ABSTRACT
The author represents the 20th legislative district in the Arizona state senate since 1995. Arizona has acquired quite a reputation for its charter school movement. Often proponents tout the state as having the strongest charter school legislation in the country. However, critics point out loopholes the size of the Grand Canyon and an increasing number of problems that plague these schools. The author proposes three solutions: restrict the number of new charter schools, make them more accountable, and increase parental rights, including the right to have accurate and timely information. The legislation allowed charters to exist for five years and then to be renewed for seven years at a time. The Arizona Supreme Court decided in 1994 that system for funding the capital needs of schools was not "general and uniform" as required by our state constitution, because it relied almost solely on property taxes that varied dramatically from district to district.
