By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
Gov. Doug Ducey said he’s open to the idea of reforms in how charter schools are operated, including how they handle their finances.
For the moment, though, he has no specific suggestions. And he remains convinced that the private schools, which in Arizona can be operated as for-profit entities, remain an “innovation.”
But others already are moving ahead.
Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, told Capitol Media Services on Tuesday she wants lawmakers to mandate that there be better oversight of the people who own and operate these private schools that get taxpayer funds.
“I am uncomfortable with the nepotism that exists on charter boards,” she said, referring to the boards that are supposed to have oversight of how the schools operate and how they spend their money. “I don’t feel those boards are necessarily independent.”
That, Brophy McGee said, is necessary for proper oversight.