Doctored Video Of Schools Chief Candidate, State Senator Was Shown On National Television And Hyped In Local Press; Student Journalist Is Speaking Out

PHOENIX, AZ. JUNE 16, 2010. A video of State Senator John Huppenthal’s interview with a student journalist was shown on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show yesterday.  The New Times reported Huppenthal was “humiliated” by the interview, “had to walk away,” and voted to “gut funding to the state’s Career and Technical Education programs…after Huppenthal bemoans such cuts.”

Now, it turns out the whole story was a sham. Democrats, indeed a former liberal opponent of Huppenthal’s, doctored the video to paint a false picture of what happened.  Huppenthal didn’t abandon the interview.  And… the budget cuts the student journalist asked Huppenthal about, and that some media reported as fact… those cuts never happened!

This dirty trick of doctored video tape is just the latest in Democratic tactics aimed at Huppenthal. The Arizona Democratic Party filed a lawsuit last week that seeks to have Huppenthal’s name removed from the Republican Primary Election ballot. The conservative reformer is seen by many as the leading candidate to be the next State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“John Hupenthal is an accomplished conservative reformer and the Democrats are resorting to these kind of tactics because they know from previous experience that they can’t beat him in a fair General Election contest,” said Huppenthal spokesperson Jason Rose.

A story in yesterday’s Yellow Sheet Report, which is published by The Arizona Capitol Times newspaper sets the record straight regarding the doctored interview tape:

YELLOW SHEET REPORT
Arizona Capitol Times
6/15/2010

High School Journalist ‘Upset’ At How Video Being Used

However, the student seems to have misunderstood what the bill did, as it didn’t cut $550 million from K-12 and didn’t wipe out funding for vocational programs. The bill, which was part of a two-bill package that closed a $650 million deficit in FY09, did three things: roll over $100 million in university funding; roll over $300 million in K-12 funding; and cut $250 million from K-12, but backfill the cuts with an equal amount of federal stimulus money. Additionally, budget documents from JLBC show the career and technical education funding levels are unchanged from FY09 at about $11.5 million.

[End of Yellow Sheet Report excerpt]

About John Huppenthal

John Huppenthal is one of Arizona’s leading authorities on education issues. In addition to being the current Senate Education Chairman, Huppenthal has served for 17 consecutive years on the State House and State Senate education committees.

Huppenthal’s reputation for making policy based on the best research available is well established. A September 2008 editorial in The Arizona Republic stated:

“…Huppenthal is a veteran of the Legislature, having chaired five committees and being as knowledgeable about the bill-making process as any of his colleagues. He’s a pragmatic conservative who bases his positions on exhaustive research and works across party lines to get worthwhile bills passed. Huppenthal insists that legislation be based on best practices from around the country, and he’s prone to arcane dissertations based on stacks of studies he has compiled as he delves into state and district problems. It’s not sexy stuff but it’s necessary to guide a legislative process too often led astray by raw politics and emotion.”

Senator Huppenthal played a key role in helping create school choice for parents. In 1995, as Senate Education Chairman, his legislation took the caps off charter schools. This legislation moved Arizona to first in the nation in school choice (ALEC rankings). In addition, Congressman Trent Franks named Senator Huppenthal one of three legislators most responsible for creating and expanding tuition tax credits in Arizona.

During Huppenthal’s legislative career he successfully developed and passed over 200 bills – the most of any legislator in Arizona history. A substantial number of those bills were education related. Huppenthal’s efforts resulted in the creation of the Career Ladder program for teachers, improved measures of academic progress, and higher graduation standards. Huppenthal also worked closely with the disabled community to improve opportunities for children with special challenges, including creating a model summer school for children with autism, increasing resources for the blind and deaf, expanding textbook formats to accommodate children with disabilities and reducing mandates on teachers.

Huppenthal has been a leader in adopting performance pay in education. After reviewing over 700 studies and creating new concepts in performance pay, Arizona’s career ladder program has become the only performance pay system in the country resulting in statistically verifiable academic gains. His legislation resulted in enabling Arizona to be the only state nationally where every teacher has a significant portion of pay dependent upon performance measures (Prop 301 classroom site fund).

In 2010, Senator Huppenthal sponsored and helped pass major education reform legislation. Known as the “Truth in Advertising” bill, SB 1286 improves accountability by requiring the Arizona Department of Education to rate the performance of schools with easily understood letter grades (A, B, C, D or F). The grades will be based upon overall performance and academic gains over time. The “Truth in Advertising” law is modeled after similar reforms in Florida which significantly improved academic achievement.

Paid for by John Huppenthal 2010

Goldwater Institute News Release

PHOENIX – When several new education reforms become law in late July, Arizona legislators and other state officials must seize the opportunity to improve student learning, says a new report from the Goldwater Institute.

“During the 2010 session, the Legislature embraced some innovative ideas that already are improving student learning in other states,” said report author Matthew Ladner, Ph.D., Goldwater Institute vice president for research. “But this is the first step of a journey. Ultimately, the goal of these reforms is to change the culture of public schools so they focus on improved learning for every child, whether they are at the top of their class or the bottom.”

The report, “On the Road to Excellence: Next Steps to Match Florida’s Success in Educating Children,” says Arizona policymakers will have to resist the pressure to weaken these reforms during implementation. After a decade of reform, Florida’s fourth-grade students have improved their reading test scores by 20 points, which is the equivalent of moving up two entire grade levels.

The Arizona Department of Education now will have the chance to carry out similar reforms, such as providing clear descriptions of a school’s performance with letter grades of A, B, C, D, or F; requiring third graders to read before entering the fourth grade; and offering tests for career professionals to teach in public schools.

Dr. Ladner notes there are at least two additional Florida reforms that Arizona lawmakers should consider in 2011. To reduce the number of third-grade students who are held back, Florida has required extensive teacher retraining in the fundamentals of reading instruction. Dr. Ladner recommends that Arizona schools use existing teacher professional development funds to contract with private companies for affordable online training programs to equip teachers with more effective techniques.

Florida also has tied additional funding for schools to improved student performance. As one example, the report explains that Florida schools and teachers earn bonus money for each student who passes an advanced placement exam. Dr. Ladner recommends that funding for K-12 education in Arizona be linked directly to student achievement and sent directly to schools – bypassing bureaucratic school district offices – to improve the chances that the money actually will make it to classrooms.

Read “On the Road to Excellence: Next Steps to Match Florida’s Success in Educating Children” here.

The Goldwater Institute is an independent government watchdog supported by people who are committed to expanding free enterprise and liberty.

by Matthew Ladner, Ph.D. 
Goldwater Institute
 
In February, I wrote an article about the graduation rates at our community colleges and universities. I pointed out that they are near the bottom of national rankings. ABC 15 did a story focusing on Arizona State University’s four-year graduation rate of 28 percent.

An ASU spokeswoman argued in the news story there is not a problem with dropouts, but with the statistics, saying “The idea of four-year graduation rate, it doesn’t take into account over half of the students that go to college.”

The federal government, not the Goldwater Institute, collects the statistics cited. In fact, the universities themselves enter the data into the federal database. Furthermore, the statistics cited only take into account students who had a full class schedule and were seeking an undergraduate degree.

The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it’s so rare.” This self-reported data reveals a disturbing lack of competence in what ought to be ASU’s core mission as a public university: educating and graduating students.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research for the Goldwater Institute.

U.S. Supreme Court Decides To Hear AZ School Choice Program Tom Horne Opposed In Legislature

Key Issue In Attorney General GOP Primary

PHOENIX, AZ. MAY 24, 2010. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments over Arizona’s landmark school choice legislation known as tuition tax credits. That legislation has allowed thousands of Arizona students to enjoy better educations than they otherwise would have enjoyed.

But State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne opposed the school choice measure while serving in the legislature (April 3, 1997. HB 2074, Chapter 48, ’97 regular session).

“On so many issues Tom Horne has proven himself to be a liberal, not a conservative. And school choice is key among them. The four Democrats running for office, and quite candidly that includes Horne, cannot be counted on to vigorously defend this law as Attorney General as must be done,” former Maricopa County Attorney and GOP Attorney General candidate Andrew Thomas said.
Thomas said he will as vigorously defend this law as aggressively as he has crackdowns on illegal immigrations supported by the legislature and voters.
Thomas has been endorsed by notable Arizona law enforcement leaders including Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh, Mohave County Attorney Matthew Smith, Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu,Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA). Arizona Right to Life has endorsed Thomas as well.
During Thomas’ time in office, crime rates plummeted. The 19 percent drop is more than twice the national rate of decline, in despite of an 11 percent increase in the county’s population during that time. The illegal immigrant population has dropped by anywhere from 18 percent (Dept. of Homeland Security estimate) to 30 percent (Center for Immigration Studies estimate). Like the fall in crime rates, this dramatic decline in illegal immigration is far greater than the average in the rest of the nation.
Thomas has a track record of successfully defending illegal immigration crackdowns in our courts, including his successful efforts to prosecute illegal immigrants for conspiring to violate the state’s human-smuggling law and to defend Prop 200′s voter ID requirements and the employer-sanctions law, which he defended along with the Attorney General’s Office.
If elected Attorney General Thomas has pledged to expand that office’s prosecutions of illegal immigrants under the state’s human smuggling laws. The office is not currently pursuing such prosecutions.
Thomas is married with four children. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School. Prior to serving as Maricopa County Attorney, Thomas served as an assistant attorney general for Arizona, deputy counsel and criminal justice policy advisor to the Governor, special assistant to the Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, and a deputy county attorney.
To schedule an interview please contact Jason Rose. For more information about Andrew Thomas, please go towww.ThomasforArizona.com.

If you think education is expensive, try indoctrination. This is Professor Sandra Soto opining on the evils of SB 1070.

Hat tip to Katie P. who I met today at the Flagstaff Republican Women’s luncheon. Katie just graduated from the UA with a degree in Journalism. In case she sounds familiar, she has been a weekly contributor to the John Justice Show on 104.1 The Truth in Tucson as UofA Katie. Katie now heads off to work for TownHall.com where we can all be confident that she will contribute to the conservative cause and agenda. Congratulations Katie!

We’ve seen Jan Brewer’s inarticulate admonitions to vote for Prop. 100, we’ve seen Goldwater underscore that there is more fat to be cut from government. Now, we see the quality of individuals who support prop 100 in this video.  According to this story, a benighted ASU student who supports Prop 100 decided free speech isn’t a right to be accorded to those he disagrees with.  The student was caught red-handed tearing down anti-Prop 100 signs by Mr. Brandon Trichel.  According to Mr. Trichel, about 80% of the anti-Prop 100 signs have been torn down by those who want to take more money from you to spend on what they deem your money is best spent on.  It is little wonder the No on Prop. 100 campaign looks disorganized when thugs are tearing down the signs.

I can’t urge voters enough to go to the polls on Tuesday and vote NO on Prop. 100.  The election was purposefully held on an odd date (Tuesday, May 18) and was intended to be the only issue on the ballot so that a low voter turnout and voter disinterest would allow highly organized constituencies to confiscate more of your money so they can waste it.  Teachers unions, school administrators, police unions, fire unions, the brainwashed parents of public school students, local government workers, construction contractors that build schools and their associated trade unions, etc. will all turn out on Tuesday if they haven’t already sent in their early ballots to force those least able to afford higher taxes to pay more for their purchases.  Arizonans should know well that the lottery was supposed to fund education, and we have repeatedly voted for bonds and overrides and we have thrown money at education time and again all to no avail.  No matter how much money we throw at education, greedy administrators and entrenched special interests will ensure Arizona’s students remain at the back of the pack.  It’s time to send state government a loud and clear message that it’s time to trim the fat.

Mr. Trichel, I strongly urge you to press charges against the student.  It will teach him that the First Amendment still means something and it will convince future tyrants who hate liberty and the free exchange of ideas to think twice before trampling on the rights of others.  Would this tool or his ilk have mercy for any anti-Prop 100 individuals who were caught tearing down Yes on Prop. 100 signs?

by Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.
Goldwater Institute
 
This session Arizona lawmakers enacted some of the most far-reaching K-12 education reforms in state history. The changes have received little attention from any Arizona media so far. But you can bet you’ll hear much more as the state implements the new laws.

Ten years ago Florida implemented a set of education reforms that transformed their schools from among the worst performers on national tests to among the best. Several of the bills that Governor Brewer has signed into law are modeled on Florida’s success.

–Arizona now will annually issue schools a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F.
–The state now will have a robust program for experts in math, science and other areas to teach their subjects without first getting a teaching certificate from a college of education.
–Lawmakers have curtailed social promotion by holding back some third graders who have yet to learn the basics of reading.
–Legislators expanded the sources available to launch new charter schools.
–Lawmakers increased the size and transparency of the state scholarship tax credit program and changed to the date for claiming the tax credits from December 31 to April 15.
–The Legislature also specified school districts cannot use “years on the job” as the only criteria when deciding which teachers to keep. The Arizona Department of Education will be required to develop teacher and principal evaluations that include how well students score on specific tests.

Each bill contains important policy changes that will improve education by holding educators accountable to parents and taxpayers. The “A” to “F” school labels and teacher evaluation reforms could revolutionize Arizona’s public schools if properly implemented.

We have many people to thank for these remarkable changes. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Patricia Levesque, the executive director for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, spent their valuable time here in Arizona. Key philanthropic and business community leaders aided with both their money and their time. Governor Jan Brewer and her staff made it a priority to win legislative approval of the Florida-based reforms. The chairmen of the Senate and House education committees, Senator John Huppenthal and Representative Rich Crandall, personally introduced several of the key bills. Most of the measures gathered strong, bipartisan support.

This year, Arizona lawmakers demonstrated with action, not just words, that they will not accept Arizona permanently sitting near the bottom of student achievement rankings. We will not see overnight improvement, and much hard work lies ahead. We have, however, taken the first vital steps to turning our school performance crisis around.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research for the Goldwater Institute.

 A m e r i c a n  P o s t – G a z e t t e

Distributed by C O M M O N  S E N S E , in Arizona

Friday, May 7, 2010

You are cordially invited to the home of
Jerry D. and Mary Ellen Walker at
113 South Ogden Circle Mesa, Az 85206.
This is a fund raiser to keep Jerry in his seat on the
Community College District Governing Board
for Maricopa County.
The event will take place on
Saturday, May 15, 2010.
The time will be from 6 to 9 PM.
There will be light refreshments served at this occasion.

Jerry has worked for programs that ensure student exposure to critical thinking skills.
He wants people to be encouraged to learn how to think.
Jerry also has worked to keep tuition low.
His efforts in the development of work force training has taken
second place to none. This is vital to the economic future of Arizona.
For information on Jerry’s on-going work with the
Veteran Community to make sure that these young patriots take advantage of the G.I. benefits to get a college degree or the appropriate workforce training please go to
www.MACV.org
Please help Jerry develop the workforce of Arizona and keep both Arizona and the U.S. economy strong.
RSVP to Jerry Walker at (480) 213-4777.
In the event that you are unable to attend, donations may sent to the address above.
Paid for by Jerry Walker for Community Colleges

by Starlee Rhoades
Goldwater Institute

In two weeks, Arizona voters will decide if we should raise the state sales tax by 18 percent. We’re being told this money will “protect education.” We’ve been down this road before and it didn’t work out the way we were promised.

Ten years ago, we voted to raise our sales tax and dedicate the extra money to classroom spending. This year, the Arizona auditor general did an investigation and found that just over half of that money actually makes it to the classroom.

Click here to watch a 30-second video explaining this issue.

For every teacher in Arizona, there is almost one “non-teacher” on the payroll. Tucson Unified School District, for example, has hundreds of employees who work at the school district headquarters. Those folks aren’t in the schools teaching children.

Beyond excessive numbers of “non-teachers,” money is spent on all sorts of other non-classroom related items. TUSD’s website proudly highlights its wellness program that “aids in developing physical activity, healthy nutrition, stress and disease management and self care lifestyles.” But this wellness program isn’t for children. It’s for the adults who work for the district. Tax dollars that should be helping children learn instead are going to programs to help teachers lose weight.

One more note on TUSD. This headline in yesterday’s Arizona Daily Star caught my eye: “TUSD board rejects cutting own staff.”

Multiply Tucson’s excesses across the state’s 165 school districts and it might be easier to forgive me for being skeptical when I hear that the only choice we have is to raise our taxes or fire a bunch of teachers. If politicians were serious about protecting education, they would reduce the amount of money going to the massive education bureaucracy and stop funding programs that don’t help children learn.

We have already raised our taxes with the promise that the money would get to the classroom. If the government hasn’t kept that promise, why would they keep this one?

Starlee Rhoades is Vice President of External Affairs at the Goldwater Institute.

Sixty Second Spot Highlights Key Differences With GOP Liberal In August 24th Primary

Paid for by Thomas for AG

by Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.
Goldwater Institute

Arizona parents need truth in advertising for schools. Senator John Huppenthal is sponsoring Senate Bill 1286 to label public schools with a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F, based on overall AIMS test scores and gains in student learning. The proposal is based on education reforms put in place in Florida a decade ago. There schools with D and F grades have significantly improved when faced with losing students. Arizona schools would do the same.

Dr. David Garcia of Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute recently analyzed school transfer data, and his results reinforce the need to clarify school performance labels. The following table presents Garcia’s research, which shows the variation in year-to-year re-enrollment rates for Arizona elementary schools that use the current state labels under AZLEARNS:

In 2009, 16 percent of students in underperforming schools did not re-enroll in them if they were eligible to do so. Imagine 100 students start kindergarten at a typical elementary school. A year later, only 84 are still in the school in first grade. The next year, losing another 16 percent leaves 70 students in the second grade. By the time that group of kindergarteners reach sixth grade, there are only 41 of them left. This is not a ringing endorsement of the school.

We do not know how many students transfer due to dissatisfaction with their first school. But we can certainly infer the association is greater among low performing schools. Notice the student loss rate is twice as high in the bogusly labeled “performing schools” compared to excelling schools.

One conclusion of Dr. Garcia’s report is not to expect parental choice to improve Arizona public schools, because people are not moving their kids. Except, of course, they are moving their kids. My sons attend a district elementary school in which 27 percent of the students are out-of-boundary transfers. Many charter schools have long waiting lists.

The Morrison Institute’s report, along with the consistent improvement in Florida school performance, make the case for clear labels and more, rather than less, parental choice options.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research for the Goldwater Institute.