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Education Headlines

Brewer, Goddard spar over immigration, state budget

Thursday September 2nd

Republican Gov. Jan Brewer and Democratic challenger Terry Goddard attacked each other's ... LEARN MORE »

AZ Fact Check - Proposition 107

Thursday September 2nd

Proposition 107 would amend the Arizona Constitution to prohibit affirmative-action programs. If ... LEARN MORE »

School notes

Thursday September 2nd

Tucson, AZ:  Parents interested in building a better relationship with their children can ... LEARN MORE »

New education report card grades student success, Arizona lags behind

Wednesday September 1st

Today, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released a new book that provides a ... LEARN MORE »

Judge to hear arguments on Arizona's efforts to help students learn English

Wednesday September 1st

A federal judge is hearing arguments this week over whether the state is complying with federal ... LEARN MORE »

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About the Blog:

Welcome to the Expect More Blog. You are a part of the movement to make education a top priority in Arizona. This is your movement and your blog; we encourage you to stay involved by posting comments and letting us know what you'd like to see here.

Thank you for joining us. Please share Expect More Arizona with all of your family and friends. Together, we will make Arizona a model for excellence in education.

Expect More Blog

25 Aug
General Election Begins: Take 4 Actions to “Vote 4 Education”
By Expect More Arizona

Today marks the first day of campaigning for Arizona’s General Election on November 2nd. While yesterday’s voter turnout was low, we can’t help but notice all of the Arizonans out there who are proud to “Vote 4 Education.” Kudos to those of you who voted in the Primary.

Now that we know (mostly) who will be on the November ballot, it is more imperative than ever that we get to know our candidates and where they stand on education. As a part of our “Vote 4 Education” campaign, we are recommending you take 4 actions this election year. Let’s take a moment to discuss each of them.

4 Actions

Action 1 – Arizona voters already successfully completed the first action this past May when we voted in support of Proposition 100. But, we must remember, moving forward, that Prop 100 was a temporary but significant step toward our goal, but only a band-aid. Let’s build on the momentum of Action 1’s success by completing the next three.

Action 2 – Vote NO on 302! Arizona’s ballot measures are often written to confuse voters, and Proposition 302 is no exception. So, let’s be clear: Voting NO on 302 is a vote to support Arizona’s youngest children, ages 0 -5.  In 2006, we voted to create a tobacco tax that would fund early childhood health and development; First Things First was created with those moneys, but now Arizona voters are being asked to eliminate the organization and to sweep its savings into the general fund. At Expect More Arizona, we believe that providing quality learning to Arizona’s youngest students is key to creating a successful education system. We urge you to protect First Things First and vote NO on 302.

Action 3 – Make sure your candidates are unwavering advocates of education. Expect More Arizona does not and will not endorse any candidate for public office. And, while we know that every candidate declares he or she is pro-education, we encourage you to challenge that declaration and to dig deeper. Our 4 Questions to “Vote 4 Education” will help you push candidates to be specific on how they will champion education, support pro-education policies, and motivate all Arizonans to do their part to improve education in our state. Talk is cheap; make sure your candidates know the only way to earn your vote is to make education one of their top two priorities. And, make sure they also know you plan to hold them accountable for their campaign promises.

Action 4 – Rally 10 friends to vote with education as their “hot button” issue. You and I know there is a direct link between the quality of Arizona’s education system and the quality of life in our state. That’s one of the reasons we “Vote 4 Education.” But, do your friends and family understand your passion and all of the reasons you support education? We encourage you to make the case 4 Education and get at least 10 friends to join the Expect More Arizona movement.

It is true that Arizona is at a crossroads. The decisions we make on November 2nd will affect today’s students, as well as the prosperity and quality of life for all of Arizona. We can’t continue to put education off for the next election, or the election after that. Together, we can change how education is viewed and supported in Arizona, but only if we take action. From today until Election Day, will you take the remaining three actions to “Vote 4 Education?” What are the other ways you will champion education in this election?

Paid for by Expect More Arizona – Vote 4 Education Yes on 100 & Protect Early Childhood Health/Development Funds.  Major funding by Expect More Arizona, a fund of the Arizona Community Foundation.
19 May
Change for Arizona Education? We’ve Only Just Begun
By Nicole Magnuson

The passage of Proposition 100 was a big victory for our schools, public safety and Arizona overall. Arizona voters sent a resounding message that supporting education is our priority, and that, when given a choice, we will “Vote 4 Education.” Your hard work and passion paid off at the polls, and I think we can all now breathe a sigh of relief and take a brief moment to celebrate… But, then it’s back to work.

In the last three fiscal years, Arizona’s education system suffered more than $1 billion in budget cuts. All the while, Arizona students continue to fall behind in academic performance, high school graduation rates and postsecondary degree attainment.   The monies brought in by Prop 100’s temporary sales tax will help reduce the need for even further cuts, but there is still more we must do to make Arizona’s education system a model of excellence, and to ensure our students and Arizona are positioned to compete both nationally and globally.

When you visit Expect More Arizona’s “Vote 4 Education” section, you’ll see 4 actions and 4 questions that relate to this year’s elections.  With a victory check next to voting “Yes on 100,” we must now shift our attention over the next five months to the candidates who are running for office at all levels.  The changes necessary to improve education in our state are not for the faint at heart or those with fleeting priorities.  We need leaders who are visionary and willing to do the work required to ensure our long-term success.  We must also protect the voter-approved early childhood health and development funds this November.

All of this means that education shouldn’t be just another issue in this year’s elections; it should be THE issue. Arizona’s candidates must know that in order to earn your vote they must have specific plans and strategies for how they will address the biggest issues affecting education in our state. They need to know they will be elected based on their support of education, and then held accountable for following through on their promises.

Once again, I salute Arizona for being a strong voice for education and share in celebrating the passage of Prop 100.   And now that we know our collective power, we ask you to come back and build on this momentum, so we can urge Arizonans to continue to “Vote 4 Education!”

Nicole Magnuson is the Executive Director of Expect More Arizona.

Paid for by Expect More Arizona – Vote 4 Education Yes on 100 & Protect Early Childhood Health/Development Funds.  Major funding by Expect More Arizona, a fund of the Arizona Community Foundation.

5 May
“If We Don’t”
By Expect More Arizona

As we work to expand our movement of Arizonans who value education as our state’s top priority, Expect More Arizona is launching a new multimedia campaign intended to elevate the voices of concerned citizens and passionate advocates across the state.  In early April, we hit to the highways and talked to parents, students, business leaders and concerned Arizonans in beautiful places like Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson, Casa Grande, Sedona, Flagstaff and more about the state of education.  We heard loud and clear that Arizona’s education system is struggling, and that we can’t wait another day to make it a priority.

Our state is desperate to be heard about our demands for improving education, so we decided to use our ad campaign to present these voices of Arizona. From our business leaders to our preschool teachers, the message is clear: Education must be our priority, and we must take action to improve it today. Our prosperity and very quality of life depend on it, you told us.  As you’ll hear in the spot, “This, right now, is a critical time for our state.”

You can watch this spot here, or maybe you’ll see it on television. The first round of print, outdoor and radio advertisements are also rolling out this week and next.  Maybe you’ll see someone you know or from your hometown. If not, there will be more ads featuring the voices of Arizonans coming very soon.

Presenting the first in the “Voices of Arizona” campaign, “If We Don’t”:

31 Mar
Arizona Can’t Afford to Lose Ground in Early Learning for Kids
By Expect More Arizona

The following article was posted on Arizona Central on March 30, 2010:

Arizona Can’t Afford to Lose Ground in Early Learning for Kids
By Judy Jolley Mohraz and Paul J. Luna

A dad dropping off his infant daughter at a child care center wants to know when he leaves that the people there will keep her safe and are educated to teach her fundamental skills to thrive.

A mom at her wit’s end because her baby won’t stop crying doesn’t know where to turn and finally calls the Birth-to-Five Help Line, receiving valuable guidance to help calm her nerves and her child.

New parents, holding their baby for the first time, are provided with an Arizona Parent Kit to help them better understand the critical importance of these early years of life and their role in helping their child grow up happy, healthy and ready to learn.

Research shows that children need a healthy environment and high quality learning experiences in the early years, birth to five, to succeed in school and life. In truth, most families need some level of assistance in raising their children; and for many that support comes from the variety of vital services in our community.

Understanding the critical importance of these early years, both Helios Education Foundation and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust have committed to investing in early learning. We believe it is the critical first step to increasing the long-term success of Arizona’s youngest children as well as the economic prosperity of our state.

Investing in the early years—providing our children with the social, emotional and cognitive skills necessary for school success and to be productive members of the community—reduces the amount of money we must direct to remedial efforts.

The return on investment speaks for itself: For every dollar we invest in providing quality early learning, we save up to $16 on costly “fixes” on the back end.  The benefits are even greater when quality early learning is available to Arizona’s most vulnerable children.  We have made significant progress in Arizona over the past five years. Voters approved tax dollars to support early care and education. The state launched all-day kindergarten and integrated early learning into statewide public awareness efforts like Expect More Arizona.

Our concern is that we are losing ground with the state’s current decisions, and the contributions of our foundations cannot begin to fill the enormous gaps.  At a time when most conversations are about cutting costs or redirecting dollars, our foundations stand firm that early learning is not the place where those cuts should be made. Our success as a state in the future depends on the investments we make in our children today.

Paul J. Luna is President and CEO, Helios Education Foundation, and Chair of the Expect More Arizona Board.
Judy Jolley Mohraz is President and CEO, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, and a member of the Expect More Arizona Board.


10 Mar
Arizona Legislature Deciding Fate of Early Childhood Funding
By Expect More Arizona

First Things First – established after Arizona voters approved a ballot measure to set aside funds to help young children start kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed – faces an uncertain future. In their attempt to sweep the funds, state legislators are considering adding a new ballot initiative this November that would allow Arizona voters to repeal their initial approval and redirect the dollars into the state’s general fund.

First Things First was created in 2006, when Arizona voters – through the Proposition 203 ballot initiative – decided to set aside 80 cents from each pack of cigarettes sold in order to fund the expansion of education and health programs for children from birth through age five. To date, First Things First has invested more than $141 million on programs proven to work at improving outcomes for children.

This measure is scheduled to be voted on by the legislature immediately. To advocate on behalf of Arizona’s youngest children and First Things First contact your state legislators by e-mail or call 602.926.3559 from the Phoenix area, or toll free statewide at 1.800.352.8404.