Our very own Yolanda McCarty and Heidi Stillman were on hand to help celebrate 25 years of Charter School success at the Arizona Biltmore gala on Oct 10th.
It was an exciting and impactful evening – Lisa Graham Keegan was honored for her many years of service to the families in Arizona by Governor Doug Ducey. Jake Logan with the Arizona Charter School Association and Kathy Hoffman, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction were on hand with a clear message – “All Arizona families deserve choice, regardless of zip code or income.” Charter schools have played a tremendous role in Arizona over the past 25 years, guaranteeing that choice. In the process they have raised the bar, creating the best possible educational product through innovative and specialized offerings.
But it was Andre Agassi’s emotional story that served to drive home the point that evening. An unrelenting Charter School advocate, this former world class tennis champion dropped out of school after the 8th grade, but later set out to build a K-12 public charter school system in the most disadvantaged areas of his hometown. He has certainly helped change the trajectory of many students in low income neighborhoods through his work. From his early efforts in 1997, Andre’s mantra was simple:
“If you provide children with tools to change their future, they will not fail.”
CIC would like to recognize the leaders, teachers, and supporters in all Arizona schools who share this common goal and vision.
