Officials at Payson High School in Gila County say they have some regrets about requiring female students to attend an assembly last month that featured a guest speaker who espoused abstinence. Taxpayers may have some regrets, too: The Payson Unified School District used taxpayer money to pay for the abstinence…
A report published this past week has found that public schools in Arizona with high Latino populations have less funding and face greater challenges compared to schools that have lower proportions of Latino students. Released October 6, State of Latino Arizona 2016 finds that schools with large percentages of Latino students generally…
More than 1,100 Maricopa County educators could get a salary bump next year thanks to a $60 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant, secured by the Maricopa County Education Service Agency, was one of 13 awarded nationwide as part of a federal program to improve teacher…
The 2016 edition of New Times’ Best of Phoenix is out now, featuring a series of “as told to” profiles that explore how our city’s proximity to Mexico makes it better. It’s been more than 20 years since I moved from Los Angeles to become the head of the MFA…
When track star Will Claye first tried the triple jump at Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee his freshman year, his coach, Larry Todd, told him he was too good. “He was like, ‘Oh yeah. You got it. You’ve almost got it down too well, too early,'” Claye recalls. “‘You’re…
A Chinese Arizona State University student took video and pictures of at least six women using the toilet at ASU on Monday night, police say. His female victims struck back, though, stopping him after he came out of the restroom, taking his phone and holding him at the scene until…
Sports team mascots are more than warm bodies inside furry costumes. They’re athletic, outgoing, comedic, and highly competitive characters who do things like leap through flaming hoops, allow strange children to pull their tails, and shoot stuff out of cannons. Their over-the-top aesthetic and stunts form the basis for comedy…
The 2,700 revelers who attended Arizona State University’s most recent staff barbecue cast aside more than 580 pounds of soda bottles, plastic cutlery, leftover food, and other assorted trash. But less than .03 percent of that, or what Mick Dalrymple, ASU’s director of sustainability practices, describes as “about half a bag,” was actually…
As Arizona aspires to become a leader in the nation’s tech industry, a new school in Phoenix is set to help students from low-income families gain the skills they’ll need to take advantage of an emerging industry. The Phoenix Coding Academy is focused on computer coding and technology. Located just…
Beginning September 5, Tempe will offer a rebate of up to $300 to residents who build and stock tiny libraries on their property. Mini libraries, most of which are registered with the nonprofit group Little Free Library, are publicly accessible containers of books that are available for anyone to borrow…
The only way Mesa residents will see their police department receive a sorely needed infusion of cash is to approve a sales tax in November that will also fund an Arizona State University campus in downtown Mesa. Mesa leaders and ASU president Michael Crow hope that by putting both the public-safety…
The Arizona Board of Regents has approved an Arizona State University plan to lease land for a 20-story, senior-housing project on a high-profile site in downtown Tempe. “Mirabella” is the latest plan for another mini-skyscraper in the college town east of Phoenix, which has seen a construction boom in recent…
A glowing orange fireball streaked across the night sky, brightening the Arizona landscape for a few fleeting seconds just before dawn on June 2. A week after the historic sighting — which was captured on everything from home surveillance videos to NASA apparatus to police dash cams — scientists and collectors are scrambling to secure…
Clad in a blue cap and gown, Mariam Cheshire stood before the residents of her Phoenix senior living facility to talk about earning her college degree at the age of 88. “This took me 71 years,” she says, addressing the crowd of seniors gathered in the cafeteria for a celebration. “It…
As summer gears up, no doubt, thousands of Arizona State University students are hunting for jobs hoping to bank a bit of cash to help offset next year’s tuition bill. The Cincinnati-based nonprofit Education at Work, in partnership with ASU and the online payment company PayPal, has a better idea:…
Online petitioners are demanding that a local Catholic school teacher be removed from the classroom for what they call “racist and sexist hate speech.” The petition, which has garnered more than 2,500 signatures (and counting) over the past couple of days, alleges that an instructor at Phoenix’s Xavier College Preparatory,…
Twelve Arizona college students were suckered out a total of $118,000 two years ago in an elaborate scam involving alleged con artists posing as potential employers. The real losers, though, seem to be the four men who were arrested this morning by special agents of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office…
An Arizona State University autism researcher is encouraging parents to see a controversial film alleging a connection between the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the neurological disorder — despite widespread consensus that the premise is scientifically flawed. James Adams, director of ASU’s Autism/Asperger’s Research Program initially posted an advertisement…
More than one-quarter of working-age Arizona residents attended college but didn’t finish, a new report states. The percentage of Arizona residents between the ages of 25 and 64 who went to college but didn’t complete their degree is nearly 26 percent. That’s higher than the national average of 21.5 percent,…
The Arizona Board of Regents voted to raise tuition and fees at Arizona State University. International and out-of-state undergraduate students will pay $1,000 more, bringing their annual bills up to $26,470. In-state undergraduate students will pay $10,640, which is a $200 increase over last year. Arizona Board of Regents Chair…
Students at Prescott College have agreed enthusiastically to help fund their undocumented peers’ higher educations. The majority of students attending the private school signed a petition in support of paying a $30 student fee to go into the newly created Freedom Education Fund, which will award full-ride scholarships to undocumented…
“Allahu Akbar,” called the imam at the Islamic Community Center of Tempe. “God is the greatest.” In unison, several dozen men raised both hands up to their ears, palms facing toward Mecca, the birthplace of Islam. “Audhu billahi min ashshayta nirrajeem,” he said. “I seek God’s shelter from Satan, the…
