The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools has opened the public comment period for

the proposed rule changes, which add the annual submission of the Compliance Statement of Assurance and remove two requirements under A.A.C. R7-5-501(C).

The Compliance Statement of Assurance serves as a compliance check for all charter holders authorized by the Board. The Board approved the use of the Compliance Statement of Assurance (“Compliance Statement”) to assist in communicating to charter holders the compliance expectations and requirements to which each charter holder must adhere. The Compliance Statement contains a list of the contractual and legal requirements applicable to charter holders and the operation of charter schools.

Arizona Revised Statute § 15-182(E)(1) requires the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (“ASBCS” or the “Board”) to exercise general supervision over the charter schools it sponsors. Pursuant to Arizona law, charter holders are required to comply with all provisions of its charter, other contractual agreements with the Board, and federal, state and local law. A.R.S. §15-183; A.A.C. R7-5-501(A)(1).

Board staff is recommending the addition of the annual submission of the Compliance Statement of Assurance to A.A.C. R7-5-501 for Board consideration.

Additionally, Board staff is recommending the removal of two submission requirements that Charter Holders must report to the Board under A.A.C. R7-5-501(C) for Board consideration. The changes are outlined below. 

In accordance with the Board’s Procedures for Rule and Policy Adoption, the Board has posted the draft rules for the first opportunity for public comment on our website.

The public comment window will be open July 6, 2022 – July 26, 2022.

Please submit your feedback in writing to the Board during the public comment window using one of the following options:

1. Written comments may be emailed to charterschoolboard@asbcs.az.gov.
2. Written comments may be mailed to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, P.O. Box 18328, Phoenix, AZ 85005.
3. Written comments may be delivered to the Board office located at 1616 W. Adams St., Suite 170, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

For all responses, please provide the following information:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Mailing address (optional)
• Organization (optional)

All public comment received by July 26, 2022 will be presented to the Board and members of the public will have an additional opportunity to provide comment to the Board at the meeting during which the Board considers the proposed changes to Board rules.

Prior to hiring both certified and non-certified educators, schools are required to check the Arizona Department of Education’s (ADE) public-facing and internal systems for possible discipline or open investigations for immoral or unprofessional conduct.

To assist schools, the Board is providing a list of many of the educators who were disciplined at the most recent meeting. Please note that this information is only a snapshot of most educators who were disciplined at the most recent Board meeting and does not, in and of itself, satisfy the requirement for schools to check ADE’s systems described above prior to hiring. Because educators have the right to appeal their disciplinary action, there may be an approximately 30-day lag in reporting some disciplinary action. To view the list please use the link below:

Last week the Office of Digital Teaching and Learning released an “Interest Form” inviting Arizona Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to share their thoughts on participating in a group effort to drive cost savings through the Arizona Cooperative Program.

We wanted to follow up with additional information and answer a few questions. 

1. The Cooperative Purchasing Program mentioned in the “Interest Form” communication is the existing Arizona Cooperative Program administered by the State Procurement Office. 
2. This “Interest Form” aims to gauge Local Education Agencies’ interest in working together to leverage the existing State of Arizona “Computer Hardware and Support” Contracts. This initiative will aim to combine the purchasing volume of Arizona LEAs to drive down costs for computers and related services. 
3. The State’s Cooperative Program is open to school districts, charter schools, community colleges and other non-profit educational institutions. Members also include non-profit organizations and other Political subdivisions. 

Help us make sure that the needs of local education agencies are well represented in the State Cooperative Program. The more participation, the better! 

Preview the full Interest Form as a PDF, here. This will take about 15 minutes to complete. Best suited for IT Procurement staff at your school/district. 

Questions? Please reach out to us! odtl@azed.gov or 602-364-2212.

Reminders

Phone Number Changes

ASBCS staff phone numbers have changed- find the updated list here. Please use the updated list to find the proper contact information for staff.

Next Regular Board Meeting

Date: Monday, August 8, 2022

Time: 9:00 AM

Location: Virtual