S11 Episode 4: Arizona Education Legislative Update with Chris Kotterman

Episode Notes

Note: This episode of 3Ps in a Pod was recorded before the February 21, 2022, vote by the Arizona Senate on the Aggregate Expenditure Limit. As education policy is continually in flux, especially during the legislative session, check out the resources listed below or a local news source to be the most up-to-date on education legislation and policy.

More than 230 bills related to K-12 education were introduced into the Arizona Legislature this session and, as of early February, 88 were still active, according to Chris Kotterman, Director of Governmental Relations for the Arizona School Boards Association. 

In today’s episode, hosts Donnie and Marlys talk with Kotterman about Arizona legislation and news. They begin their conversation with Kotterman explaining the Aggregate Expenditure Limit and the impact the spending limit would have on many K-12 schools across the state. Kotterman then reviews a few education-related bills that are receiving a lot of attention:

• HB 2112, a bill that speaks to what can and can not be referenced in the classroom, 
• SB 1211, a bill that has teachers post all of their learning materials and activities online ahead of the school year,
• SB 1657, a bill that expands the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program

Kotterman also shares an update on Proposition 208.

To stay up-to-date on education-related legislation, Kotterman suggests checking out the Arizona School Boards Association’s advocacy page and signing up for email updates at asbagr.substack.com.

To learn more about the Arizona K12 Center, visit azk12.org.