Statement from Dr. Sybil Francis, CFA President & CEO

The Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) is grateful for Governor Doug Ducey’s $2 million investment to expand the Arizona Personalized Learning Network, helping teachers and school leaders personalize learning to meet the needs of every student and transform public school systems to be learner-centered. The investment will be allocated through recent federal COVID-19 relief funding and is part of Governor Ducey’s targeted investment of $64.9 million in state and federal funding to expand learning programs in Arizona.

The pandemic has highlighted the shortcomings of a traditional one-size-fits-all model of education. This past year, educators all across Arizona took great steps to re-imagine education to better meet the needs of students and their families. With this funding, the Arizona Personalized Learning Network will provide even more public schools with the necessary supports and training they need to build on this work and to create effective student focused, personalized learning environments that prepare every child to succeed and thrive in a world that is rapidly changing. This continues the momentum towards learner-centered education with the recent passage of H.B. 2862, which provides public schools with instructional and seat-time flexibilities.

We know from our recent Gallup Arizona Survey that 75 percent of Arizonans want schools to be able to tailor learning to each child. Now is the time for Arizona to embrace flexibility and innovation in education in order to create more excellent and equitable outcomes for all Arizona students. Governor Ducey’s investment will help more Arizona schools fully redesign education around the individual needs of students.

To date, the Arizona Personalized Learning Network has trained and supported more than 150 public school leaders and educators, impacting more than 85,000 students. Current partners include Mesa Public Schools, Amphitheater Public Schools, Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35, Yuma Union High School District, and KnowledgeWorks.

The Arizona Personalized Learning Network builds on CFA’s decade of work with policymakers, public schools, and communities to further learner-centered education in order to close achievement and opportunity gaps, increase educational attainment, and prepare a highly-skilled workforce. CFA looks forward to deepening and expanding this critical work across Arizona to create a stronger and brighter future for our state.

Sybil Francis, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Center for the Future of Arizona