We’re #1! (The #1 Worst School System in the U.S., That Is)

Posted on by Secular AZ

We’re number one! We’re number one!

Great news, fellow Arizonans — decades of our GOP-led legislature’s effort to grift and gut AZ’s public schools have finally, fully paid off! We’ve achieved a truly rare status: Worst school system in the USofA!

That’s right, we beat out perennial winners, like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi, to take home that top prize! Our state is now ranked not 48th, not 49th, not even 50th, but 51st in the nation for education.

But wait, you may be asking. How in the world could this happen?

Settle in and let me tell you a little story about the Republican legislature’s long-haul effort to get Arizona to the absolutely shameful spot we’re in today.

Continue reading →

Do your school board candidates want your schools to fail? One weird trick to find out.

Posted on by Secular AZ

Do the candidates running for your school board really put kids, safety, or parents first as they proclaim?

Do they want to see public schools improve, or just decry their decline?

Bonds and overrides are emerging as a useful measurement for whether school board candidates are running to support public schools — or dismantle them in favor of private and religious ones. Continue reading →

Religious Extremism in Scottsdale, Dysart, Peoria, and Flagstaff School Boards

Posted on by Secular AZ

These last few weeks have been difficult for supporters of public schools. School districts are facing massive budget shortfalls, forcing school districts to hold meetings through July — a period usually reserved for a break. This financial strain comes from the impact of vouchers, the flat tax, and the recent Maricopa County Assessor’s legal decision to cut short-term rental owners’ taxes, diverting money away from public education. Continue reading →

Deeply Unserious Boardsmanship in PVUSD (& Other Arizona School Boards)

Posted on by Jeanne Casteen, Secular AZ Executive Director

Well, well, well, Secular Fam, I wish I could say that we’ve eradicated All Things Terrible from our local Arizona school boards, but you’re reading this, so no such luck! Last week, the Paradise Valley (PVUSD) meeting took place, and it was yet another example of deeply unserious boardsmanship and community engagement. So much for high hopes. Continue reading →