Category Archives: Education Policy

The Failure of Ideologically-Driven Public Policies: Minnesota vs. Arizona — Podcast January 11, 2016

Red States and Blue States: Ideology vs. Service to the People. Democratic Perspective looks at why the ideological preoccupations of the Republican right have proven so disastrous for the people who live in red states. Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster compare unemployment, wealth distribution, health … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-Federalism, Arizona Budget, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Democratic Governance, Economic Policy, Education Policy, Federal Lands, Government, Income Inequality, Jobs and Employment, Movement Conservatism, Podcasts, Political Theory, Private Prisons, Public Education, Public Lands, Public Policy, Special Interest Legislation, States' Rights, Tax Law, Taxation, Unemployment, Women's Rights | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Failure of Ideologically-Driven Public Policies: Minnesota vs. Arizona — Podcast January 11, 2016

Jan Nichols Interview — Podcast September 21, 2015

Feeding at the Public Trough: The Sleazy Economics of Charter School Scams and Ripoffs. Jan Nichols, Arizona native, retired Phoenix teacher, and education activist, joins Democratic Perspective hosts Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster for a discussion of charter school funding abuses — discover how … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Corruption, Education, Education Policy, Interviews, Podcasts, Privatization, Public Education, Special Interest Legislation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Jan Nichols Interview — Podcast September 21, 2015

Matt Capalby Interview — Podcast August 24, 2015

Arizona: the State of the State, the State of State Politics. Democratic Perspective’s intrepid investigative staff interviews Matt Capalby — Kingman native, Arizona Democratic Party stalwart, and highly regarded political consultant — about the state of play in Arizona politics as the 2016 race … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Dark Money, Education Policy, Elections, Energy Policy, Environmental Issues, Immigration, Income Inequality, Interviews, Jobs and Employment, Journalism, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Local Politics, Mass Media, Media Campaigns, Podcasts, Polling, Public Education, Public Lands, Taxation, Water Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Matt Capalby Interview — Podcast August 24, 2015

Katie Hobbs Interview — Podcast July 20, 2015

Frustrated with an Unresponsive Government? How About Running for Office? Democratic Perspective interviews Arizona State Senator Katie Hobbs (Dem., 24th District). What happens when a social worker realizes that the needs of her clients are being ill-served by local and state … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Child Protection, Democratic Governance, Demographic Trends, Education Policy, Elections, Health Care Delivery, Health Insurance, Interviews, Podcasts, Social Services, Social Work, Taxation, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Katie Hobbs Interview — Podcast July 20, 2015

The State of Public Education in Arizona: It’s Getting Worse — Podcast June 8, 2015

Not-So-Great Expectations: Arizona Is Now Dead Last in Per-Pupil Education Spending.  Democratic Perspective  talks to Jim Ledbetter, Verde Valley Attorney and Past President of the Mingus Union High School District Governing Board and Ann Shaw, District Director of the New Visions Academy charter … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Budget, Arizona Politics, Education, Education Policy, Housekeeping, Interviews, Podcasts, Public Education, Public Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The State of Public Education in Arizona: It’s Getting Worse — Podcast June 8, 2015

Yavapai College Update — Podcast June 1, 2015

Putting the Community Back in Our Community College:  Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster welcome Bob Oliphant and Ruth Wicks to bring our audience up-to-date on the latest news from the Verde Valley Community College Citizen Advocates push for home rule — a separate administrative district for the … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Education Policy, Interviews, Local Politics, Podcasts, Public Education | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yavapai College Update — Podcast June 1, 2015

Alessandra Soler Meetze Interview — Podcast April 20, 2015

The ACLU in Arizona, 2014/15: Some Good News for a Change. Democratic Perspective’s Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson discuss some recent civil liberties litigation victories with Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the ACLU for Arizona. Dreamers got their driver’s licenses, Joe Arpaio was enjoined from … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-Gay Discrimination, Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Civil Rights, Constitutional Issues, Corrections Policy, Education Policy, Immigration, Interviews, Justice System, Law Enforcement, Penology, Podcasts, Policing, Private Prisons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Alessandra Soler Meetze Interview — Podcast April 20, 2015

The Arizona Legislative Lunacy Report: Spring 2015 Edition — Podcast April 30, 2015

The March of Ideology and Incompetence Continues in Phoenix: Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster take a detailed look at the Arizona Republic’s recently published docket of bills pending in the Legislature. Listen as our intrepid analysts subject the moderately acceptable, the irredeemably awful, and the crazy ugly to the test … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-Federalism, Arizona Budget, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Budget Negotiations, Campaign Finance, Child Protection, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Corporate Welfare, Corruption, Dark Money, Education, Education Policy, Elections, Federal Lands, Firearms Legislation, Fiscal Policy, Gun Control, Immigration, Industrial Policy, Nullification, Podcasts, Political Contributions, Public Education, Regulatory Agencies, Special Interest Legislation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Arizona Legislative Lunacy Report: Spring 2015 Edition — Podcast April 30, 2015

The Confederate State of Arizona — Podcast March 16, 2015

The Payback for Dark Money in Arizona: More Corporate Tax Cuts, Continued Defunding of Public Education, and Yahoo! a Secessionist Republican Legislature. Gary LaMaster and Steve Williamson dissect the results of the 2014 election in Arizona: a seemingly endless stream of bills from both houses of … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Budget, Arizona Economy, Arizona Politics, Budget Negotiations, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Constitutional Issues, Dark Money, Education, Education Policy, Housekeeping, Jobs and Employment, Podcasts, Political Contributions, Privatization, Public Education | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Confederate State of Arizona — Podcast March 16, 2015

Yavapai College Update — Podcast January 26, 2015

The Yavapai College Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan a Year Later: Have the Verde Valley’s Concerns Had Any Impact? Mike Cosentino and Gary LaMaster welcome Bob Oliphant and Ruth Wicks back to discuss recent developments in the struggle over local autonomy in … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Education Policy, Interviews, Local Politics, Podcasts, Public Education | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yavapai College Update — Podcast January 26, 2015