by Ethan Faverino | Jun 30, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is applauding the U.S. Supreme Court for its decision to allow parents to opt their kids out of inappropriate sexual classes. This ruling requires all schools to offer parents the option to withdraw their children when their religious beliefs conflict with course material.
In its decision on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that parents can opt their children out of public-school lessons containing inappropriate sexual content or LGBTQ+ themes that conflict with the family’s religious beliefs.
Horne praised this ruling, calling it a critical step in protecting young students from “inappropriate sexual lessons” and refocusing the classroom on core academics.
The case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, originated in Maryland, where parents challenged the local school board’s policy of not allowing opt-outs from lessons involving books with LGBTQ+ characters or sexual content. The Supreme Court’s decision sent the case back down to the lower courts for additional review but signaled strong support from parents all over the country.
The case involved “inclusivity” books that were announced in 2022 for students in pre-K through fifth grade in Maryland. Parents opposed the way the books defended controversial ideology around gender and sexuality.
For example, The Becket Fund noted one book tasks three and four-year-olds to search for images from a word list that includes “intersex flag,” “drag queen,” “underwear,” “leather,” and the name of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker.
Becket said another book advocates a child-knows-best approach to gender transitioning, telling students that a decision to transition doesn’t have to “make sense,” and teachers are instructed to say doctors only “guess” when identifying a newborn’s sex anyway.
“While scientific education regarding reproduction at an appropriate age is perfectly proper, there has been a trend to subject young children to sexual lessons that are inappropriate to their age,” said Horne. “Defenders of these programs say they want to be welcoming and inclusive. The proper way to do that is to include all students in education about reading, writing, math, science, history, and the arts. The inappropriate lessons about which parents are complaining are a distraction from these crucial academic subjects.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jun 28, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Dr. Theodore Cooke, former General Manager for the Central Arizona Project (CAP), has been nominated as Commissioner of Reclamation for the Department of Interior under the Trump administration.
Senate Republicans across the state are applauding Dr. Cooke’s nomination.
Dr. Cooke brings over two decades of experience from his career with the CAP, where he played a crucial role in managing Arizona’s water delivery systems to meet the state’s critical agricultural and municipal needs.
In 2022, Dr. Cooke was nominated by Senate Republicans to serve as a Board Member of Arizona’s Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA). In this role, he contributed to the strategic financing and development of water infrastructure projects, enhancing Arizona’s defense against water shortages.
“Not only does Arizona provide national benefits from our economy, but we also have a pool of talent in water management professionals,” said Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope, Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee. “Dr. Cooke is thoughtful, has a history of collaboration, thinks outside the box to formulate solutions, and has a track record of finding a consensus among all parties at the table. This is why he was appointed by the Arizona Senate to serve on WIFA. Dr. Cooke is exactly who the Department of Interior needs and will be more aggressive in facilitating an agreement among the seven Colorado River Basin States on water allocations, as he did with negotiating Arizona’s entrance into the Drought Contingency Plan.”
If the nomination is confirmed, Dr. Cooke will be the main federal official overseeing the seven Colorado River states through negotiations over the shrinking river’s water supply. His leadership will be crucial as these states face a 2026 deadline to agree on water cutbacks. If there is no consensus between the states, the federal government is ready to intervene and make those decisions.
As Commissioner, Dr. Cooke is set to drive transformative water management solutions, securing sustainable supplies for future generations and reinforcing economic strength through the Colorado River Basin.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Jun 24, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona State Board of Education has adopted the Arizona Department of Education’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Parent Handbook for the upcoming school year.
This updated handbook was approved on June 23, 2025, by an 8-1 vote after more than a year of gathering feedback from parents and lawmakers.
“I am very pleased that the board has endorsed the updated handbook. The changes reflect the needs of parents to have clarity in how ESA expenses are reviewed, allow the department to continue its efforts to ensure the program is well-managed and that taxpayer dollars are used for appropriate educational purposes. Anything less would potentially damage the ESA program. I am committed to its long-term sustainability because it is a vital way for parents to have the freedom to choose the best education for their children,” said Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.
The ESA program allows Arizona parents to use state funds for educational expenses like tutoring, homeschooling materials, and private school tuition. The handbook serves as a guide for parents on how to comply with the program rules and ultimately make sure all funds are used for appropriate educational purposes. It also covers eligibility, application process, and allowed and prohibited expenses.
The 2024-2025 handbook outlined basic ESA rules, eligibility, and allowed expenses, but lacked specificity in certain areas, particularly Special Education students. It provided general guidance on expenses like educational therapies, but did not include a structured approach to evaluate expenses for students with diverse needs, making it difficult for parents to navigate approvals for Special Education requirements.
The updated 2025-2026 handbook addressed these issues with a broader, more flexible framework for evaluating expenses for Special Education students. There are more explicit guidelines for how expenses are approved and evaluating expenses for students with unique needs, such as specialized therapies, adaptive equipment, and individualized educational materials.
However, some parents believe that the language is still too vague, indicating the ongoing challenges in fully meeting Special Education requirements.
During the Arizona State Board of Education board meeting, ESA Director John Ward defended the broad language that was used in the ESA Parent Handbook and said that it provides flexibility to address varied students’ needs.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
