Mixed Reviews for Legislature's Education Actions
By Goldwater Institute: Dr. Matthew Ladner (07/03/08)
Tomorrow, the Goldwater Institute's daily news goes on vacation for the rest of July. Yesterday, Byron Schlomach did a wrap-up of the state's budget, where the news was relatively dim. Today I'd like to take a look at what's happened on the education front.
It's been a heartbreaking session for students with disabilities, because Arizona State Superintendent of Schools Tom Horne suspended two voucher programs that served them. Tim Keller of the Institute for Justice challenged the decision in court and wrote a piece calling on the Superintendent not to suspend the two voucher programs during their appeal.
On Monday this week, the Arizona Supreme Court completely vindicated Keller's position, denying the State's motion to stay. The Court granted the Institute for Justice's "motion to preserve the status quo" allowing the programs to continue for the 2008-2009 school year.
This little tempest in a teapot might have been amusing, had farce not turned to tragedy. Governor Napolitano's budget de-funded the voucher programs for children with disabilities and foster care for the next school year. Governor Napolitano signed these bills into law and then prematurely ended their funding, throwing the lives of hundreds of children into chaos.
Efforts are underway at the Arizona School Choice Trust and the TOPS for Kids scholarship tuition organizations to help keep these children in their schools for the year. These children need your help.
There has been one ray of light, however. Finally, the legislature effectively abolished the TerraNova exam in this budget, limiting the contract for it to a single year, and creating a commission to replace it with a college readiness exam. Given the profound unreliability of the state's TerraNova, this can only be described as a welcome development and an opportunity for the state to create proper public school transparency.
Next session, let's work toward the fundamental reforms required to turn Arizona education around.
Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research at the Goldwater Institute and director of its Center for Educational Opportunity.
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