Another social justice initiative was underfoot at Arizona State University (ASU) — this time, at the College of Health Solutions (CHS). In a September email from CHS Dean Deborah Helitzer obtained by AZ Free News, CHS encouraged employees to sign a Black Lives Matter (BLM) pledge adapted from ASU’s University Technology Office. The email noted that those who signed the pledge would have their name “added to a list of those who affirm the pledge.”
As of press time, the pledge remained available on the CHS website:
We are dedicated to creating a safe space for all perspectives, valuing all contributions, which will become embedded in our evolving culture to realize the vision, mission and values of the College of Health Solutions and the mission and charter of Arizona State University.
We will engage in continuous education, seeking new ideas and taking actions that advance racial justice and will honestly share our thinking, especially acknowledging when we don’t know or understand. We will expand our own understanding and practices by empowering diverse ideas and voices.
We will increase the diversity of the administration, faculty, staff and student populations to reflect the communities we serve.
We will maximize leadership, development and advancement opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds, abilities and perspectives to be more equitable and to ensure opportunities are available to all.
We will strive to be inclusive and equitable as we engage in teaching, research and community outreach.
We will increase our knowledge and understanding of systemic racism in health and health care which ultimately impacts health outcomes in communities of color.
We are committed to nurturing, mentoring and supporting the development of people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, color, language, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, education, religion, socio-economic status, qualified veteran status, age, skill sets, thinking styles and physical and mental ability.
I pledge to actively work towards dismantling racism, bigotry and hatred toward people of color in all its forms.
At the close of Helitzer’s email, she directed staff to the latest “story time” read-along link: “Curious George Rides a Bike.”
ASU formed CHS in 2012 to improve community health and lower health care costs. The CHS pledge was one of the latest efforts by their Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Council. The council aims to artificially diversify faculty, staff, students, and community partners; weave inclusivity into onboarding, training, and mentoring of all faculty and staff; and reform curriculum to center on inclusivity.
As part of those goals, CHS keeps an update on the latest student demographics: nearly 40 percent last year were classified as “underrepresented minority status,” with nearly 49 percent classified as “white.”
Additionally, the JEDI Council offered a commitment to support Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in response to the ongoing hate crimes against those races. They also published an indigenous land acknowledgement to identify the Native American tribes that once lived on the land where ASU’s campus now exists.
JEDI Council’s latest effort announced last Friday was “Kaleidoscope,” a newsletter on multiculturalism.
“We believe that the multitude of identities, lived experiences and backgrounds that make up the CHS faculty, students and staff is something to be celebrated. Much like a kaleidoscope, there is beauty to be found in the different configurations of our community. We will face challenges in the struggle for a just and healthy world, so it’s more important than ever that we find ways to unite and shake things up,” read the first newsletter.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Dawn Penich-Thacker, cofounder of the largest teachers’ union in Arizona, Save Our Schools (SOSAZ), said that parents were “drama queens” for demanding more curriculum transparency.
The Arizona legislature is considering several bills to expand K-12 curriculum transparency currently. One of the most all-encompassing bills, SB1211, would require schools to publish a list of all its curriculum as well as teacher training materials and activities, on its website. Penich-Thacker scoffed that the bills would be mandating practices that already take place.
Kids’ schools sent home the annual Sex Ed handout reminding us the curriculum is available to preview. Just like they do every year. Bc *everything* district public schools teach is *already* available to parents. Bills mandating what’s already happening are for & by drama queens
— Dr. Dawn Penich-Thacker😷 (@DoctorRhetorica) April 10, 2022
In a statement to the Arizona Daily Independent, State Senator Kelly Townsend (R-Mesa) expressed disappointment that teachers’ unions would oppose the legislation.
“God forbid that legislators codify policy to protect children from the grooming and pre-sexualization that has found its way into curriculum more than once,” said Townsend. “The job of the legislature is to protect the public, and if there were no violations then we would not have to act.”
During a committee hearing on the bill last month, two House Democrats argued that schools shouldn’t have to adhere to further transparency and scrutiny. Instead, State Representatives Judy Schwiebert (D-Phoenix) and Jennifer Longdon (D-Phoenix) opined that parents should switch schools. The pair cited Arizona’s school choice system as the solution for a school’s lack of transparency.
SOSAZ celebrated the delay of legislation like the curriculum transparency bills, which they called “education attack bills.”
Sometimes no news is good news. This week SOSAZ is not posting a new Weekly Education Report because, right now, all education attack bills are stalled. They could advance at any time, so stay tuned & be ready to act! pic.twitter.com/Ideg1z71kY
Another bill enforcing curriculum transparency, HB2161, was scheduled to be voted onby the State Senate on Monday, though no final vote took place. It empowers parents to sue school districts and officials for denying access to records or intervening in their right to raise, educate, and care for their children. The sponsor, State Representative Steve Kaiser (R-Phoenix), explained that the bill’s intent was to ensure that parents had a mode of relief if their rights were violated.
Opposition to the bill came largely from LGBTQ activists such as a transgender school board member, Paul Bixler, and a former teacher and Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Phoenix co-chair, Caryn Bird.
Happy Friday everyone!! We would like to recognize Liberty Elementary School Board Member Paul Bixler in honor of Transgender Awareness Week!!🏳️⚧️ Have an amazing weekend!🤍 pic.twitter.com/0bNXoho6gH
My name is Caryn Bird I am co-chair of the GLSEN Phoenix Board I support GLSEN Phoenix because I believe that ALL students deserve to feel safe to learn in school. Please support our work with our #GiveOUTday campaign today! https://t.co/BpARNtWnUYpic.twitter.com/thG6t5v2Di
Democrats also opposed the bill, with some arguing that parents needed to do better — not the schools. State Representative Daniel Hernandez (D-Tucson) argued in a January committee hearing that parents weren’t as involved in their child’s education as they ought to be.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Those traveling through Nogales, especially commercial vehicles coming from Mexico through the Mariposa Port of Entry, are the benefactors of a $134 million road project completed last month after years of planning.
State Route 189 dates back to 1956 and has provided Nogales with a connection to Interstate 19. In recent years, the 3.75-mile roadway has become a critical part of the CANAMEX International Trade Corridor, with close to 370,000 northbound trucks crossing the border at Nogales in 2021, carrying nearly $30 billion in goods.
Plans for the SR189 improvements were announced in 2018, calling for new traffic signals, better drainage, and widening more than three miles of roadway. But the showcase feature is two “flyover ramps” for use by commercial trucks and other vehicles to connect the Mariposa Port of Entry directly to Interstate 19.
Previously, those vehicles had to traverse local roadways, including a key intersection used by students and staff to access Nogales High School. The flyover ramps have eliminated the need for commercial trucks to stop multiple times between the border and I-19, greatly reducing travel time while improving safety.
Construction started in May 2020 with a $25 million legislative appropriation in addition to $25 million from a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) federal grant. Funds were also committed by the City of Nogales, Santa Cruz County, and ADOT.
Members of Gov. Doug Ducey’s Office, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the City of Nogales, Santa Cruz County, and various business and community leaders celebrated the opening of the upgraded SR189 last month.
“Arizona’s strong relationship with Mexico will only grow stronger with the improvement of SR 189,” Ducey said of the March 11 opening. “The project enhances public safety and commerce, attracting even more trade through our ports in Nogales.”
Ames Construction led the construction work for ADOT while Horrocks Engineers was the designer. According to Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack, the project exemplifies a commitment to improve transportation infrastructure and supply chains nationwide.
“The SR 189 project will improve air quality, traffic flow and safety for the region,” Pollack said. “We applaud ADOT for this major investment in Arizona’s future.”
The newly designed SR189 builds on a $250 million upgrade to the Mariposa Port of Entry back in 2014. Jamie Chamberlain, chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority, said the project impacts the entire Arizona-Mexico corridor.
“When you combine this investment with the investments made on the Mexican road from Mexico City to the border with Arizona, it makes us more competitive against those corridors that lead to California, New Mexico and Texas,” Chamberlain said.
SR180 is expected to be an important piece of the expansion of Interstate 11 to run from Nogales to Las Vegas approved as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015. The I-11 plan would also feed into Mexican Federal Highway 15D, allowing CANAMEX Corridor commercial traffic to bypass city streets in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora.
As politicians and pundits debate whether the Title 42 public health directive should end May 23 along the southwest border, the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector continue to risk their lives protecting the country.
That is the message from USBP Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin, who took to Twitter several times last week to demonstrate the efforts by his 3,700 agents and the dangers they face.
In one of his tweets, Modlin celebrated drone technology which led to a smuggling arrest near Douglas.
#Drone technology is highly effective! Douglas Station agents were guided by drone operators to a smuggling event near Douglas, AZ. A U.S. citizen smuggler discarded a stolen #firearm but was caught on camera. Good #teamwork resulted in four arrests and a recovered weapon. pic.twitter.com/bXn2vs5KBW
And on April 10, Modlin tweeted about an attack on one such agent who was patrolling near the border fence in Cochise County.
While #OnPatrol, a Douglas Station agent was met with several projectiles thrown from #Mexico. Thankfully, the agent was unharmed and the vehicle sustained only minor damage. Tucson Sector agents face many threats while they patrol the border. pic.twitter.com/1LzWyBNS41
Also on April 10, Modlin tweeted about a human smuggling arrest made by his agents from the Sector’s Willcox Station. According to Modlin. USBP agents pulled behind a vehicle near Benson when suddenly the driver pulled into a parking lot and entered a store.
The driver was arrested and seven undocumented non-U.S. citizens were apprehended. A firearm was also seized during the incident, Modlin noted.
USBP agents never know who they will encounter. Such as what happened Saturday when Tucson Sector Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) agents near Douglas arrested Antonio Hernandez-Lincona. According to Modlin, Hernandez-Lincona has “several prior convictions of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” in California.
Modlin also tweeted on April 9 about the seizure of more than 18 pounds of deadly fentanyl at the Interstate 19 checkpoint.
Following a #K9 alert at the I-19 Checkpoint, #Nogales Station agents seized over 18 pounds of concealed fentanyl. With @DEAPHOENIXDiv assistance, the Mexican citizen driver faces criminal charges.
And on April 8, Modlin once again used Twitter to publicize the capture of nine migrants being smuggled in a pickup pulling a horse trailer.
A Douglas Station agent assisted @cc_sheriff with a #VehicleStop on SR-80. Four migrants in the #truck, and five migrants dangerously concealed in the trailer were discovered. The driver, a Mexican citizen, faces criminal charges. We are grateful for our law enforcement partners. pic.twitter.com/P8OigiUwDZ
Also last week, more than 50 adult Cuban nationals were encountered by USBP agents near Sasabe. There were also citizens from Guatemala and Nicaragua in the same group, Modlin reported.
Then on April 7, Modlin tweeted about the involvement of his agents in returning a rape suspect to Mexican authorities.
Tucson Sector agents apprehended three migrants in Douglas, AZ. Records revealed a Mexican citizen in the group had an active warrant for rape in Tamaulipas, #Mexico. With binational coordination, he was turned over to Mexican authorities at the port of entry. #HonorFirstpic.twitter.com/p5n4iiycqF
Earlier in the week, Modlin shared information about the arrest of Efrain Guillen-Olivas who faces criminal charges in the U.S. after illegally crossing the border near Naco.
Guillen-Olivas, a Mexican national, “has an extensive #criminal history, including felony #convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and sexual assault,” according to Modlin’s April 6 tweet.
Modlin also shared information on his Twitter account about the efforts of one of his agents to provide emergency medical care until a migrant could be airlifted to a hospital.
An #EMT certified Three Points Station agent jumped into action and provided treatment to a migrant in distress. The Guatemalan citizen was transported to a nearby hospital for further care. Tucson Sector currently has over 200 certified EMTs. #GreatWorkpic.twitter.com/ByDGq6vd2R
Tuition for the next academic school year is going up at Arizona State University for all students, while tuition hikes at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University will hit mostly new students, according to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR).
On Thursday, the ABOR which oversee the state’s three public universities announced higher tuitions and housing costs for residents and non-residents during the 2022-23 school year. All except the UofA will also be increasing the cost of student meal plans.
“The board recognizes any increase in tuition has an impact on Arizona students and families, but we are pleased that the presidents’ proposals included only modest added costs in 2022-23,” ABOR Chair Lyndel Manson said of the hikes. “The proposals demonstrate the joint commitment of the presidents to prioritize Arizona, access and quality while shielding resident students to the greatest extent possible from extraordinary inflationary cost pressures.”
The ABOR’s announcement means existing and new resident students at ASU will be paying 2.5 percent more than this year’s tuition. That works out to $10,978 for undergrads who are Arizona residents and $12,014 for graduate in-state resident students
ASU students who are not residents of Arizona will experience a 4 percent tuition hike, while the ABOR approved a 5 percent hike for international students at ASU. Online students registered at ASU will also notice a 2 percent increase in the cost of each credit hour.
At the UofA, resident students currently in the Guaranteed Tuition Program will not see tuitions go up, but incoming freshman and undergrads whose tuition is not guaranteed will pay $11,535 per year, a two percent increase. UofA grad students who are residents will pay $12,348, which is also up 2 percent.
Non-resident new students and non-resident existing students who are not in one of UofA’s guarantee tuition program will see tuition rates jump 5.6 percent. Different tuition rate increases are being implemented for the UofA’s College of Medicine and College of Veterinary Medicine students.
Meanwhile, incoming freshman and graduate students at NAU will be hit with a 3.5 percent tuition increase to $11,024 and $11,390 respectively. The rate boost applies to resident and non-resident students.
Undergraduate course fees at NAU will also be changing for the 2022-23 year. Meanwhile, international students at NAU will experience the biggest tuition hike among the three universities, with increases of 7.2 to 7.4 percent.
But that is not the only economic impact students at Arizona’s public universities will have to contend with for the 2022-23 school year. The ABOR has upped its housing costs between 3 and 3.5 percent at all three universities.
Any students seeking to utilize a university’s meal plan will also have to fork over more money during the next school year. In addition, ABOR also boosted some mandatory student fees.
According to the ABOR, a person must be able to prove “continuous physical presence in Arizona for at least 12 months immediately preceding the semester of application” to be eligible for resident tuition.
According to one Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) teacher, some elementary schoolers may have worn pink, teal, and white to honor International Transgender Day of Visibility last week.
Coordinating educator Sarah Chunnui, a “resource teacher” for fourth and fifth graders and special education teacher at Desert Harbor Elementary School, submitted an email obtained by AZ Free News to notify staff of the unofficial holiday on March 31. A PUSD spokesperson told AZ Free News in a statement that Chunnui’s email didn’t receive approval from the Desert Harbor Elementary School principal, Becky Berhow, prior to its sending. PUSD added that Chunnui’s email didn’t say explicitly that she coordinated with students, but didn’t dismiss speculation that Chunnui may have undertaken coordination efforts.
“Hello Fabulous Staff,” began the email. “I just wanted to let you know that you may see our students wearing more pink, teal, and white today. Today is a quickly growing annual event called ‘International Transgender Day of Visibility.’ Our President is expected to make some announcements today on new legislature [sic] to protect the rights of Trans [sic] students, any [sic] many of our students have taken a keen interest in these legislative movements.”
Chunnui closed the email by encouraging staff to affirm the children of their activism.
“How can you help? If you notice a student purposefully wearing the colors of the trans flag, a simple ‘I see you’ or ‘I support you’ can go a long way. Thank you fabulous staff!”
In the signature line, Chunnui ensured to include her pronouns: “she/her” and “they/them.” She also goes by “Mx,” a title invented by LGBTQ+ activists signifying a “gender-neutral” individual who doesn’t identify as any sex.
In a response email submitted to the Desert Harbor Elementary School community, Berhow clarified that only staff received the email — not parents. Berhow characterized the email as Chunnui’s “personal views.”
“Today you may see a screenshot on social media of an email that was recently sent by one of our staff members regarding personal views on International Transgender Day of Visibility. While the message may get increased attention in our community, it was important to me that you know that the email was only sent to our staff and not to students or parents,” wrote Berhow. “At Desert Harbor, we pride ourselves on using our limited resources to directly support teaching and learning. Please know that not all messages you see posted are a representation of our school or district.”
Berhow encouraged parents to communicate with her and reach out with any questions on any matter.
State Senator Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) told AZ Free News that this was another example of improper educator behavior.
“No level of sexuality or lifestyle should be pushed onto little children. I don’t care if they are pushing for heterosexuality. Leave our kids alone. Teach them math, reading, and science,” said Petersen. “These actions are completely inappropriate as someone who is in a position of trust with our children.”
Previously, Chunnui was a resource teacher for kindergarteners to second grade students at Rogers Ranch School in Laveen School District, where Minority Leader Reginald Bolding (D-Laveen) hails from. Chunnui joined Desert Harbor Elementary School in August 2019; she has been teaching for over 10 years.
AZ Free News reached out to Desert Harbor Elementary School and PUSD for comment.
In February, Chunnui hosted a read-aloud for Desert Harbor Elementary School, in which she read a book championed by left-wing activists as a destructor of gender norms: “Pink is For Boys.”
PUSD does have Gay-Straight Alliance, also known as Gender-Sexuality Alliance, (GSA) clubs at Sunrise Mountain High School, Ironwood High School, and Raymond S. Kellis High School. GSA clubs are the product of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a national organization focused on the sexuality of minors — specifically, promoting and normalizing LGBTQ+ lifestyles. The Phoenix chapter of GLSEN advised K-12 educators last December to incorporate “secret libraries” in their classrooms to advance LGBTQ+ ideology.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
