| andidates are running for the post of Superintendent of | | | | requirement of 59 percent. A C average |
| Public Instruction for the Arizona schools in the | | | | student within the Arizona schools only need answer |
| September 12th election. Current Superintendent Tom | | | | six mathematics questions correctly out of 56. He also |
| Horne is running as the unopposed Republican | | | | would like to see AIMS administered as the state of |
| candidate, seeking his second term in office. Two | | | | Wyoming does its testing students take the test |
| Democrats are challenging Horne Slade Mead and | | | | directly on a computer, the results are instantly scored, |
| Jason Williams. Mead is a sports agent, a former state | | | | and then the scores are immediately sent to the |
| senator, a former Kyrene School District board | | | | teachers for evaluation. |
| member, and a former Republican. Williams is a former | | | | School Vouchers. Another hot button for many |
| middle school math and science teacher, and a former | | | | educators, parents and the community are school |
| executive director of a nonprofit organization that | | | | vouchers, whereby some students may attend private |
| recruits teachers for low-income and rural areas. | | | | schools funded by the taxpayers. Under a newly |
| Two major issues that will be facing the newly elected | | | | passed budget, that state has authorized $5 million in |
| superintendent are the Arizona Instrument to Measure | | | | private school vouchers for disabled and foster-care |
| Standards (AIMS) tests and school vouchers. | | | | students. All three candidates are opposed to |
| AIMS. This year was the first to require all high school | | | | vouchers for private schools. |
| seniors in the Arizona schools to pass the AIMS test in | | | | Incumbent Horne stated that Arizona schools already |
| order to graduate. The candidates have differing | | | | are the leading proponent for parental choice in the |
| views on AIMS and its use. | | | | nation, with charter schools, open enrollment policies, |
| Horne is a strong advocate of the graduation | | | | and tax credits. He noted that the Manhattan Institute |
| requirement, believing that it makes students | | | | ranks the Arizona schools as number one out of 50 in |
| accountable for what they learn. He commented that it | | | | parental choice. He also pointed out that the state |
| makes Arizona schools students take their education | | | | constitution prohibits the use of public funds for religious |
| seriously, because they will not be handed a diploma if | | | | or private schools. |
| they fake their way through school. | | | | Because the state legislature already passed the use |
| Williams would like the graduation requirement | | | | of school vouchers into law, Mead only stated his |
| eliminated and to use AIMS as a benchmark for | | | | opposition to them and that, if elected, he would ensure |
| learning, gauging just how well Arizona schools | | | | that the Arizona schools accounted for every cent |
| students are retaining knowledge. He believes this | | | | used for school vouchers. |
| would take the pressure off students, when used as a | | | | Williams pointed out that private schools do not |
| diagnostic tool. Williams disagrees with Horne | | | | automatically do a better job than public ones. He sees |
| concerning students taking learning more seriously | | | | the voucher system as a way of giving up on public |
| because of AIMS. He noted that 15,000 students, who | | | | education in the Arizona schools. |
| enrolled as Arizona schools freshmen in 2002, had | | | | Though these are the two hot-button issues in this |
| dropped out of school before the Class of 2006 | | | | upcoming election, undoubtedly there are many more |
| graduated. | | | | for which the parents and communities of the Arizona |
| Mead agrees with Williams that AIMS would make a | | | | schools should be concerned. Ensure that you check |
| better assessment tool for the Arizona schools and | | | | out the three candidates and what they have to say |
| that the passing requirement for graduation be | | | | about all of the issues and make your voice heard |
| eliminated. He has stated that the current administration | | | | in September by voting for the candidate of your |
| of AIMS is a sham with only a passing grade | | | | choice. |