HELP WANTED: Administrator capable of handing out, collecting and scoring 450,000 standardized tests annually for the Mesa Unified School District at a time when the stakes have never been higher.

Guest commentary by Dale McFeatters

SEATTLE — Students across the nation might eventually use the same math and English textbooks and take the same tests if states adopt new rigorous standards proposed Wednesday by governors and education leaders.

May 13, 2005

Make no mistake. Our education system in Arizona is broken, but not beyond repair. From high drop-out rates, to teacher shortages, to the failures of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards, we're in a mess of trouble.

Tougher smog standards roll out nationwide today.

More Arizona schools received passing marks this year under a federal labeling system that carries harsh consequences for failure.

Students entering kindergarten this fall had better learn to read if they hope to advance with their classmates.

Students entering kindergarten this fall had better learn to read if they hope to advance with their classmates.

It is evident that Arizona’s education is lacking in every area of standards when compared to the rest of the country. The bill that stipulates all third graders must pass the AIMS Reading test in order to progress to fourth grade is one of the brightest ideas Arizona has had yet.

The state Department of Education has created new math standards for Arizona classrooms, and is now asking for community input.

Melissa Davis told her second-grade class a math story about butterflies and bees. Then the children took out cubes and figured out how many more butterflies there were than bees.

Melissa Davis told her second-grade class a math story about butterflies and bees. Then the children took out cubes and figured out how many more butterflies there were than bees.

Scottsdale’s municipal water system, which includes water pumped and treated from a contaminated underground aquifer, continues to meet safety standards for drinking, city officials said Monday.

We are pleased to see that Gov. Brewer has prioritized resources for the implementation of Arizona’s Common Core Standards in her fiscal year 2014 budget.

Car emissions laws in Arizona may become less stringent if the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality decides to change the standard at a public hearing Tuesday.

Car emissions laws in Arizona may become less stringent if the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality decides to change the standard at a public hearing Tuesday.

The office of county sheriff in Arizona dates back to territorial days when the sheriff was the only law. When Arizona became a state 100 years ago the office of sheriff was spelled out in the state Constitution.

Here are a few sample questions from the math portion of Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards:

Testing on Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards gets underway this month for students in the state’s public schools.

PHOENIX - Phoenix will begin testing for trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in its drinking water supply in the wake of an Associated Press investigation that found contamination in many of the nation's major cities.

Trays of healthy lunch items lined buffet-style tables in the Fees Middle School cafetorium Friday afternoon as a group of Tempe students and employees tried new items for next year’s menu.

December 14, 2004

April 24, 2005