The Chandler Chamber of Commerce, the chamber in John Huppenthal’s hometown, has endorsed Penny instead, reporter Edythe Jensen writes in this article in yesterday’s Arizona Republic. Huppenthal was on the Chandler City Council prior to making his first run for the Legislature, and has lived in the city for years. Yet, when it came right down to it, the Chandler Chamber threw their support behind Penny. By taking this action, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce clearly realizes what Penny’s supporters all over the state already know: the Republican formula of underfunding, tax credits, endless testing and little support is what got us to where we are today, and that high standards and high expectations are what will work to reinvigorate education in Arizona and create opporunities to move forward.
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Penny Endorsed over Huppenthal by Chandler Chamber of Commerce
Thursday, June 24th, 2010Penny Endorsed by Chandler Chamber, Art Hamilton, CWA, AFT, AFSCME
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information Contact:
Pam Duty
(602) 549-7040
info@pennykotterman.com
Penny Kotterman Endorsed by Chandler Chamber, former State Rep. Art Hamilton, Communications Workers of America, American Federation of Teachers, and AFSCME AZ
PHOENIX (June 24, 2010)– Penny Kotterman, Democratic candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced today that she has received the endorsement of The Chandler Chamber of Commerce, Communications Workers of America Local 7000, The American Federation of Teachers, and the AFSCME Arizona PEOPLE Conference in her bid for the state’s top education post.
“I am honored to have the support of Mr. Hamilton, the chamber, my fellow teachers at the federation, and the working families of Arizona’s state employees and the communications workers,” Kotterman said. “These endorsements represent the broad-based nature of our movement for high standards and high expectations in Arizona. Together, we will build a public education system that creates opportunity and serves as the centerpiece of our state’s economic engine.”
The Chandler Chamber chose to endorse Kotterman over the presumptive Republican nominee, State Sen. John Huppenthal (R-Chandler), despite his prior service on the city council and long-time residence in the city. The nod from the chamber despite those deep community ties demonstrates Kotterman’s broad appeal to both the business community and traditional education advocates.
Art Hamilton, founder of the Art Hamilton Group, served in the Arizona House of Representatives for 26 years, 18 of which were spent as the Democratic leader, and he is widely regarded as one of the best and most effective legislators in Arizona’s recent history.
“Penny Kotterman is a great educator with the experience to lead our public schools into the next decade,” Hamilton said. “Penny understands the diverse nature of our state, and shares my view that an outstanding public education is the key that opens the door to opportunity. I am confident that she will work as I have to ensure that Arizona’s public school system serves all of Arizona’s students in an equitable manner, so that each may share in that opportunity.”
The Communications Workers of America represents over 700,000 public and private sector employees nationwide. Local 7000 represents employees in the Cities of Tucson and Nogales, the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind, and some employees of the Tucson Unified School District.
The American Federation of Teachers is the second-largest education organization in the country, encompassing 3,000 local associations and more than 1.5 million educators and staff nationwide.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees represents the families of government workers nationwide, including the majority of Arizona’s 30,000-plus employees.
These groups join 14 other community organizations representing working families in Arizona in endorsing Penny Kotterman, and Mr. Hamilton joins 19 other current or former elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.
Penny Kotterman is a 30-year career teacher, parent, and teacher mentor running for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Her campaign is a movement built on the idea that high standards and high expectations are a must for returning Arizona’s public school system to its rightful place as the state’s primary economic engine and the center of its communities. For more information, visit www.pennykotterman.com.
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Harry Mitchell Endorses Penny
Monday, May 17th, 2010This morning, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell announced that he is supporting Penny for Superintendent of Public Instruction. We welcome the Congressman’s support as we continue to make high standards and high expectations a reality in Arizona. The full text of the press release is below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Representative Harry Mitchell Endorses Penny Kotterman for Superintendent of Public Instruction
TEMPE (May 17, 2010) - U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) today announced his support for Penny Kotterman’s campaign for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction. Mitchell, elected to serve Arizona’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, represents much of the Northeast Valley, including Tempe, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and portions of Mesa and Chandler.
For 28 years, Mitchell taught American government and economics at Tempe High School, the same high school he graduated from. He also served as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Arizona State University. Prior to his election to Congress, Mitchell served as a longtime mayor of Tempe and in the Arizona State Senate representing Tempe, South Scottsdale and Ahwatukee.
“As a former teacher, I know how important and valuable it is to have a classroom teacher lead education efforts in Arizona,” Mitchell said. “Penny is the only candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction with the experience, leadership, and local roots needed to be an effective advocate for our children and grandchildren. While the Arizona legislature continues to propose education cuts to balance their budget, Penny understands that investments in education translate into a more prepared, competitive workforce that can provide for a sustainable economic future critically needed in Arizona. Penny offers a better future for our kids.”
Penny has been working tirelessly across the state to promote her message of high standards and high expectations for all students, teachers, parents, and schools. Mitchell joins other elected officials, former teachers and education advocacy groups in endorsing the Kotterman campaign.
“I am honored to have received Harry’s endorsement,” Kotterman said. “Harry is a true friend to education in Arizona and has admirably represented the values of Arizonans in our nation’s Capitol. I have no doubt his training and experience as a public school teacher have served him well. Patience is certainly a virtue in Congress, and it is learned in the classroom.”
Most recently, Kotterman was the Associate Director for New Policy and Programs at the Arizona K-12 Center, where she created and managed professional development for educators statewide. She arrived there after six years as president of the Arizona Education Association and a classroom teaching career spanning nearly two decades. She is truly a lifelong teacher, parent, teacher trainer, and teacher mentor. Visit www.pennykotterman.com for more information.
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U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva Endorses Penny
Friday, March 5th, 2010
PHOENIX (Mar. 5, 2010) —Today Penny Kotterman landed her first Congressional endorsement in her campaign for State Superintendent of Public Instruction from Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.). Rep. Grijalva was elected to office in 2002 and serves Arizona’s seventh district, representing parts of Tucson, Phoenix, and Yuma.
“Penny understands our state’s unique education needs as few people do, and she deserves our support,” Grijalva said in his endorsement. “Managing a tight budget while giving Arizona’s children the quality education they need isn’t an easy job, and we need someone with Penny’s energy and ideas to do it right. As a long-time education activist, I know the right person for students and teachers when I meet her, and Penny is the right person for Arizona.”
Kotterman has been traveling across Arizona, changing the conversation about public education and promoting high standards and high expectations for students, teachers, parents, and schools. Rep. Grijalva joins EMILY’s List, The Women’s Campaign Fund, Arizona List, the Arizona Education Association, and United Food & Commercial Workers Local 99 in supporting Kotterman’s campaign.
“I welcome and feel honored to have received the congressman’s endorsement,” said Kotterman. “Raul Grijalva is not only a great leader in Washington, but also in Southern Arizona where he has been so active in supporting our public schools.”
Most recently, Kotterman was the associate director of new programs and Policy at the K-12 Center, where she created and managed professional development programs for educators statewide. She is a parent and a lifelong teacher, mentor, and teacher trainer, and served as president of the Arizona Education Association for six years. Visit www.pennykotterman.com for more information.
EMILY’S List Endorses Penny!
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010We are pleased to announce that Emily’s List, the organization devoted to helping progressive women run for and win office, has endorsed Penny’s campaign for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Jonathan Parker, EMILY’S List Political Director, had this to say about Penny:
“With over 30 years in education, Penny Kotterman is clearly the best choice for Superintendent of Public Instruction,” said Parker. “As President of the Arizona Education Association for six years, she worked with Governors Janet Napolitano and Jane Hull to build the policies that are central to education in Arizona today, including AZ Learns, Arizona’s school accountability system. Penny’s accomplishments and experience in education clearly set her apart from her opponents.”
We are very excited that Penny is able to carry the EMILY’s List endorsement and represent not only the interests of children in Arizona, but help advance the cause of women in politics as well. The full press release can be found here.
The new year brings with it a new set of goals. Help us continue to build momentum for the campaign by donating today!
ASU wins Territorial Cup Challenge!
Friday, November 27th, 2009Despite a strong push by Wildcat fans down the stretch, ASU held on to emerge victorious. For those who care to see, pictures will be posted on Sunday morning. No matter who you are supporting tomorrow, thanks for contributing to the campaign. After tomorrow’s game, we will all be back to the business of remaking Arizona’s public school system TOGETHER. Remember, even though the challenge has concluded, it’s never too late to donate. Thank you for being a part of this effort!
Stimulus Funds Save Thousands of Jobs; Large Amounts Still Unused
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Nearly seven thousand Arizona education jobs have been saved or created so far by the federal government’s stimulus package, but less than five percent of some funds available to schools have been utilized, according to a draft report from the U.S. Department of Education.
The report indicates that funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) helped preserve 6,977 education jobs, and that without the stimulus, funding for education in FY2010, the current fiscal year, would be $4.9 billion, compared with $5.4 billion in FY2008. However, with the stimulus funding, education funding is $5.3 billion. A loss of $100 million is hardly cause for celebration, and is likely due to reductions in the base level that were made permanent in the FY2010 budget. However, these numbers serve to illustrate the point that absent the stimulus funding, education in Arizona would be in a much worse position than it is currently. This serves as a reminder that a very very steep cliff is coming when the stimulus money runs out. Advocates for public education at all levels will play a key role in protecting our entire education system, from preschool all the way through college, by letting policymakers know that our vision for a prosperous Arizona includes a robust school system.
Another interesting detail from the report has to do with Title I funding for economically disadvantaged students and IDEA-B funding for special needs students. Arizona was awarded a total of $195 million in additional Title I funding, but statewide, only $7.8 million has been drawn down. Arizona received $178.5 million in IDEA-B funding, but only $8.7 million, or less than 5 percent, has been drawn down. If school districts don’t have the information they need to utilize this funding, the state department of education should be actively coaching districts on how to take advantage of it. Enabling local school districts to make maximum use of available funds, be they federal or otherwise, is a key responsibility of state education agencies. When less than four or five percent of the total allocations have been used, something is not working right.
Economic Opportunity Starts with High School
Monday, October 5th, 2009A recent report from the U.S. Department’s Institute of Education Statistics (IES) shows that Arizona still has a relatively high dropout rate for high school students, a fact that is costing the state and the students economically. According to the most recently available data, Arizona’s current “event dropout rate” is 7.6 percent, almost twice that of the national rate for the same period. Arizona is one of only five states with an event dropout rate of over six percent. The others are Nevada, 7.7 percent; Colorado, 7.8 percent; Alaska, 8.0 percent; and Louisiana, 8.4 percent. The event dropout rate measures the percentage of students who left high school between the beginning of one school year and the beginning of the next without obtaining a high school diploma or GED. In its report High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2007, the department of education adds data for the 2005-2006 school year for all states to its compendium of data that reaches back to 1972. Nationwide, high school dropout rates have trended downward significantly since then, including in Arizona. However, Arizona remains relatively higher than than most other states. In 1993-94, the dropout rate was 13.7 percent, and continued to decrease for several years, reaching 8.4 percent in 1998-99 before increasing again in 2000-2001. It reached a low of 6.2 percent in 2004-2005 before coming back up to its most recently documented level of 7.6 percent in 2005-2006. These data are taken from the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) common core of data.
Another significant measure included in the study is the four-year completion rate, which measures what percentage of students who enter public high schools in a given year complete it with a diploma or GED within four years. In school year 2002-2003, Arizona had an estimated 76,747 ninth graders. Four years later, it issued 54,091 diplomas, for a completion rate of 70.5 percent. That doesn’t sound bad, until you consider that the 29.5 percent that didn’t graduate represent 22,656 students. Consider also that the median annual income of a person who completes only high school is roughly $16,000 higher than a person who does not, and you see that by not graduating those 22,656 students, Arizona has lost out on about $362 million each year that those students work before finishing school or earning a GED, if in fact they ever do. This number does not take into account the added earnings of a person who completes high school and then goes on to a college, university, or trade school.
Encouraging innovative approaches to improve high school graduation rates in Arizona, especially among lower-income and non-white students, is a key focus of the High Standards and High Expectations the campaign is trying to bring to the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. If you have stories about interesting approaches you would like to share, please feel free to email them to blog@pennykotterman.com, or share them in the comments. If you want to get involved in making higher-quality public education a reality for Arizona’s children, you can volunteer or donate right now.
Welcome To PennyKotterman.com
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009Welcome to pennykotterman.com, Penny’s new home on the web. This website will allow you to keep up to date on what’s going on with the campaign as Penny travels around the state promoting high standards and high expectations for Arizona’s schools. The site is full of information about Penny’s background and experience, as well as why we believe that Penny is the best candidate to lead Arizona’s public education system. You can also find out how you can take action to start helping Penny today!
We’ll also be highlighting issues from the campaign trail and keeping tabs on issues that are important in public education today. Be sure to check back often, or subscribe to our feed in your favorite RSS reader so you never miss a post!
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