Arizona. Dept. of Education

2022 Election: Kathy Hoffman concedes to Republican Tom Horne in race to lead Arizona schools

Kathy Hoffman conceded the race for Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction. Currently, Republican Tom Horne leads by more than 8,000 votes with 99% of the votes counted.

November 17, 2022 11:35am MST

Candidates for top Arizona K-12 schools post spar in debate

The at-times contentious debate featuring Republican Tom Horne and current Superintendent of Public Education Kathy Hoffman, a Democrat seeking a second four-year term, also featured exchanges over school shutdowns prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

September 16, 2022 9:50am MST

Arizona teacher shortage remains 'dire' as students head back to school

A few school districts in Arizona are already heading back to school, but will there be enough teachers to fill classrooms? As of late, things are looking pretty dire, and the salary is the main reason teachers say they're looking for new careers to help pay their bills.

July 20, 2022 9:21pm MST

Arizona educators can now teach at public schools before earning college degree

SB 1159, introduced by State Senator Rick Gray, allows people without a bachelor's degree to start and finish their training as a teacher while in college.

July 10, 2022 9:22pm MST

Arizona House Republicans back universal school voucher expansion

The Arizona measure comes four years after voters rejected a smaller voucher expansion after an unprecedented mobilization by teachers opposed to using tax dollars for private education.

June 23, 2022 6:44am MST

New program by education officials gives Arizona teachers up to $1,000 in grant money for classroom projects

Arizona public school teachers woke up to a rather pleasant surprise on March 8, when Arizona's top education official announced a new program could mean some extra funding for their classroom projects.

March 8, 2022 5:35pm MST

Arizona School Boards Association quitting national group

The Arizona School Boards Association, which has found itself being targeted by Republican lawmakers who have long opposed its efforts to lobby for local school boards, is leaving the National School Boards Association.

February 18, 2022 1:10pm MST

GOP lawmakers want Arizona Supreme Court to kill Prop 208 education tax

Arizona schools could be forced to close because they can’t legally spend more than the $1 billion the Legislature has already appropriated for the current school year.

February 10, 2022 5:37am MST

Big education funding cuts in Arizona loom; state school superintendent paints bleak picture for education

Currently, public schools in Arizona face more than $1 billion in budget cuts by March 1, partly as a result of a spending limit that was approved by voters in the 1980s. The state's Superintendent for Public Instruction, Kathy Hoffman, painted a bleak picture for education during her State of Education address on Feb. 8.

February 8, 2022 9:17pm MST

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey delivers his final state of the state address, talks about water, education

During his state of the state address, the GOP governor proposed setting aside $1 billion for desalination, or the process of removing salt from sea water, and bring that water to Arizona.

January 10, 2022 9:27pm MST

First-ever teacher residency program launches this winter in Arizona

A teacher residency program modeled after medical residencies is launching in Arizona this winter.

October 25, 2021 5:19pm MST

Prop 208: Arizona Supreme Court keeps new school tax alive, for now

The court rejected opponents' arguments that Proposition 208 required a 2/3 vote to be enacted as required for tax increases imposed by the Legislature. But the court said it can’t yet tell whether the money it raises can be legally spent so it sent the case back to the lower court.

August 19, 2021 12:56pm MST

Arizona legislature adjourns after deal on voucher expansion

The agreement on school vouchers and a handful of other disputes ended a stalemate between the House and Senate that held up the final pieces of the Arizona budget.

July 1, 2021 4:58am MST

Arizona panel advances measure cutting Proposition 208 taxes

Business owners who make enough to be affected by Proposition 208 would have the option to pay a 4.5% tax rate, the same as they paid before voters imposed the 3.5% surcharge.

March 25, 2021 6:32am MST

Ex-CEO at Goodyear charter school gets prison in fraud case

The Bradley Academy of Excellence had falsified its attendance records, with former CEO Daniel Hughes reporting fake students in order to increase funding.

March 18, 2021 6:35am MST

Divided Arizona House panel approves big school voucher bill

Republicans called the measure already passed by the Arizona Senate a lifeline for 600,000 low-income students who would become entitled to state funding for private school tuition.

March 18, 2021 5:52am MST

Gov. Ducey orders Arizona schools to offer in-person learning by March 15

According to a statement, an exception will be made for counties that have "high" COVID-19 transmission based on CDC guidelines, including Coconino, Yavapai and Pinal counties.

March 15, 2021 5:22pm MST

Arizona Dept. of Education looks to hire teachers, other school-related jobs

The Arizona Dept. of Education held a virtual job fair on Saturday and more than 1,000 people attended to connect with recruiters in their school-related fields.

February 27, 2021 5:25pm MST

Students, staff get support from Arizona's top educator to begin heading back into classrooms

For the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction is now advocating for some schools to begin planning to re-open campuses.

February 24, 2021 9:43pm MST