Arizona Leverages Federal Funding to Further Accelerate K-12 Education Innovation

A for Arizona CEO and Founder Emily Anne Gullickson released the following statement regarding the recent federal COVID-19 relief funding announcement by Governor Doug Ducey which provides $237.9 million to support students and families hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerate K-12 education innovation, and scale high-quality programs throughout the state:

“We are thrilled to see Governor Ducey further support and accelerate the A for Arizona Expansion & Innovation Fund by investing $6 million additional federal dollars to this critical work. These new grant awards will empower more edupreneurs statewide to act quickly to meet increasing parent demand and help more students access high-quality classrooms and learning options over the next two years.

“We are also grateful to see an additional $2 million to the Center for the Future of Arizona’s Personalized Learning Network. As more school leaders seek ways to implement recently enacted instructional and seat-time flexibilities, these monies are critical to ensure public school leaders pursuing mastery-based learning models receive the necessary supports and training they need to be successful.

The A for Arizona Expansion & Innovation Fund is a proven model for awarding seed funding to innovative solutions and expanding high-quality models to address the pressing needs of local communities. Arizona’s school system is filled with entrepreneurial educators who need a dedicated funding source to launch or scale promising practices that meet the needs of Arizona students now. With the recent passage of H.B. 2862, public schools have never had this much flexibility and opportunity to rethink education, and what works best for Arizona students.

Learn more about the A for Arizona Expansion & Innovation Fund here.