March 9, 2010
http://www.arizonaea.org/blog

General Education
Education cuts are certain if proposed tax is rejected
Arizona could owe the federal government almost as much money as a proposed sales tax increase would raise if voters reject it.

Verde Valley school board elections in November
Governing Board seats for all public school districts and Yavapai College will be up for election during the Nov. 2 general election. The Yavapai County Superintendent's Office will hold Governing Board Candidate Training at three locations.

DVDs don't help babies learn language
Educational DVDs aimed at teaching language to very young children cannot replace human interaction -- the most effective way that babies learn, according to a University of California, Riverside study.

Politics/Politicians
Arne Duncan Set to Pledge Renewed Focus on Civil Rights
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan plans to promise in a speech today to reinvigorate enforcement of civil rights laws in U.S. schools by issuing guidance and implementing new compliance reviews.

Locals in the News
School Board Meets At Indian Wells ES
The Holbrook School District Governing Board will hold a walk-through and work session from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, at Indian Wells Elementary School, followed by its regular meeting at 5 p.m.

Repairs to Blue Ridge Middle, Junior High schools is ongoing
The Blue Ridge Unified School District Governing Board held a meeting Tuesday night at 7 p.m. during which Superintendent Greg Schalow said all areas of the storm-damaged middle and junior high schools are now able to be reoccupied, but not all have been as of yet.

School officials nervously await override vote
As remaining time dwindles until ballots are due back for the Payson schools override election, school officials are nervously awaiting their fate.

Mingus and Cottonwood-Oak Creek move ahead with unification
Mingus Union and Cottonwood-Oak Creek districts' school boards met in joint session Wednesday night to further discuss unification. They decided to develop a detailed structure for leadership.

State House approves unification assistance bill
The administrations and school boards at Mingus Union High School and Cottonwood-Oak Creek districts have asked the state for help with the costs of unification. The governing boards have jointly stated that unification most likely depends on financial help from the state.

Prescott school board taps Smucker as new superintendent
David Smucker of Rifle, Colo., is the new incoming superintendent of the Prescott Unified School District.

Colorado River UHSD board tables several agenda items
Topics ‘too important to push,’ Hoffman says
Several agenda items that drew people to the Colorado River Union High School District governing board meeting Monday night were tabled for further discussion.

Classes to resume at Lake Havasu HS
Lake Havasu High School will open its doors Monday after closing school for two days following a student spraying pesticide on school walls and placing drops of the chemical in at least one trash can March 3.

Crane complies with state medication rules
The Crane Elementary School District is expected to approve a policy revision on administering medication to students to comply with state law, according to a board official.

Deer Valley USD plans spring break day camps
The Deer Valley Unified School District Community Education Department will offer Spring Break Day Camps from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 15-19. 

Dysart USD will add special needs preschool service at Desert Moon
The Dysart Unified School District is expanding preschool services for students in the community with special needs. 

Gilbert school board considers $75 fee for student screenings
The Gilbert Public Schools governing board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to discuss and vote on a series of contracts and fees, including a proposed $75 entrance fee to cover screenings of children in kindergarten and first grade.

Part of Peoria school closed off because of air quality issue
Air quality concerns at Desert Harbor Elementary School in Peoria have caused the closure of an area on the school's campus. A meeting is scheduled for tonight for parents of students attending the school.

Really ‘Cool Junk' Soon to Line Walls of Morristown School's Community All-Purpose Room/Gym
Artist Juanita Hull-Carlson Brings School & Community Together to Create Series of Mosaics
Broken dishes, shattered glass, rusted nuts and bolts as well as bits and pieces of outdated and out-of-style jewelry - it's the kind of stuff recycling bins seemingly are made for.

Large numbers of early ballots recorded for Kyrene SD override
More than 15,000 ballots have been returned for the Kyrene School District’s override election, almost five times more than were cast three years ago when voters were last asked to vote on the measure.

Maricopa USD hopes for better result in 2nd budget override try
After months of promotion and hope, voters will decide the fate of the Maricopa Unified School District budget override on Tuesday.

Wrightstown, Henry elementary schools await Tucson USD merger vote
East Side neighborhoods see declining enrollment
Wrightstown Elementary, one of Tucson’s oldest – and smallest – schools, could soon merge with Henry Elementary in a pioneering move prompted by drastic cuts in state education funding.

Bisbee board back at full strength
For the first time in a few months, Bisbee school business was conducted with a full five-member board.

Library is now open for students, residents
Colorful new books and a room with Dell computers greeted students and visitors to the new Santa Cruz Regional School District 99 media center on March 5.

School cafeterias fare well during inspections
The cafeterias at San Cayetano, Mountain View and Coatimundi elementary schools in Rio Rico had zero critical violations. 

Teacher Highlights
Whiteriver educator honored as outstanding NPC alumnus
The Navajo County Community College District Governing Board honored Whiteriver Unified School District nonmember educator Laurel S. Endfield as an Outstanding Northland Pioneer College Alumnus at its Feb. 16 meeting.