Putting Kids First: Day of Action for Education in Arizona

I’m writing today to ask you to join me on March 10, 2010 for a statewide day of action. Putting Kids First: Day of Action for Jason Williams will focus on the direction we need to take education in our state.

Sign up today for the day of action. Contact Donna Gratehouse at donna@WilliamsForArizona.com to register your event.

As I’ve traveled across Arizona, I’ve met so many people who share my belief that education must be the top priority for Arizona. Unfortunately, lawmakers have been unwilling to invest what is necessary to support our students, teachers and schools, balancing the state budget on the backs of kids instead.

Having taught and worked in some of our toughest schools, I’m ready to face the challenges to education in our state head on. With your help, I will work to make education the top priority in Arizona once again and restore the promise of a prominent future to our kids.

Please join me on March 10th for Putting Kids First: Day of Action for Jason Williams. To qualify for clean elections funding, I need your help to collect $5 clean elections qualifying contributions from registered voters in Arizona.

On this statewide day of action, I ask that you and others from across Arizona host a house party to ask your friends, family and neighbors to support my campaign. I will link to all of the parties via conference call. All you have to do is invite some friends over for a small social gathering, collect $5 contributions from each of them and dial into the call to hear my live address.

Sign up today to host your event for Putting Kids First: Day of Action for Jason Williams. Please contact Donna Gratehouse at donna@WilliamsForArizona.com to register your event, and, together, let’s put Arizona’s kids first.

Teach For America awarded $2 million in stimulus funds to expand program in Arizona

Below is a press release we just sent out regarding Governor Brewer's decision to grant $2 million in stimulus funds to Teach For America:

Jason Williams applauds Governor Brewer’s $2 million award of stimulus funds to Teach For America program

Phoenix, Ariz. – Jason Williams, one of the leading candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, congratulated Teach For America today when Governor Jan Brewer announced during a presentation at Excelencia School in east Phoenix that she would be awarding $2 million in stimulus funds to help support and expand the presence of Teach For America in Arizona. Williams, a former Teach For America corps member, served as Executive Director of the Phoenix region from 2000-2005, and continues to support the program today.

“I am pleased to see that despite budget constraints, people from both sides of the aisle can come together to support Teach For America, an innovative program with a proven track record of success for our kids,” said Williams.

During his tenure at Teach For America, Williams oversaw several successes of the organization. Under Williams’ leadership, local funding for the program doubled, teacher placements increased 150%, and the number of schools and districts partnering with Teach For America increased 100%. In addition, the Phoenix program went from Teach For America’s lowest to its highest performing region in the United States.

“I am proud to have played a significant role in building Teach For America’s presence in Arizona. I look forward to celebrating their future successes as they continue to have a positive impact on education in Arizona,” said Williams.

Just two weeks ago, Williams also congratulated the new partnership between Teach For America and Arizona State University’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership. Through this new program, Arizona State University will adapt Teach For America’s most successful tools in order to attract, prepare, support and retain more highly effective teachers, something Williams has said he would make a top priority as Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Williams joined Teach For America after completing his undergraduate degree at Boston College.

“I recall the impact my teachers had on my life, and I wanted to provide students the same opportunity for an excellent education that I had growing up,” Williams said regarding his reasons for starting his career in education as a 6th grade Math and Science teacher in Oakland. “Teach For America offered me that chance.”

For more information about Jason Williams, visit www.WilliamsForArizona.com.

No more broken promises

It has been a little over a month since we ushered in the New Year with a sense of hope and determination to make things better, especially for our students. Unfortunately, with the way things are going at the state Capitol, it seems Arizona is already being driven in the wrong direction in 2010. Our latest video pokes fun at this reality while driving home the point that things must change by year end. I hope you’ll pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues.

The truth is… providing all Arizona children with a quality public education is going to take a serious commitment. That commitment must start with serious leadership at the Arizona Department of Education. I will make that commitment as our next Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Please join me in working to make public education a top priority in Arizona. Visit my website at www.WilliamsForArizona.com to make a $5 Clean Elections Qualifying Contribution and learn how you can get involved in my campaign.

You can watch the video below, or visit my youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/williamsforarizona watch this and other videos featuring Senator Status Quo and me.

Introduction

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for following my new blog. As a candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, I will use this forum to keep you informed about my campaign. You can expect regular updates on the campaign, as well as my thoughts on pertinent issues.

In this first blog, I'd like to welcome you to the campaign. I hope you'll take this opportunity to visit my website at http://www.WilliamsforArizona.com to find out more about my candidacy and how you can get involved.

For now and until the next post, here is some information on my background:

Jason Williams is a former public school teacher and Executive Director of Teach For America. He received his BA in Political Science from Boston College. After graduating, Jason joined Teach For America and taught 6^th grade Math and Science in East Oakland. In 1999, he was nominated for California’s Middle School Teacher of the Year Award. He was also elected to the California Teachers' Association State Council of Education, where he assisted in drafting legislation to address issues of educational disparity.

From 2000 - 2005, Jason Williams served as Executive Director of Teach For America in Phoenix. During his tenure, local funding for the program doubled, teacher placements increased 150%, and the number of schools and districts partnering with TFA increased 100%. In addition, the Phoenix program went from TFA's lowest to its highest performing region in the U.S.

In 2006, Jason Williams secured the Democratic Party nomination for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction with a majority of votes in 14 of 15 counties. In the general election, he received more votes than any other non-incumbent Democrat in the closest of all the statewide races.

Jason Williams continues his fight for educational equity across Arizona as the Managing Partner of BlueDynamic, Founder of AZ School Works, a faculty member for Arizona State University’s Beat the Odds Institute Parent Liaison Academy, and as a member of several Boards and Committees.