A recent graduate of Glendale Prep has earned one of the nation’s most prestigious military appointments, securing admission to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
David Vosekalns, a member of Glendale Prep’s Class of 2026, will officially join the Naval Academy’s class of 2030 when he is inducted on June 25, 2026.
His appointment comes after a highly competitive selection process that saw approximately 16,000 applicants nationwide compete for roughly 1,200 available spots.
🇺🇸WATCH🇺🇸
Recently, our office welcomed David & his family. We celebrated his outstanding achievement, & he sat down for an interview with Great Hearts to discuss the opportunity
The official appointment was presented by Blue & Gold Officer Sue Wester (Arizona Area… pic.twitter.com/59jUDTJuty
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) June 22, 2026
“David was one of about 16,000 students from throughout the nation who applied for one of the approximately 1,200 appointments to the Naval Academy’s Class of 2030,” explained Blue and Gold Officer and volunteer field representative for the Naval Academy Admissions Office, Sue Wester. “In receiving his appointment, David was recognized for his citizenship, athleticism, scholarship, and moral character as being worthy to join the Brigade of Midshipmen and become a U.S. military officer.”
Vosekalns received a digital offer of appointment on May 20, 2026 but his official certificate of appointment was formally presented by Wester during a ceremony held at the office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh in Surprise, Arizona.
Congressman Hamadeh, who nominated Vosekalns for admission to the Naval Academy, played an important role in his journey to Annapolis. Earlier this year, Vosekalns had the opportunity to meet Hamadeh during a senior trip to Washington, D.C., with his classmates from Glendale Prep.
“Today, we’re in Congressman Abraham Hamadeh’s office, said Vosekalns at his appointment ceremony. “He gave me my nomination to the Naval Academy. On the senior trip to Washington, D.C., I was fortunate enough to work with Congressman Hamadeh’s office to meet him with some of my other friends in his Washington office.”
Reflecting on his acceptance, Vosekalns expressed both gratitude and humility.
“I received the digital offer of appointment on May 20th, and I’m just dumbstruck, still processing it,” he said. “I just know that this is where the Lord’s led me, and I’m still processing it.”
As part of the Naval Academy’s freshman class, known as “plebes”, Vosekalns will participate in Plebe Summer, an intensive six-week military training program designed to prepare incoming midshipmen for academy life.
During the training, plebes have no access to television, movies, music, or the internet and are only allowed two phone calls during the six weeks.
Vosekalns plans to study engineering while attending the academy and credits Glendale Prep with helping him for the opportunity.
“Without Glendale Prep, I would not be here in a lot of ways,” he said. “All my letters of recommendation were written by the teachers at Glendale Prep, and the college counselor, Mrs. Sarbacker, was extremely helpful in the process.”
The appointment has also drawn praise from Congressman Hamadeh’s office.
We are incredibly proud of David Vosekalns, a recent Glendale Prep graduate who has been accepted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
David’s exceptional character, scholarship, and leadership so impressed Congressman Hamadeh that this appointment was an…
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) June 22, 2026
In a statement posted on X, the office said:
“We are incredibly proud of David Vosekalns, a recent Glendale Prep graduate who has been accepted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. David’s exceptional character, scholarship, and leadership so impressed Congressman Hamadeh that this appointment was an easy decision. Congratulations, David! We know you are destined for great things.”
As Vosekalns prepares to report for Plebe Summer and begin his journey toward becoming a naval officer, he joins a select group of future military leaders entrusted with serving the nation.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Arizona State Board of Education (ASBE) revealed in its latest enforcement action report that sexual misconduct cases involving teachers increased.
ASBE did note that, out of the hundreds of thousands of educators serving nearly 1.5 million students in public schools across the state, 98 percent of the education workforce didn’t appear in a disciplinary action (97 percent of certificated personnel and 99 percent of non-certificated personnel).
“These findings reinforce that Board discipline remains uncommon relative to the size of Arizona’s education workforce and affects only a small fraction of persons working in Arizona schools,” stated ASBE.
The findings of the ASBE report were limited to adjudicated cases, and excluded those pending or active cases.
Multiple steps must take place prior to any enforcement action occurring. ASBE’s Investigation Unit intakes a report, then investigators work in parallel with law enforcement investigators to review the report. The board then adjudicates the case through several avenues offered to the respondent prior to taking a vote.
Per ASBE data of adjudicated cases, the number of sexual misconduct cases increased by 40 percent over the last two years: there were 94 cases in 2024 and 133 cases in 2025.
In other words, about one-third of the cases that ASBE adjudicated in 2025 (about 380) were related to sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct cases represented 30 percent of the total cases adjudicated in 2025.
Those findings were consistent with the totals for cases adjudicated from 2016 to 2025. 34 percent of all cases over that time were sexual misconduct cases.
📢2025 AZ Teacher Discipline Report presented to SBE today: ▶️Sexual misconduct: 133 cases, up from 94 prior year, 30% of total ▶️Assault cases – continues 2-year spike – 203 cases (53%) in 2025, up from 143 cases last year. From 2016-25, sexual misconduct still #1 reason 1/n pic.twitter.com/iiQJBwh7sZ
— TheLegalProcess (v3.0 | Instruction Not Therapy) (@ALegalProcess) June 22, 2026
ASBE reported that 670 cases involving sexual offenses occurred from 2016 to 2025.
ASBE stated in its report that it continues to prioritize the investigation of sexual misconduct allegations due to impacts to student safety.
The total cases adjudicated by ASBE in 2025 exceeded the board’s forecasting by about 60 cases.
ASBE said the increased number of cases reflected investments by the state to strengthen ASBE’s educator discipline system by increasing investigation and adjudication resources.
Approximately half of all reports to ASBE came from school officials, followed by less than one-quarter from the Department of Public Safety fingerprint clearance cards.
Applications and records from the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification made up seven percent of reports; parents and statements of allegations made up four percent of reports; news media made up five percent of reports; and State Board of Education or another state made up five percent of reports.
Assault cases also increased: there were 42 percent more cases in 2025 (203) compared to 2024 (143).
53 percent of total cases adjudicated were assault cases.
Substance use, fraud, and breaches of contract collectively made up 17 percent of total cases adjudicated.
“Despite year-to-year fluctuations, sexual misconduct and assaultive behaviors consistently comprise the majority of cases reviewed by the board,” stated the report.
The report also noted that sexual misconduct and assaultive behaviors shared historically similar rates of occurrence, however assault-related cases increased dramatically from 2023 to 2025.
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Arizona public school students would spend a designated week each year studying the nation’s founding documents, and students in grades three through twelve would recite a passage from the Declaration of Independence, under legislation sent to Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The “Return to Civics Instruction Act,” Senate Bill 1572, sponsored by Sen. Mark Finchem (R-LD1), would require public schools to observe Celebrate Freedom Week. The measure was transmitted to Hobbs earlier this month after passing both chambers of the Legislature.
The bill would require each public school to include instruction during Celebrate Freedom Week in each social studies course on the “original intent, meaning and importance” of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, and the historical context of those documents.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Arizona Students Could Receive Expanded Instruction on America's Founding Principles Under Senator Finchem Bill Sent to Governor
The instruction would apply to students in grades one through twelve and would also cover the relationship between the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence and several periods and movements in American history, including the nation’s history as a country of immigrants, the American Revolution, the creation of the Constitution, the abolitionist movement, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the women’s suffrage movement.
For students in grades three through twelve, the measure would require a recitation of the passage from the Declaration of Independence already referenced in state law under duties assigned to the State Board of Education.
Students would not be required to participate in the recitation if a parent submits a written request to excuse the student, if the school determines that the student has a conscientious objection, or if the student’s parent is a representative of a foreign government to which the United States extends diplomatic immunity.
Celebrate Freedom Week would be defined as either the instructional week that includes Sept. 17 or another instructional week designated by the public school’s governing body. The bill would allow the State Board of Education to adopt rules and policies to implement the requirement and would require the board to ensure public schools do not censor the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or Bill of Rights to exclude religious references.
SB 1572 passed the Senate on Feb. 26 by a 16-12-2 vote and passed the House on June 11 by a 31-23-6 vote. It was transmitted to the governor the following day.
“This bill was brought forward by a constituent with language from a similar bill that was passed into law by the Texas Legislature,” said Finchem. “If our students don’t know where their civil rights come from, how will they resist attempts to separate them from their civil rights?”
Finchem said the measure is intended to strengthen students’ understanding of the country’s founding principles.
“Too many students graduate without a basic understanding of the principles that shaped our nation and continue to protect our freedoms today,” Finchem said. “A strong civics education helps students understand not only how our government works, but why the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights matter. If we want future generations to preserve liberty, they first need to understand the ideas and sacrifices that made liberty possible. This bill helps ensure Arizona students receive that foundation.”
Arizona already requires American civics education as part of the state’s high school social studies standards. Under A.R.S. § 15-701.01, the State Board of Education must prescribe social studies standards that include American civics education and a comparative discussion of political ideologies, including communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential to the founding principles of the United States.
State law also requires students to pass a civics test based on the civics portion of the U.S. naturalization test in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma.
The department’s 2026 Arizona Civics Test Administration Manual says students are required to score 70% or higher beginning with the graduating class of 2026 and may take the test between grades seven and twelve.
SB 1572 would add a separate requirement for annual instruction during Celebrate Freedom Week in public school social studies courses.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced earlier this month that the Arizona Department of Education will receive $300,000 in grant funding to expand its teacher apprenticeship and mentoring program amid the state’s ongoing teacher shortage.
According to a statement from the Arizona Department of Education (AZED), the department is among the sub-recipients of grant funds awarded by the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) through the private, nonprofit Ascendium Education Group. AZED will receive $300,000 over the next two years to support approximately 100 apprentices and mentor teachers statewide.
“This is excellent news because recruiting, training and supporting teachers is vital and the teacher shortage has reached catastrophic proportions,” Horne said. “These funds will be used to expand our already-robust efforts to help bring more teachers into the profession and retain those valuable educators currently in the classroom.”
Superintendent Horne announces $300K in grant funds to help recruit, train more teachers–apprenticeships help address chronic shortage. A new $300,000 grant will be used by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to expand its existing teacher apprenticeship and mentoring… pic.twitter.com/EtkADSdl0K
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) June 9, 2026
The department said the grant will expand AZED’s existing teacher apprenticeship and mentoring program. According to AZED, the Arizona Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program prepares future educators through paid, hands-on classroom experience under the mentorship of experienced teachers while apprentices complete educator preparation coursework.
Horne said the state has developed alternate pathways for prospective teachers who did not attend an education college but have the content knowledge needed to teach.
“We have developed and implemented numerous ‘alternate pathways’ for those who did not go to education college but have the content knowledge needed to teach,” Horne said. “We must also continue to push for more help for educators by increasing teacher pay using State Land Trust funds with no new taxes, and ensuring school administrators support teachers on classroom discipline, the two major issues that teachers cite as reasons to leave the profession.”
The NCGYO said its National Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching Network includes states working to use registered apprenticeships in teaching to address educator shortages. According to the NCGYO, the network supports states and local partners as they develop registered apprenticeship pathways into the teaching profession.
According to AZED, NCGYO will provide technical assistance to participating states and local partners, including support with apprenticeship program registration, subgrant design and implementation, sustainability planning, and quality assurance.
The grant project’s stated goals include increasing the number of fully licensed teachers prepared through high-quality, debt-free apprenticeship programs; building state-level infrastructure and policy systems to sustain programs beyond philanthropic funding; and using the registered apprenticeship model to improve educator preparation while lowering the cost of earning a teaching degree.
Ascendium’s broader education philanthropy focuses on removing barriers for low-income learners and expanding postsecondary and workforce pathways.
NCGYO’s work sits within a broader national educator pipeline movement, promoted by some education policy groups as a tool to increase teacher diversity. A 2023 National Council on Teacher Quality report on policies to increase teacher diversity discusses “Grow Your Own” programs in that context and lists NCGYO founder David Donaldson as a contributor.
The AZED announcement describes the Arizona grant as funding teacher apprenticeships and mentor support and does not state that the funds are tied to a DEI program or mandate.
The proposed ballot initiative would have required the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to establish an online marketplace payment system next year for all ESA purchases with approved vendors, and would have eliminated the current reimbursement and debit card system.
The initiative would also have further restricted allowable expenditures, and required valid fingerprint clearance cards for qualified tutors and school personnel. Any parents who intentionally misuse funds would have been disqualified permanently from the ESA program.
Under the canceled initiative, the ESA program would have had to submit quarterly reports addressing vendor payments, disqualifications, and recovered funds to the attorney general as well.
Fortify AZ was supported in its signature-gathering efforts with millions from the American Federation for Children (AFC). Arizona campaign finance records reflected $1.2 million to their political action committee, but AFC said they invested over $5.3 million into the ballot initiative.
AFC said the proposed reforms were aligned with best policy practices implemented in other states: Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Utah, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and West Virginia.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, AFC CEO Tommy Schultz said their organization backed the ballot initiative as the “best opportunity to save school choice in Arizona,” which they say is under threat by school choice opponents behind the other proposed ballot initiative which would end universal school choice, the Protect Education Act.
“After a small number of individuals acted to sabotage this chance for the school choice-gutting petition to be pulled and commonsense reforms enacted, we are evaluating our best next steps to ensure the union-backed petition does not rip school choice away from thousands of Arizona students overnight and fundamentally break the program for the rest,” said Schultz.
As the Arizona Agendareported, Republican lawmakers and the Arizona Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, nearly reached a secretive school choice reform deal to end both the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Reform and Accountability Act as well as the Protect Education Act.
However, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club raised concerns over the impact of the secretive deal on the ESA program.
Don't Cut a Deal that Kills ESAs — Lawmakers are negotiating a secret bargain with teacher unions tonight. Over 100,000 Arizona students hang in the balance. https://t.co/dToo9ac4uQ
— AZ Women of Action (@AZWomenofAction) June 12, 2026
Ultimately, lawmakers voted against the proposed deal.
Matthew Nielsen, founder of the Educational Freedom Institute, called the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Reform and Accountability Act an “ill-conceived, and now ill-fated […] waste.”
The other ballot initiative to end the universality of the ESA program will continue. The Protect Education Act would place a $150,000 income cap for ESA program enrollees.
Additionally, this initiative would not only require qualified tutors and schools to have valid fingerprint clearance, it would subject them to Arizona State Board of Education discipline and require them to pay a fee and register annually with ADE.
Protect Education, Accountability Now, the political action committee behind the still-active ballot initiative, has spent about $2.7 million of the nearly $4.6 million it has raised.
98% of those funds (more than $4.4 million) came from the National Education Association, a national teachers’ union and the largest labor union in the nation.
As of this report, the ESA program has over 100,700 students enrolled.
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For more than 50 years, 89-year-old Robert Young has owned the historic Louis Emerson House. He was married on its front steps, and to him it is a priceless vestige of pre-statehood Arizona.
But Arizona State University (ASU) intends to force Young to put a price on his memories and Arizona history. ASU wants to build a new headquarters for ASU Health and a new AI-driven medical school, and Young’s home is in their way.
The Louis Emerson House predates Arizona’s statehood by a decade. It was built in 1902, and has a historic designation with the Phoenix Historic Property Register. Clark Churchill — adjutant general and attorney general for the territory of Arizona in the late 1800s — developed the property in 1888. Much of this history was recovered by Young, who told 12News that he’s spent much of his 50 years as the house’s owner preserving its history.
“I would describe it as being one of a kind, because Clark Churchill decided that he was going to have an important connection with a street railway right here; it was called the ‘Brill edition,’” said Young.
The home’s namesake, Louis Emerson, was a butcher with Phoenix’s Palace Meat Market. Emerson lived in the home with his wife, Clara, until his death in the 1920s. Clara remained there until the early 1930s. That’s what Young told the Arizona Republic in a 2013 feature on his home, along with his belief that at least two others may have lived there prior to the Emersons.
ASU has offered Young about $800,000 to sell, but Young denied. Young has said he may be open to an offer that could cover the costs to have the house relocated, which he said would cost between $2 million and $3 million.
“You can’t get back history,” Young told the State Press. “You can’t recreate a historical treasure.”
Following Young’s refusal, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) filed an eminent domain lawsuit with the Maricopa County Superior Court to force Young to take the money.
ASU said in a statement that they issued several offers to Young based on an “experienced, state-certified appraiser,” some of which included options for moving the home, but didn’t offer further details.
The city of Phoenix has invested $50 million into the ASU Health development, though city officials have said in statements to the media that ASU’s proposal to them didn’t include Young’s house.
ASU Health will span 200,000 square feet and house the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Engineering, which the university says is “a new kind of medical school” teaching the prioritization of data in medical decision-making, and blending medicine with engineering, technologies such as artificial intelligence, and humanities.
ASU plans to open ASU Health in the fall of 2028.
Over 3,700 community members have signed an online petition to save Young’s home as of this report, endorsed by Preserve Phoenix, city of Phoenix’s Historic Preservation Office, and Phoenix Historic Neighborhoods Coalition.
A hearing on the fate of the Louis Emerson House is scheduled for June 19.
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