State of the State: In Arizona, New Year Brings Renewed Commitment to School Choice

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer delivered a 2012
State of the State address focused on school choice.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, a longtime supporter of school choice, this week told members of the state legislature that in 2012, the Grand Canyon State is poised to continue to be a leader in allowing parents to choose the school that best meets their child’s needs.

“We must find a way to fund the results we want and reward those educators who guide us into our next century,” Brewer said at her annual State of the State address on Monday. “That’s my commitment to children for the next century; quality teachers, safe environment, a setting of parents’ choosing, and data driven decisions and the highest of standards.”

The Governor also unveiled a broad-based education reform plan, one that called for investments to be made in schools and support given to teachers who delivering quality results for kids. The educational setting, she said, does not matter.

Brewer's speech also touched on providing adequate funding to reforms that work, saying that tough economic times call for making sure that taxpayer dollars aren't being poured haphazardly into a system that has failed to show significant improvements.

Immediately following the State of the State address, legislators got to work on a new school choice plan: Senate Bill 1047. The bill would amend the state's three scholarship tax credit programs to allow for an increase in the maximum allowable donations to School Tuition Organizations.

The intent, according to legislators, is to help alleviate the frequently long waiting lists for scholarships.

Check back in the coming days for more on State of the State addresses from around the country.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, NM