Arizona Department of Education Archives

Arizona Lawmakers Stand up for Education Savings Accounts as A.G. Kris Mayes Attacks the Program

May 28, 2023May 27, 2023 Neil Jones

The leadership of both houses of the Arizona Legislature sent Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) a scathing letter Thursday, demanding that she redact public comments she made against Arizona Universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.

“As legislators and other elected officials have long emphasized, Arizona was the first in the nation to implement universal school choice and has been a model for the rest of the country. Legal and political attacks against ES As have failed time and time again. Parents have spoken and the Legislature has enacted ESAs into law. Your job, as an executive branch official, is to execute the law, not attack it,” the lawmakers wrote.

Arizona Department of Education Files Response Brief in Case Challenging Arizona Sports Law

May 25, 2023May 24, 2023 Neil Jones

PHOENIX, Arizona – The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) held a press conference Wednesday detailing a new filing submitted in the lawsuit surrounding Arizona’s law, the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” that prevents biological males from competing against women in school sports.

“This case turns on one crucial fact: can plaintiffs prove that pre-puberty boys have no sports advantage over girls? They cannot,” according to the brief shared with reporters.

Grants Approved to Fund Safety Officers on 301 Arizona Schools

May 24, 2023May 23, 2023 Neil Jones

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) announced Monday that the State Board of Education has approved grant funding for 301 statewide schools to finance a school resource officer (SRO) on campus. This shows a significant increase in schools seeking armed security, as 190 campuses utilized the grant for officers during the previous cycle.

Additionally, it is not only more SROs coming to campuses, as Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne also got payments approved for 566 counselors and social workers around the state in over $45 million in grants. In total, the School Safety Program offered nearly $100 million in funding from state and federal monies. The grants will go into effect in the Fall of 2023 and last until the 2025/26 school year.

Arizona Department of Education Pushes for Phoenix School Safety Grants Despite Delays from District Board

May 16, 2023May 15, 2023 Neil Jones

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) announced Friday it would be recommending the State Board of Education (SBE) approve public safety grant requests presented by six Phoenix schools, despite inaction from the district board.

“Our first responsibility is to protect the safety and the lives of students and staff. The worst tragedy would be for a maniac to invade a school and kill students with no police officer there to protect them. In addition, the police officers are there all year, befriend the students, so students view them as friends rather than as the enemy, and the police officers also teach courses,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R).

Arizona Department of Education Requests Changes for Lawsuit Against Arizona’s Law Separating Boys’ and Girls’ Sports

May 7, 2023May 6, 2023 Neil Jones

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) announced Thursday it had filed a motion in court to have the venue of a lawsuit against the enforcement of an Arizona law changed from Tucson to Phoenix.

“Crucially, counsel for the parties are located in Phoenix. Even Plaintiffs are represented by local counsel in Phoenix, as is counsel for Superintendent [Tom] Horne. The result is that all of the Arizona lawyers are located in Phoenix, none are located in Tucson. That makes an overwhelming difference in the expense to the parties in litigating this case,” according to the motion, emailed to reporters.

State Senate Republicans Urge Democrats to Cooperate in Creating a Bipartisan State Budget for Arizonans

April 25, 2023April 24, 2023 Neil Jones

With the Legislative session winding down, one of the major tasks left for lawmakers to accomplish is creating a state budget, which needs to be in place before July, or a government shutdown could occur. However, Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) said State Democrats are inhibiting the process by not cooperating with budgeting requests.

“We are just weeks away from some government agencies running out of funding because legislative Democrats are stalling,” said Petersen. “I’m confident we would have already passed a budget had the Democrats spent the last seven weeks negotiating the budget with us, in good faith.”

Universal Empowerment Scholarship Account Participation Soars in Arizona

April 19, 2023April 18, 2023 Neil Jones

A new report for the Arizona-based Goldwater Institute (GI) Monday revealed that participation in the state’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program is soaring, and so is Arizona’s economy.

“Arizona’s bet on universal school choice is already paying off. At the same time that enrollment in the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program is surging, the state’s revenue surplus has gone through the roof,” wrote Matt Beienburg, Director of Education Policy at the GI. “In the first four months of 2023 alone, enrollment in Arizona’s ESA program has soared by 7,000 students, bringing the total number of children served to over 51,000.”

Superintendent of Public Instruction Continues Push for On-Campus Police, Extends Grant Deadline

April 15, 2023April 14, 2023 Neil Jones

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne revealed data yesterday showing support for School Resource Officers (SROs) on school district campuses and said his office would continue pushing to see this across the state.

“There is overwhelming support among parents living in the Phoenix Union District (PXU), statewide, as well as classroom teachers, to keep children and staff safe by having school resource officers at the schools. They not only provide safety, but teach classes, and become friendly with students, so that students learn to trust them, rather than viewing police as enemies,” Horne said.

New Bill Would Make Arizona Teacher Pay Increases Transparent, Require School Districts to Comply

March 23, 2023March 22, 2023 Neil Jones

Arizona State Senator J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler) shared in his weekly update to constituents that his bill, aimed at ensuring school districts comply with the state transparency laws, is moving along through the Legislature.

“Given the importance of having transparency with such a critical topic as teacher pay, I sponsored a bill (SB 1599) that would add some teeth to the law and instruct the Arizona Department of Education to engage if a school district is not in compliance. The bill has passed the Senate and is poised for a House Floor vote,” Mesnard said.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne Encourages Schools to Adopt a Character Education Program Ahead of Grant Applications

February 23, 2023February 22, 2023 Neil Jones

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) released a statement Tuesday encouraging schools to adopt a character-focused curriculum created by Character Counts (CC) as new matching grant applications will open soon.

“When I was last Superintendent, from 2003 to 2011, we successfully implemented The Six Pillars of Character [Six Pillars]: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship,” said Horne. “Unlike social and emotional learning [SEL], which has become a distraction from academics, this program was integrated into education such as students writing essays on each of the pillars. As we renew the focus on academics, it could provide an important balance to our students’ education.”

Half of Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account Students Left Public Schools, Latest Data Show

February 15, 2023 The Center Square

The portion of students taking advantage of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program after previously attending a public school has dramatically shifted.

According to the latest information from the Arizona Department of Education, the ESA program now has 47,200 students participating. The data, released Monday, is a marked increase from the roughly 30,000 students participating in January.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne Urges Schools to Use Safety Grants to Place Armed Security on Campuses

February 11, 2023February 10, 2023 Neil Jones

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) announced Wednesday that the next round of the School Safety Program (SSP) grant applications are open for public and charter schools to take advantage of. He urged schools to use this opportunity to put armed security on campus if they do not have any already.

“Every school should have a law enforcement officer to protect students and staff, and this should be accomplished on an urgent basis,” Horne said. “Delay in implementing this goal could leave schools more vulnerable to a tragic catastrophe. Schools that currently have no armed presence yet submit grants applications that do not request an officer will not receive a recommendation from this Department to the State Board of Education.”

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.

Lawsuit Filed Against Arizona Department of Education over LGBTQ Chat Rooms for Youths

September 14, 2022September 13, 2022 Neil Jones

An Arizona citizen, Peggy McClain, recently filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Superintendent Kathy Hoffman because of LGBTQ-focused chat rooms available on the ADE website where youths can speak to adults about sex and gender identity.

“She’s [Hoffman] in an office to protect children and to guide children and to make children better and she’s putting them in grave danger,” McClain said to the Arizona Sun Times via the phone.

Love Your School Founder Jenny Clark Explains Arizona’s New School Choice Law

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022 Neil Jones

Jenny Clark, the founder of Love Your School, spoke with the Arizona Sun Times to explain the newly signed House Bill (HB) 2853, sponsored by state Rep. Ben Toma (R-AZ-22), which expands the eligibility for Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) and how it will benefit parents in the state.

“The expansion means that every Arizona family who has a child in kindergarten through 12th grade is now eligible to take a portion of their education dollars to the school or education environment that works for them,” Clark said. “The empowerment scholarship can be used for tutors, therapists, home education, and it can be used for private schools.”

Arizona GOP Sends Ducey Universal School Choice Bill

June 29, 2022June 29, 2022 The Center Square

Arizona is likely to become the first state in America that empowers students to take tax dollars with them to a school of their choosing.

Lawmakers sent House Bill 2853 to Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday. When the governor signs the bill, all of Arizona’s school-age children will be eligible for the Empowerment Scholarship Account. An ESA is a state-funded account that parents can spend on tuition and other education expenses. The program is currently limited to disabled students, those in failing schools or others that qualify in a handful of other methods.

Arizona Department of Education Directs Pre-Teens to Trans Online Chat Rooms

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

A “Student Resources” page on the website of the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) directs pre-teens to LGBT sources of information and support.

“These resources are provided to assist in the support of LGBTQ students in our schools and communities,” according to the ADE. “They were collected by members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community as part of ADE’s Equitable and Inclusive Practices Advisory Council.”

Arizona Department of Education Sends $15.3 Million to Help Low-Income Students

June 8, 2022June 7, 2022 The Center Square

The Arizona Department of Education announced it would award $15.3 million in funding for programs to improve the education quality it offers low-income and first-generation Americans.

“Parents deserve easy access to resources that help their children achieve their full potential,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said in a press release. “I know students and parents need more direct support when it comes to educational services outside of the classroom. These organizations are well prepared to support students and families and will help foster higher student achievement.”

Arizona Student Assessments Hint at Significant Learning Loss Amid COVID Pandemic

September 14, 2021September 13, 2021 The Center Square

Students in Arizona’s public schools failed reading and math assessments at higher rates this spring than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Test results from the AzM2 and MSAA – Arizona’s two statewide assessments conducted annually – show around oner-third of students who took the tests passed them, though the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) warns not to read too deeply into the low scores.

Arizona Attorney General Leads Charge Against Biden Administration’s Race-Based School Discipline Policies

July 27, 2021July 26, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich responded to the Biden Administration’s interest in potentially reviving a pre-K and K-12 discipline policy based on race. The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a request for information early last month, asking the public to submit written comment on the state of discipline in pre-K and K-12 schools. In the accompanying press release, ED alluded that it would form policy to reduce the number of certain demographics being disciplined at higher rates, specifically citing Black and disabled students. Public commentary for ED’s request for information closed last Friday.

In response, Brnovich organized a coalition of 15 other attorney generals to submit a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona opposing any discipline policy based on race. Brnovich asserted that a policy similar to the Obama-era discipline policy would be illegal. In 2014, the Obama Administration imposed a policy requiring schools to include disparate impact requirements within their disciplinary guidelines, referred to as the “2014 Dear Colleague Letter.” Brnovich recounted the history and cited several stories detailing failures of the policy, like students receiving no discipline for assaulting teachers.

Arizona Department of Education Awarded NAU $1 Million to Teach Culturally Responsive Education

July 14, 2021July 13, 2021 Corinne Murdock

Photo of two teachers in a classroom going through papers.

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) awarded Northern Arizona University (NAU) $1 million to teach culturally responsive education in tribal schools. The grant, awarded at the beginning of last month, will apply to professional development programs and fellowships for tribal educators.

“Believing in the power of teachers and the desire to grow their capacity to write and teach curriculum that is culturally responsive is at the forefront of the Institute for Native-serving Educators (INE)[,]” read NAU’s press release.