterparts.
Currently, 20% of the Arizona population lives at or below the federal poverty level. Our schools rank at the bottom of the heap nationally and even further down if you compare our schools to the international competition.
Income distribution is continually being skewed towards the upper 5% - 10% of the social economic levels and the policy response in Arizona is "cut more taxes" followed by "cut more services"...leaving the middle class and working poor struggling even more.
Without the OPPORTUNITY to gain access to education and without enlightened public policies which make quality education affordable, Arizona is, indeed, heading towards third world status.
Mike McClellan posted at 1:16 pm on Mon, Jun 18, 2012.
Interestingly enough, when you go to the link the column provides, you find that the state's largest student tuition organization, the Christian Schools STO, gave the lowest percentage of its funding ($11 million last year) to poor students -- only 22%.
Guess who owns that organization? State Sen. Steve Yarbrough, who by law gets to keep up to 10% of all its monies for himself.
Guess who expanded the tuition tax credit this year, giving these STO's even more money (and thus, more profit)? The state legislature.
Guess who was the primary sponsor of that expansion? Steve Yarbrough.
Nice gig.