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OOPS! They did it again.
HB 2622 is pretty much the same as HB2626- Voucher Expansion
ACTION: Call Gov. Brewer and ask her to VETO HB2622
(Voucher Plan #2). 602-542-4331
HB2622 was a bill that said schools cannot advertise an old school label unless they post the year it was achieved with it. (Ex: If you post "We're an A School" you have to note - "In 2006, 2007, and 2009." ) -- a good idea.
An Amendment was added to HB 2622 that inserted most of the empowerment account expansion provisions that were in the bill (HB 2626) that the Governor vetoed on April 4, 2012. - A very DANGEROUS idea.
The new amendment:
Removes gifted students. and Adds students who are wards of the state.
Limits eligibility for students whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are in the military to those whose parents/guardians are on active duty.
Aside from that, it's pretty much the same bill as HB2626.
See below. -- Next to the picture of the bag of money... This bill gives people a bag of taxpayers' money and they can spend it on whatever they call, "education."
Here's the part I do not understand. The same people who noisily, passionately proclaimed that "ETHNIC STUDIES" must be banned from public schools, have now voted to encourage parents to spend taxpayers' money entirely on the "Ethnic Studies" materials and curriculum.
If you think that taxpayers should have some oversight of how our money is used, please urge Governor Brewer(click here) to VETO HB2622.
"Empowerment accounts give no power of oversight for taxpayers."
An Amendment was added to HB 2622 that inserted most of the empowerment account expansion provisions that were in the bill (HB 2626) that the Governor vetoed on April 4, 2012. - A very DANGEROUS idea.
The new amendment:
Removes gifted students. and Adds students who are wards of the state.
Limits eligibility for students whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are in the military to those whose parents/guardians are on active duty.
Aside from that, it's pretty much the same bill as HB2626.
See below. -- Next to the picture of the bag of money... This bill gives people a bag of taxpayers' money and they can spend it on whatever they call, "education."
Here's the part I do not understand. The same people who noisily, passionately proclaimed that "ETHNIC STUDIES" must be banned from public schools, have now voted to encourage parents to spend taxpayers' money entirely on the "Ethnic Studies" materials and curriculum.
If you think that taxpayers should have some oversight of how our money is used, please urge Governor Brewer(click here) to VETO HB2622.
"Empowerment accounts give no power of oversight for taxpayers."
Gov. Brewer VETOED the First Voucher Expansion bill HB2626.
(Voucher Plan #1)
In her veto letter, she explained that she does not think this bill (HB2626) should be passed until the budget is resolved.
ACTION: Thank her for her veto, but please ask her
to assure QUALTIY of public education.
Choice is not enough.
When tax dollars are used for education, taxpayers want accountability measures included.
Parents are terrific! But a system where parents are allowed to use taxpayers' dollars for anything with no accountability, is not a system that assures quality nor is it accountable to the taxpayer. Read more here: article on AZ Central.
Action: STOP the Voucher Expansion bill "Ed Profit Program" HB2626
(Voucher Plan #1)
Tax Money Give-Away
Write your note to Governor Brewer, and then copy and paste it into the form at this link (Click here). Please say, "VETO HB2626"
MAIN PROBLEM: No Vetting. This bill has simply not had the light of day shined upon it.
Remember the ALT FUELS DEBACLE? -- AZ lost millions and individual state legislators lost their dignity as their reputations changed from “statesman” to “fool who let that happen.” Like this one, that bill also was vetted badly.
Alt Fuels was just a little glitch compared to the abuse, scandal, and corruption that this bill could cause.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY
As a taxpayer, do you like to have some accountability with your tax dollars? I do. For instance, Phoenix Council Member, Sal DiCiccio does a remarkable job of alerting residents to how the city spends tax dollars. If you don't like the way your tax dollars are spent, you tell your rep's or you elect different lawmakers.
NOT WITH THIS BILL!
This bill gives your tax dollars to individuals and allows them to use it for anything they call "Curriculum" or "Text Books." Individuals can use your tax dollars to send their children to a private school that teaches students:
With public schools, you have some measure of accountability, and balance. Taxpayers elect school board members to represent a wide variety of taxpayers' concerns, and find a balance. Curriculum and text books must be vetted by the community and approved by the school board. But with this bill, the balance is gone.
This bill allows individuals to teach only their dogma or biases to the next generation.
EXPANSION with NO FORECAST of Monetary Impact
When the AZ Legislature passed the ALT FUELS DEBACLE, they did not predict the large number of people who would take advantage of it (and profit from taxpayers). Similarly, I personally think that lawmakers have no way of predicting how many people might take this program and run with it (to the bank!).
The method of moving money from your neighborhood school to the individuals in this program is unclear. The number of people who might want to participate is also very uncertain.
It could be 3 gifted students, or 30,000. It could be 10 students from D or F schools, or 100,000 students.
The only FISCAL analysis I could find is this statement on the Fact Sheet, "There may be a fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation." Your legislators may have voted "YES" for this bill with no analysis of the financial impact for the state. That is what happened with the ALT FUELS DEBACLE -- no vetting, no stakeholder input.
NO STAKEHOLDER INPUT
This bill makes a drastic change to the way children are educated in Arizona. You would think that the EDUCATION COMMITTEE would have a say in it, wouldn't you?
NO. This bill was not heard by the Education Committee. Not the Ed Committee in the House. Not the Ed Committee in the Senate. It was heard by the House Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee. And no other committees.
*** And neither of those money-minded committees bothered to ask for a decent fiscal analysis, imho. ***
NO QUALITY CONTROL
Even if individuals used this voucher system to choose education materials and curricula that provide a decent balance of ideologies, there is still no assurance of quality. There are many educational programs for sale that produce terrible results. With public schools, officials learn from one year to the next about what works. Parents will have to learn by trial and error. Errors made using your tax dollars.
The Ed Profit Program
So WHO WANTS THIS PLAN? The answer is, "People who will profit from it." Private companies are drooling over the opportunity to hoodwink consumers into buying their "education programs." Private companies can make an education program look glitzy and shiny to get individuals to buy their junk. However, public schools use a process that allows taxpayers to vet the goods they buy.
Consequently, I dub this program, the "Ed Profit" program. Technically, this bill is an expansion of the "Arizona Education Empowerment Account" program. That's a mouthful. It's a voucher program. It's a program designed to make profits for private companies using tax dollars. This program allows tax dollars to be spent and the return on investment could be a generation that is very badly educated.
FINAL OUTCOME = Badly educated workforce With School boards and schools, (Charter & District) people use the processes of civilized debate to develop balanced courses of study for our next generation.
Taxpayers have a voice in how their tax dollars are used and what the next generation will learn -- at the local level.
However, with this Ed Profit program, individuals use tax money to buy whatever they want for the next generation to learn, with no voice for voters, no assurance of quality, and no accountability to the taxpayer.
Bottom Line: Over time, our tax dollars would be used by this Ed Profit Program to produce WORSE outcomes for students. Worse outcomes for students means that AZ ends up with an inferior workforce,
and cannot recruit companies with good jobs to locate here.
You know that this Ed Profit program means your tax dollars would go to private vendors with no voice or accountability to you. Speak up and say,
VETO HB 2626.
No to giving public money to private education!
NO to the Ed Profit Program!
Write your note to Governor Brewer, and then copy and paste it into the form at this link (Click here).
Please say, "VETO HB2626"
MAIN PROBLEM: No Vetting. This bill has simply not had the light of day shined upon it.
Remember the ALT FUELS DEBACLE? -- AZ lost millions and individual state legislators lost their dignity as their reputations changed from “statesman” to “fool who let that happen.” Like this one, that bill also was vetted badly.
Alt Fuels was just a little glitch compared to the abuse, scandal, and corruption that this bill could cause.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY
As a taxpayer, do you like to have some accountability with your tax dollars? I do. For instance, Phoenix Council Member, Sal DiCiccio does a remarkable job of alerting residents to how the city spends tax dollars. If you don't like the way your tax dollars are spent, you tell your rep's or you elect different lawmakers.
NOT WITH THIS BILL!
This bill gives your tax dollars to individuals and allows them to use it for anything they call "Curriculum" or "Text Books." Individuals can use your tax dollars to send their children to a private school that teaches students:
- to overthrow the government, using guns or any means necessary if their individual rights are abridged,
- the glories of Communism,
- there is only one true religion and it is xyz, (Catholicism? Wiccan? Atheism? Naziism? )
- better living through drug abuse,
- white collar crime: how to do it and not get caught,
- "Ethnic Studies." ... See more on the BLOG.
With public schools, you have some measure of accountability, and balance. Taxpayers elect school board members to represent a wide variety of taxpayers' concerns, and find a balance. Curriculum and text books must be vetted by the community and approved by the school board. But with this bill, the balance is gone.
This bill allows individuals to teach only their dogma or biases to the next generation.
EXPANSION with NO FORECAST of Monetary Impact
When the AZ Legislature passed the ALT FUELS DEBACLE, they did not predict the large number of people who would take advantage of it (and profit from taxpayers). Similarly, I personally think that lawmakers have no way of predicting how many people might take this program and run with it (to the bank!).
The method of moving money from your neighborhood school to the individuals in this program is unclear. The number of people who might want to participate is also very uncertain.
It could be 3 gifted students, or 30,000. It could be 10 students from D or F schools, or 100,000 students.
The only FISCAL analysis I could find is this statement on the Fact Sheet, "There may be a fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation." Your legislators may have voted "YES" for this bill with no analysis of the financial impact for the state. That is what happened with the ALT FUELS DEBACLE -- no vetting, no stakeholder input.
NO STAKEHOLDER INPUT
This bill makes a drastic change to the way children are educated in Arizona. You would think that the EDUCATION COMMITTEE would have a say in it, wouldn't you?
NO. This bill was not heard by the Education Committee. Not the Ed Committee in the House. Not the Ed Committee in the Senate. It was heard by the House Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee. And no other committees.
*** And neither of those money-minded committees bothered to ask for a decent fiscal analysis, imho. ***
NO QUALITY CONTROL
Even if individuals used this voucher system to choose education materials and curricula that provide a decent balance of ideologies, there is still no assurance of quality. There are many educational programs for sale that produce terrible results. With public schools, officials learn from one year to the next about what works. Parents will have to learn by trial and error. Errors made using your tax dollars.
The Ed Profit Program
So WHO WANTS THIS PLAN? The answer is, "People who will profit from it." Private companies are drooling over the opportunity to hoodwink consumers into buying their "education programs." Private companies can make an education program look glitzy and shiny to get individuals to buy their junk. However, public schools use a process that allows taxpayers to vet the goods they buy.
Consequently, I dub this program, the "Ed Profit" program. Technically, this bill is an expansion of the "Arizona Education Empowerment Account" program. That's a mouthful. It's a voucher program. It's a program designed to make profits for private companies using tax dollars. This program allows tax dollars to be spent and the return on investment could be a generation that is very badly educated.
FINAL OUTCOME = Badly educated workforce With School boards and schools, (Charter & District) people use the processes of civilized debate to develop balanced courses of study for our next generation.
Taxpayers have a voice in how their tax dollars are used and what the next generation will learn -- at the local level.
However, with this Ed Profit program, individuals use tax money to buy whatever they want for the next generation to learn, with no voice for voters, no assurance of quality, and no accountability to the taxpayer.
Bottom Line: Over time, our tax dollars would be used by this Ed Profit Program to produce WORSE outcomes for students. Worse outcomes for students means that AZ ends up with an inferior workforce,
and cannot recruit companies with good jobs to locate here.
You know that this Ed Profit program means your tax dollars would go to private vendors with no voice or accountability to you. Speak up and say,
VETO HB 2626.
No to giving public money to private education!
NO to the Ed Profit Program!
Write your note to Governor Brewer, and then copy and paste it into the form at this link (Click here).
Please say, "VETO HB2626"
Action: STOP the PARENT TRIGGER bill SB1204 (click to read it)
From Pan to FIRE!
This bill, called, "Parent Intervention Options" gives crazy-power to a very small number of parents, and it expands a reckless voucher system in Arizona.
This is a Bad Bill. Reasons:
#1 CRAZY POWER TO A FEW: A small number of parents would have the power to make huge decisions affecting taxpayers, students who are not their own children, neighboring businesses, and myriad others, but these parents have no accountability at all. They could decide to close a school in your neighborhood and not tell you about it. Next thing you know, you've got an empty building and who knows what activity goes on in abandoned buildings?!
#2 It gives parents NO VOICE after they hand over the school to a private company or a new principal.
Parents go "Out of the Frying Pan and Into the FIRE!" (see the blog)
#3 VOUCHERS: It has a clause to give VOUCHERS to private schools. This is the pernicious part. See the blog. This form of vouchers would have NO ACCOUNTABILITY to taxpayers at all. We might as well throw money out the window. With this plan, we have no way to know if tax dollars are providing a quality education or being wasted. If there is merit in this idea, sneaking it in this way will not create a good system. (see #7)
#4 MOTIVATES GOOD PRINCIPALS TO AVOID AT-RISK SCHOOLS: Sometimes a principal can make a big difference and help a school move from D or F, to C or better. But sometimes that takes a super-human effort, and a big influx of revenue. With this law, good principals will have a big incentive to stay away from at-risk schools.
#5 If a district has a bond, closing a school could mean bond repayments must be made faster. Essentially, these few angry parents could impair the structural safety of the other buildings in a district.
#6 UNPROVEN: NONE Of these "options" for parents have been proven!!! Time after time, closing a school does not help families. Opening charters did not help many, many families in many states and cities across the US. What can work are the options in studies like "Against the Odds," and "Lead with 5." Failing schools are not just ignored by the state. Recent, useful legislation has created pathways for schools to be turned around, by their own decisions with support and research from the ADE, or by changes mandated by the AZ Dept. of Education.
#7 BAD PROCESS: There was no voice of opposition to this bill. It was only heard by one committee - Government Reform. It was not heard by the Education Committee even though it clearly affects education. The worst part of this bill is that it was pushed through the AZ Senate without being vetted by stakeholders. YOU, the taxpayer, are a stakeholder in this bill because it would change how tax dollars are used, and who decides how to use them. There might be good ideas in this bill, but not as they are written now.
CONTACT your LEGISLATORS and GOVERNOR BREWER.
Please urge them to vote No to the Parent Intervention Options, NO TO SB1204.
Tell them, "These options are no good for parents and worse for taxpayers."
Read more from Parents Across America
"While parents can “trigger” one of the pre-selected options, the law
does not provide for meaningful parent involvement in developing
research-based strategies to address thechallenges their schools face."
Read more from the LA Times:
They lied to me," Rodriguez said of [parent trigger] supporters,
"and now it's a big old mess."
This is a Bad Bill. Reasons:
#1 CRAZY POWER TO A FEW: A small number of parents would have the power to make huge decisions affecting taxpayers, students who are not their own children, neighboring businesses, and myriad others, but these parents have no accountability at all. They could decide to close a school in your neighborhood and not tell you about it. Next thing you know, you've got an empty building and who knows what activity goes on in abandoned buildings?!
#2 It gives parents NO VOICE after they hand over the school to a private company or a new principal.
Parents go "Out of the Frying Pan and Into the FIRE!" (see the blog)
#3 VOUCHERS: It has a clause to give VOUCHERS to private schools. This is the pernicious part. See the blog. This form of vouchers would have NO ACCOUNTABILITY to taxpayers at all. We might as well throw money out the window. With this plan, we have no way to know if tax dollars are providing a quality education or being wasted. If there is merit in this idea, sneaking it in this way will not create a good system. (see #7)
#4 MOTIVATES GOOD PRINCIPALS TO AVOID AT-RISK SCHOOLS: Sometimes a principal can make a big difference and help a school move from D or F, to C or better. But sometimes that takes a super-human effort, and a big influx of revenue. With this law, good principals will have a big incentive to stay away from at-risk schools.
#5 If a district has a bond, closing a school could mean bond repayments must be made faster. Essentially, these few angry parents could impair the structural safety of the other buildings in a district.
#6 UNPROVEN: NONE Of these "options" for parents have been proven!!! Time after time, closing a school does not help families. Opening charters did not help many, many families in many states and cities across the US. What can work are the options in studies like "Against the Odds," and "Lead with 5." Failing schools are not just ignored by the state. Recent, useful legislation has created pathways for schools to be turned around, by their own decisions with support and research from the ADE, or by changes mandated by the AZ Dept. of Education.
#7 BAD PROCESS: There was no voice of opposition to this bill. It was only heard by one committee - Government Reform. It was not heard by the Education Committee even though it clearly affects education. The worst part of this bill is that it was pushed through the AZ Senate without being vetted by stakeholders. YOU, the taxpayer, are a stakeholder in this bill because it would change how tax dollars are used, and who decides how to use them. There might be good ideas in this bill, but not as they are written now.
CONTACT your LEGISLATORS and GOVERNOR BREWER.
Please urge them to vote No to the Parent Intervention Options, NO TO SB1204.
Tell them, "These options are no good for parents and worse for taxpayers."
Read more from Parents Across America
"While parents can “trigger” one of the pre-selected options, the law
does not provide for meaningful parent involvement in developing
research-based strategies to address thechallenges their schools face."
Read more from the LA Times:
They lied to me," Rodriguez said of [parent trigger] supporters,
"and now it's a big old mess."
Action: Please urge your legislators to STOP the School Lunch Opt-Out bill.
Due to dialogue with community members in LD20, Sen. John McComish and Rep. Bob Robson have asked Sen. Crandall to withdraw SB1061. Kudos to them for listening to the community to learn about an issue! This Bad Bill would allow AZ District schools to opt out of the National School Lunch program.
Sen. Crandall wrote the bill with the intention of making regulations easier for school districts. That is honorable. But a better solution is to allow those schools to get a waiver from the program ONLY IF THEY PROVIDE SOME SORT OF PROGRAM TO FEED NEEDY CHILDREN.
To STOP SB1061, Read a position statement here. Read the bill - click here.
Then Click Here to find your legislators and email or call them.
You can say something like,
"Please vote 'NO' on the school lunch opt-out bill.
Students cannot learn if they are hungry.
A 'Yes' vote for this bill
feels like you're saying, '“It’s okay to not educate the children who are poor.'”
According to the ADE (AZ Dept. of Education) in the committee hearing, if this bill passes as it is, 500 very needy children or more will no longer be able to eat lunch for free or for a reduced price. We've heard adults who are now successful describe the national lunch program as the only opportunity they had for a full meal on many days when they were youngsters in school.
From a human standpoint: 500 hungry children is 500 too many. Plus, it could pave the was for many school districts to no longer offer nutrition for children in need.
From a taxpayer's perspective: Hungry children cannot learn well. The national program was developed because the return on investment is huge. If you provide nutrition for the most vulnerable children, they can achieve.
Read an article about it here.
ACTION: Share this video with others. Send this video to your Legislators.
2012 Education Situation: Funding for schools has been cut to the bone.
Here are 2 videos that express the serious concerns of thoughtful Arizonans.
Video #1 - The Main Idea: It's moving and engaging. Cuts to the chase!
Video #2 - The Whole Story: With a thoughtful tone, (and less motion)
it shows you the reasons why we're worried.
We think education needs to be funded better because
1- Too many critical functions have been cut (tutors, music, PE, industrial tech, language ... )
2- Arizona is not spending too much on education by any measure.
You might hear people complain, "We keep spending more and more on education..."
Well, in Arizona, it's not true.
Other states have increased funding for education, while Arizona has cut education funding year after year.
2007 was a high point for education funding in Arizona.
Even then, it was LESS than funding per student in 1987!
source: ALEC's Report Card on Education, 15th edition. American Legislative Exchange Council.
Since a majority of our legislators are Republicans, we choose to use this data from their organization.
(If you read the ALEC Report, note that it gives states that implement Republican reforms better grades than states that do not. Thus, states that implement certain education policies get better grades in the ALEC system whether they actually test better or get better results or not. )
Well, in Arizona, it's not true.
Other states have increased funding for education, while Arizona has cut education funding year after year.
2007 was a high point for education funding in Arizona.
Even then, it was LESS than funding per student in 1987!
source: ALEC's Report Card on Education, 15th edition. American Legislative Exchange Council.
Since a majority of our legislators are Republicans, we choose to use this data from their organization.
(If you read the ALEC Report, note that it gives states that implement Republican reforms better grades than states that do not. Thus, states that implement certain education policies get better grades in the ALEC system whether they actually test better or get better results or not. )
OUR MISSION
Quality education for all children,
with optimal use of taxpayers' funds.
See "Our Mission and Goals" for more information.
with optimal use of taxpayers' funds.
See "Our Mission and Goals" for more information.
CENSORSHIP! or is it ANTI-PIRATE! ?? Read about SOPA and PIPA here, on wikipedia.
If you think it's censorship, go here to join a petition against SOPA and PIPA, from Google.
If you think it protects the work people have done and put under copyright, Sorry, I cannot find a petition for you to sign. That kinda makes me go, hmmmm? Here's a list of companies in favor of SOPA and PIPA. You may always comment on the YPE blog. As I noted there, this issue is important to education because we learn a lot on the Internet.
Here's another look at the issues in a PC World article. January 18th, 2012 Google and other huge corporations have a blackout of their websites to encourage people to oppose SOPA and PIPA.
If you think it's censorship, go here to join a petition against SOPA and PIPA, from Google.
If you think it protects the work people have done and put under copyright, Sorry, I cannot find a petition for you to sign. That kinda makes me go, hmmmm? Here's a list of companies in favor of SOPA and PIPA. You may always comment on the YPE blog. As I noted there, this issue is important to education because we learn a lot on the Internet.
Here's another look at the issues in a PC World article. January 18th, 2012 Google and other huge corporations have a blackout of their websites to encourage people to oppose SOPA and PIPA.
Paid for by YES PUBLIC ED, a political committee, organized and recorded in Maricopa County, Arizona.
PAC Chair: MitziEpstein@cox.net 480.961.9138 PAC Treasurer: Sara Eversden
See us on Facebook.com in the group called, Yes Public Ed for the latest updates.
Copyright note: Music and pictures used in the videos on this page are either wholly created by the producers of these 2 videos or used for the purpose of teaching, specifically, for "nonprofit educational purposes," or both.
