Rocio Hernandez/KJZZ

Gov. Doug Ducey (right) has a roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos at the Phoenix International Academy on Oct. 15, 2020.

The Governor's Office is allocating an additional $500,000 in microgrants to support innovative education programs in traditional school districts, charters and new micro school groups, Gov. Ducey announced Thursday following a roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos at the Phoenix International Academy charter schools. 

“These microgrants are all about supporting the most creative ideas and keep our kids learning no matter what challenges or obstacles are in their way," Ducey said. 

Rocio Hernandez/KJZZ

Gov. Doug Ducey and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visited the Phoenix International Academy.

This money is in addition to $1 million that was put toward innovative education programs in June. Phoenix International Academy was one of the recipients of the first round of grants. One of its innovations is competency-based learning, said Ivette Rodriguez, the school's executive director. 

“If you were here in the morning, you would see a lot of student movement, a lot of students getting exactly what they need and not a lot of time of students’ staying at a lesson that they don’t need either because they are not ready for it or because they already mastered it," she said. 

The grants will be distributed by the A for Arizona nonprofit group, which also did so for the first round.