(Phoenix, Ariz. – Aug. 7, 2007) Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Miles today denied the request for a preliminary injunction that would have prohibited the State of Arizona from requiring Arizona charter schools to incorporate the State’s social studies standards by grade-level into charter schools curriculum.
The issue at question is whether the Arizona State Board of Education has the authority to require curriculum alignment to the State’s academic standards by all schools, including charter schools.
“In this case, the fact that the State intended to impose grade-level requirements related to social studies commencing with the 2007-2008 school year has been known to the Plaintiffs for more than two years,” Miles said in his order denying the injunction.
“Plaintiffs did not take the opportunities provided by the Defendants to comment on or seek changes to the proposed requirements, nor did they seek this Court’s intervention until less than two months before the requirements would take effect.”
Assistant Attorneys General Susan P. Segal and Chad Sampson are handling this case. A copy of the order is attached.