Great Leaders Strong Schools announced today that Founder and President Emily Anne Gullickson has departed the organization to serve as the Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia under the Governor Youngkin Administration. Gullickson founded A for Arizona, the 501(c)3 sister organization, in 2014 with former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Graham Keegan to fulfill an acute need in the state to replicate excellence and create the policy conditions needed to rapidly expand access for students and families to attend high performing learning environments in low-income communities.

Great Leaders Strong Schools President and Founder Emily Anne Gullickson issued the following statement regarding the Governor’s FY2023 Executive Budget proposal which provides $323 million in new K-12 education investments: “We applaud Governor Ducey for his focus on real results for every Arizona student and targeting significant resources accordingly."

Great Leaders Strong Schools announced today the addition of three prominent national leaders to the Board of Directors bolstering the impact of the organization.

Great Leaders Strong Schools President and Founder Emily Anne Gullickson issued the following statement regarding the Governor’s FY2023 Executive Budget proposal which provides $323 million in new K-12 education investments: “We applaud Governor Ducey for his focus on real results for every Arizona student and targeting significant resources accordingly."

Today, a broad coalition of 70 organizations from across the country sent a letter to Congressional leadership and respective members of Congress, urging they treat all public school students equally by restoring the education funding cut in the Charter School Program fund, and eliminating language that could especially harm public school students with special needs and low-income students who attend charter schools.

Great Leaders, Strong Schools announced today that Matthew Simon will be joining the team as the Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs. Matthew, an Arizona-native and well-respected policy leader, most recently served as Congresswoman Debbie Lesko’s Chief of Staff.

"We are grateful to the Senate Education Committee for putting Arizona children first today. The package of education bills sponsored by Senator Paul Boyer will provide families with a real choice by ensuring fair and equal access to a high-quality education for all children. Some families see a perfect match with their neighborhood public school, - which is great. but for a growing number of families, the best fit for their child is in another public school. Modernizing our open enrollment process and public education transportation system is long overdue. These bills aims to make real the opportunities families are seeking through open enrollment and public charter schools. The status quo is not acceptable.

“Every child in our state has felt the resounding impact of the COVID-19 crisis as it has upended our education system throughout the state. The inequities that existed prior to the pandemic have been exacerbated and we must do everything we can to help our students accelerate forward. Innovation is no longer optional; it is the only way we can face the challenges before us. We applaud Governor Doug Ducey for his leadership in prioritizing K-12 education, empowering families, and ensuring public policy keeps pace with proven community-driven models and new ways of learning that are creating meaningful change. We look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature on policies that put Arizona students first.”