Christine Accurso Archives - The Arizona Sun Times

New Department of Education Officials Face Massive Backlog of ESA Requests From Previous Administration

January 24, 2023January 23, 2023 Neil Jones

As a new administration takes over operations for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), led by Superintendent Tom Horne (R), it appears they are swamped with a massive backlog of Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) requests leftover by the former administration of Kathy Hoffman (D). Christine Accurso, an advocate for ESAs, is now the program’s executive director and is shacking up how the office tackles requests to deal with the backlog. “Our team is processing expense requests in sections, by category so that we can get through them efficiently and effectively. In the past the requests were processed in the order they were received. We are working on new processes to use going forward, as we work through the backlog,” Accurso said in a statement emailed to The Arizona Sun Times.

Kari Lake Blasts Katie Hobbs for Taking a Week to Reject a Referendum as Arizona’s Universal ESA Law Is Now Set to Go into Effect

October 1, 2022September 30, 2022 Neil Jones

Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake blasted her Democrat opponent, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, for taking a week to reject a referendum to stop Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account law from going into effect, despite evidence already showing the motion failed.

“It is shameful that Katie Hobbs aligned herself with the radical unions’ effort to permanently trap Arizona’s kids in failing schools, then hung Arizona’s parents out to dry for a week by suspending the school choice program despite overwhelming evidence the referendum failed to get enough signatures,” Lake said in a statement to the Arizona Sun Times. “Katie Hobbs is on the side of corrupt, bloated school bureaucracies, but I will never stop fighting to give Arizona’s parents more choice in their children’s schools and more control over their children’s education.”

Arizona Parents Declare Hope for Universal ESAs as Save Our Schools Arizona Petition Numbers Come in Under Initial Estimate

September 27, 2022September 26, 2022 Neil Jones

An Arizona mother and leader of the “Decline to Sign Arizona” movement, Christine Accurso, shared that there is hope for Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) law as Save Our Schools Arizona (SOSAZ) may not have submitted enough valid signatures to pause the law from going into effect.

“ESA’s for all coming soon! As we patiently await the official word from the Secretary of State’s office, Arizona parents declare the victory over this battle. The 88,866 signatures that were submitted are well below the minimum of 118,832,” tweeted Accurso.

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28