The Arizona Department of Education has placed a worker on unpaid leave while the state attorney general’s office investigates embezzlement allegations involving education funds.

Parents at a Scottsdale private school for students with learning disabilities are incensed that a longtime school leader was fired without explanation, and have vowed to open a new school around the ousted educator if they don't get answers.

Arizona ranks third in the nation for its support and oversight of charter schools, but it needs to do a better job in educating parents and the public about these privately operated public schools, according to a national survey released Tuesday.

Keegan Herring’s debut at Arizona State was so electrifying, so promising that coach Dirk Koetter saw fit to warn him to not get a big head — before the game even ended.

Teachers from the Thomas J. Pappas School for homeless children have planned a protest today to oppose a request by county supervisors to replace the indicted Sandra Dowling as the school district’s budget manager.

Those in and around Arizona politics know I am a steadfast believer in maintaining a strong pro-business climate that promotes job growth and long-term economic development.

Gov. Jan Brewer will be among the guest speakers when one of the nation’s top-ranked charter schools opens its new facility next month in Peoria.

Three of the state’s former education chiefs want Tom Horne and the Arizona Department of Education to stop telling charter schools what to teach and when to teach it.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge removed Sandra Dowling as budget overseer of the Maricopa County Regional School District on Thursday and created a three-person governing board for that duty.

Gov. Jan Brewer said she's willing to work with supporters of Proposition 204 for more money for the classroom -- but only after voters kill the initiative.

We remember, and not fondly, those mid-1990s televised public hearings featuring local parents howling at then-Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Graham Keegan for her suggestion that a state exam — later known as AIMS — be required for high school graduation.

Gov. Janet Napolitano's proposed 2005 budget allows education and other essential state services to keep up with growth, and expands essential early-childhood programs including full-day kindergarten, all without raising taxes.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Those in and around Arizona politics know I am a steadfast believer in maintaining a strong pro-business climate that promotes job growth and long-term economic development.

The Republicans of Legislative District 9 invited influential policy makers from around the Valley to speak to local residents in its first “Movers and Shakers” event Saturday morning. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, the Arizona director of Americans for Prosperity Tom Jenney, and the communications director for the Center for Arizona Policy, Aaron Baer, all spoke to the group gathered about their experiences in Arizona politics and the work of their organizations at the Plaza del Rio Community Center in Peoria.

Gov. Janet Napolitano appointed former state schools chief Jaime Molera to the state Board of Education Wednesday. If confirmed by the Arizona Senate, Molera, a Republican, will serve on the board for a term that expires in 2011.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is pressing County Attorney Andrew Thomas’ office to release how much public money it spent last week to distribute thousands of crime prevention booklets prominently featuring his name and likeness.

A program that offers two types of high school diplomas, similar to one used in the Mesa Unified School District for 30 years, may soon spread statewide.

“Janet Napolitano has done it again. When it comes to illegal immigration, she talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. All bills to limit this immigration get vetoed for some Mickey Mouse reason. Now she takes the sheriff’s money away so he can’t do anything.”

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Arizona can’t limit additional aid to students to reduce their English learning curriculum to just two years, a federal appeals court affirmed Thursday.

SAN DIEGO - It was the weirdest, wackiest play that Arizona State has been involved with since Mike Schuh’s punt went awry in the final moments of a game against Arizona in 1987.

Arizona State was, as athletic director Lisa Love said, “in the fray” for a Bowl Championship Series invitation, but on Saturday, the possibilities whittled down as unfavorable results elsewhere piled up.