Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s effort to weaken and eventually dismantle Arizona’s traditional public school system has been met with yet another threat of a lawsuit. While he is losing public support, he is shoring up support with his recent four appointees to the State Board of Education.
According to U.S.News, the Arizona School Boards Association called a news conference for today to provide details of lawsuit over cuts to funding for public school buildings and maintenance.
“Attorneys have been working on the lawsuit for at least two years. Several school boards have voted to sign on as plaintiffs, as have the associations representing teachers, school administrators and business officials,” reports U.S.News.
“Gov. Doug Ducey is proposing to provide about $17 million to the board in the coming budget year, while the House of Representatives is proposing to spend $63 million,” continues the report. “Budget talks between the Legislature and Ducey’s staff have been ongoing for weeks, with no breakthrough in sight on the key point of contention, a $1 billion university bonding plan.”
Ducey’s appointees to the State Board of Education are expected to be charter school advocates and serve the interests of the chambers of commerce. Appointees:
Luke Narducci, an environmental and natural resources law attorney at Snell and Wilmer. A member of the Arizona Mining Association, which claims to offer “educational programs that demonstrate the importance and benefits of mining to the economy.”
From the Snell and Wilmer website:
Lucas Narducci has more than 27 years of experience in environmental and natural resources law. Luke regularly guides clients through administrative hearings, litigation and other forms of dispute resolution, striving to protect their assets and keep their business goals in mind. He has extensive experience in acquisitions, divestments, expansions, mergers, ventures, operational compliance, employee work space safety, work place and third-party toxic exposures, audits, risk reductions and control methods. He also advises on policy and legislative developments that affect or could impact his clients and their businesses. He has been a lead counsel in the divestment, acquisition, operation, curtailment, reclamation and closure of several copper, gold, coal and uranium mines.
Luke’s practice has taken him across the United States, as well as to Canada, Mexico and several countries in South America. He participates in many significant business, industry and manufacturing associations in order to advance the interests of those associations and his clients, and to influence rule-making, regulatory, policy and legislative processes.
Luke has extensive experience under all significant and some less recognized federal and state permitting and environmental assessment processes working with the government agencies and regulators to achieve client goals.
Patricia Welborn, chairman of the Empower College Prep board of directors and serves on the Arizona Charter School Assn board.
From the Empower College Prep website:
Patricia has over 15 years experience in marketing, strategic planning and project management in the business world. In 2002 she moved to the non-profit sector where, as a consultant, she has led similar projects, along with fundraising campaigns for a variety of Phoenix and Chicago based non-profit agencies.
Patricia has been an active community volunteer for 20 years, serving on the boards and committees of the United Way, the Self Employment Loan Fund, the Heard Museum and multiple school parent organizations. In 2002 she began what has become her life’s passion – advancing educational opportunities for low-income students. She has served on the boards of two charter schools, is a member of the board for the Arizona Charter School Association and serves on the Education Sub-committee for the Arizona Community Foundation.
Patricia received her BA from Pomona College and has an MBA degree from the Anderson Graduate School of Business at UCLA.
Michele Kaye, CEO of the Leona Group, a charter school operator.
From the Leona Group website:
The Leona Group (TLG) was formed in 1996 in Michigan by Dr. William Coats, a nationally-recognized leader in education reform. Foundational to The Leona Group is the philosophy that every child can and will learn, regardless of ethnicity, economic or educational disadvantage. These founding beliefs drive TLG’s commitment to excellence in elementary, middle and high school classrooms across the country.
César Chávez Academy was the first charter to partner with TLG and initially served grades K-5; it has since grown to serve more than 2,000 students in grades preK-12 on five Detroit campuses. César Chávez Academy is the top-performing non-examination public high school in Detroit.
With its proven track record in Michigan, TLG sought to make a difference in Arizona, a state that demonstrated tremendous need for a new kind of public school. TLG opened five charter high schools in the metro-Phoenix area in 1997, and formed its Arizona division and officially opened its Phoenix corporate headquarters in 2000.
Michele Kaye began her career with The Leona Group in January 2000 as an English teacher at Maya High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Ms. Kaye has since held progressive positions within the organization including assistant school leader, curriculum coach and director of Leona’s Quality Schools Initiative (QSI).
Ms. Kaye holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Daniel Corr, Arizona Western College president.
From the Arizona Western College website:
Arizona Western College welcomed its 9th President on July 1st. Dr. Daniel Corr joined the AWC family from Scottsdale Community College. He is committed to building on the tremendous success achieved by AWC in recent years and looks forward to being an active member of the many communities served by the college. He will focus his early efforts on facilitating student success, increasing access to higher education, creating a comprehensive strategic plan, and fostering a climate of innovation, collaboration and stewardship at AWC. Hear Dr. Corr’s thoughts on his transition to AWC.
Prior to assuming the role of AWC’s President, Dr. Corr served as the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Scottsdale Community College (SCC) since 2007. In this position, Dr. Corr had broad administrative responsibility for facilitating the delivery of innovative, high quality instruction, establishing and evaluating student success initiatives and a comprehensive mix of Student Affairs programs and services including Athletics, Civic and Global Engagement and Service Learning. Prior to his tenure at SCC, Dr. Corr held a variety of instructional and administrative positions at three different community colleges in Illinois.
They must be confirmed by the Senate Education Committee, along with appointees Calvin Baker and Janice Mak. Ducey has appointed every member of the 11 person board, except for Supt of Public Instruction Diane Douglas – who was elected.