📢AZ BoE | Enforcement Actions - September 2023
Astonishing trend continues.
Teacher certificates voluntarily surrendered include:
➡️7 out of 16 cases involving sexual interest in minors
➡️That's 44% of all cases for the month, up from 41% last month
/2/ Agua Fria Union HS:
➡️District discovers allegations of molestation of a 13 yo step-daughter over a two year period
/3/ Benson USD:
➡️Teacher uses Snap Chat app to contact students, "sat close to a particularly young lady at a community park," and
➡️dated former students after graduation
/4/ No district identified
➡️Teacher impregnates, later marries, former student in California; not criminally proven to have developed relationship while still a minor
➡️CA revoked license, decision on appeal
/5/ No district identified, arrest in Mesa
➡️Teacher has contact with 9-yo female student, asks to "lift shirt up" to use a stethoscope on her bare breast and nipple area.
➡️Admits to police he has a "stethoscope fetish"
➡️Arrested for 3-counts of sexual abuse of minor
/6/ Sunnyside USD
➡️Teacher engages in sexual contact with student off campus
➡️Sends text messages, nude photos and porn videos to student, multiple times
➡️Arrested for felony sexual conduct/abuse of minor
/7/ Flagstaff USD
➡️Flagstaff police notify district that teacher alleged to have molested minor niece in 2001
/8/ In pipeline - ASU Prep Academy
➡️Substitute tells female student: "I'm going to have fun with [her] today", repeatedly touches her and others
➡️Says 13-yo female "dressed as a model, knee high boots, skirt, pearls, silk shirt" - that she's "vibrating" and "highly sexed"
End
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📢AZ Auditor General Issues 2024 Report on School Spending: More Therapy, Less instruction
▶️For 3rd year in a row, school spending on instruction 📉 both statewide and at most districts
▶️Schools continue 📈spending for student support (counseling programs, nursing, audiologists)
▶️New historic low on instructional spend:
52.6% vs 58.6% in 2004
1/n
Over 58% of all schools decreased instructional spending last year, average cut of 0.8%. 2/
Instructional spending for core academic functions continues to be sacrificed to pay salaries for more non-academic, non-instructional social services 3/n
🚨🚨BREAKING NOW - EMERGENCY MEETING OF AZ STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION - BANKRUPT SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH $12,344,641 BUDGET SHORTFALL TO GO INTO RECEIVERSHIP
▶️ Auditor General presents SBE on timeline of overspending and refusals to comply with internal controls and financial reporting
Auditor General - tried for 5 years to stop mismanagement of funds!!!
Auditor General - operating budget drops 86.1% in 1 year
capital budget drops 87.2%!
“Functional behavioral assessments have typically been a special education strategy to help schools determine — through data and observations — if a behavior resulted from a student’s disability and to help guide interventions…”
“New guidance from the U.S. Department of Education promotes the use of individualized behavioral assessments and support plans for students with and without disabilities to help schools address problem behaviors and reduce suspensions and expulsions.”
📢SBE Committee on K-3 Literacy:
Shocking decline in 3rd grade reading scores over 9 years, but only fail 0.3% of students!
➡️"Minimally proficient" goes 📈 43% to 50%, means 50% not qualified for 4th grade
Asks ADE director, can we raise expectations?
A: We haven't looked at that yet, wanted you guys to talk first...but we have a "wonderful" guru
1/n
3rd grade reading scores show a 9-yr failing system:
➡️Min Proficient: 43 to 50%
➡️"Partially" Proficient : 16 to 11%
➡️ Just proficient: 30 to 26%
➡️"Highly" Proficient: 11 to 13% 2/n
Minimally proficient reading scores qualifies for "retention" - meaning, should be held back unless there are "qualifying circumstances"
➡️Data shows 99.7% of all those who fail are sent to 4th grade anyway
3/n
📢School Board Race | Paradise Valley USD: Reformers Challenge Fossilized 20-Yr Leadership “Guarding” Ailing District as Plummeting Proficiency Scores and ESA Exits Continue
➡️ Enthusiasm for 20-yr board president up for reelection (and 2 cohorts) is so low, PV teachers union gets grant from state union to pay members $20/hr to hold signs at football games, knock doors
🧵1/n
State union’s recent grant meant to get door knockers and sign holders at $20/hour - more than even union advocates for teachers aides 2/n
Union seeks to pump up enthusiasm, offering above market prices, just to get some semblance of teacher support at football games. 3/n
The American School Counselor Association urges members to promote “all aspects of sexual wellness” for its connection to psychological connection to human development.
Is there a downside to seeing children as sexual beings/patients? 🧵