A retired educator once told me, “Parents don’t have rights, they have responsibilities.” Considering this viewpoint alongside the comment below, I can’t find any context in which these statements are appropriate.
In the same vein, former state Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) said, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what to teach.” Not to mention, the National School Board Association incited FBI Director Merrick Garland to declare war against parents.
In light of all the anti-parental rights sentiments infecting our education system, I declare:
Children are an inheritance, a reward, and a gift from God (Ps. 127:3). Therefore, they belong to their parents/guardians, not government employees. If your beliefs run contrary to this truth, then the following commentary was written with you in mind.
Two incidents lead to my discussion on parental rights in education. The first involves backlash I received after posting this flier in a parent group on social media:
Group members were appalled that I used the page to inform parents of their right to choose how their children are educated. One said, “I wonder what teachers would think?” Another member incoherently stated that teachers were being “used as political pons.” (I think she meant “pawns,” but we’ll blame public education for the error). The elementary shoving match in the comment section revealed that my primary opponent was, in fact, a teacher.
I was pitifully accused of being a “political operative” and called out for not focusing on strengthening relationships in the district. Never mind that I’m one of five people willing to attend board meetings. I’m also willing to find common ground with opposing leaders to improve academic success and student safety.
Our Parental Bill of Rights is one radical majority vote away from destruction. So, if giving parents options to circumvent government schools triggers you, then you’re part of the problem.
The second incident occurred on January 25, 2024, when teacher and Peoria Education Association (PEA) President, Trina Berg, requested public comments be moved to the end of the board meeting. Berg stated:
“My request is that we consider, and you have a discussion, and vote on moving public comments to the end of the board meeting. The reason why is because we have business we have to do. And I would appreciate it if we actually came in and did our business first … People still have the ability to speak on whatever they want, but it’s when business is done.”
Wouldn’t you know that public comments were relocated from position 5.1 to position 9.1 at the February 8 board meeting. Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) Board President Rebecca Proudfit — appointed by the financially compromised Maricopa County Superintendent Steve Watson — led the charge in compliance with Berg’s request.
When confronted about moving the comments, Proudfit claimed some teachers were uncomfortable with the atmosphere at PUSD board meetings. She also said the results of a survey — somehow received by educators but missed by parents — favored changing the meeting format. When pressed further about the timing of her decision, Proudfit said, “[Berg] did email me afterwards to say thank you … But I swear I wouldn’t do anything like that just because someone asked me to do it.”
Bear in mind, this is the same Trina Berg who staged an illegal sick out in defiance of the board’s decision to resume in-person learning after the 2020 winter break. District emails reveal that Berg and her co-conspirator, PEA Treasurer Jessica Batty (also a teacher), planned the union-backed catastrophe. At one point, Berg wrote, “[W]e are trying to show that this decision was especially dumb for retention.”
Berg’s shenanigans — which resulted in the closure of 13 schools — disrupted academic progress and left parents without childcare. So, why wasn’t this activist, posing as a teacher, fired?
The statement, “Teachers are not the primary stakeholders in public education,” is true contractually and financially. This is why teachers’ unions exist. Of course, educators typically have children, own property, and pay taxes in their district. But from a business standpoint, certified staff members do not hold revenue-generating positions — they are paid to provide a community service. For clarification: parents (and constituents) are patrons, students are beneficiaries, teachers are public servants.
Without parents and students, teachers wouldn’t have jobs.
When it comes to directing a child’s education, the law clearly identifies parents as the experts. And whether we consider parents “good” or “bad,” their rights are protected under the United States Constitution. The place of a teacher is to transfer knowledge, not propaganda, and foster an environment that’s conducive to learning, not excessive self-expression.
Communist dictator Vladimir Lenin — the man history deems responsible for the death of 10 million people — is credited with saying, “Give me just one generation of youth, and I’ll transform the whole world.” This is the ideological framework of someone who aims to incite rebellion and break family bonds. I implore leftist educators to reject radical approaches to instruction, abandon hypercritical theories, and, instead, work to form an alliance with parents/guardians.
Finally, I commend sensible and honorable educators who practice transparency, partner with families, and build strong support networks for their students. You are the teachers we can entrust with our youth. Now more than ever, your skills and compassion are needed to shape young minds for the betterment of society and secure the future of our nation.
Tiffany Benson is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education, a grassroots advocate for families, educators, and school board members. For nearly two decades, Tiffany’s creative writing pursuits have surpassed most interests as she continues to contribute to her blog Bigviewsmallwindow.com. She encourages everyday citizens to take an active role in defending and preserving American values for future generations.
For the past three years, the people of Arizona have been forced to deal with the fallout of a struggling economy, rising prices, and an inflation rate that, at one point, was the highest in the country. With this in mind, Republicans got to work, delivering the largest tax cut in state history and following that up with a budget that included tax rebates for Arizona families.
But Governor Katie Hobbs clearly has much different priorities when it comes to your hard-earned money. True to her 10-year history of pulverizing Arizona taxpayers, Hobbs announced during her State of the State address in January her desire to—you guessed it—massively grow the size of state government. And judging by the executive staff hiring spree that Hobbs is on as governor, it’s clear that this isn’t just empty rhetoric…
Gov. Katie Hobbs has introduced legislation that would end the entirety of Arizona’s school choice program come 2032.
On Monday, Hobbs announced the release of the bill, part of a forthcoming package, to bring to heel and then end the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.
In the press release announcing the legislation, neither Hobbs nor Democratic leaders mentioned the provision ending the entire ESA Program: both the universal and special education components. The coalition characterized the legislation as containing accountability and transparency measures.
As justification for the legislation, the governor repeated claims of misused ESA funding that have been debunked by Arizona Department of Education (ADE) officials.
“Arizonans deserve to know their taxpayer dollars are being spent giving Arizona children the education they deserve, not on luxury car driving lessons, ski trips, and water park passes,” said Hobbs. “We must bring accountability and transparency to the ESA program.”
The bill, SB1399, was introduced by Sen. Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein (D-LD12). Under the bill, the ESA Program would end on July 1, 2032 unless continued by an act of the legislature approved by the governor.
The bill also would:
Require educators at ESA-funded schools to have a higher education; at least three years of teaching experience; and specialized skills, knowledge, or expertise related to the subject matter of instruction
Require fingerprinting and background checks for ESA-funded educators and tutors
Prohibit sales of items purchased using ESA funds
Require preapproval of transactions of $500 or more
Require the purchase of the least-expensive version of educational goods or services
Require ADE to disclose the legal rights waived by admission to the program
Require ADE to estimate the funds needed for the ESA program for the upcoming fiscal year
Implement additional performance and fiscal reporting requirements for ESA-funded schools
Require ESA-funded schools to adhere to outside individualized education programs or Section 504 plans
Establish annual audits of ESA-funded schools
Establish a legislative committee review of the ESA program to determine its economy and efficiency, achievements and shortcomings
Epstein also didn’t mention the bill’s total eradication of the ESA Program. Rather, the senator indicated that her issue with the ESA Program concerned its universalization.
“The unaccountable government expansion of ESA vouchers has put our state’s financial security, and our students, at risk,” said Epstein. “These commonsense safeguards will be vitally important for giving Arizona children a safe and quality education, and bring the same accountability and oversight to ESAs that we expect for any taxpayer spending.”
Today, @GovernorHobbs joined Senate Democratic Leader @MitziEpstein and House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras in introducing a package of bills that will increase accountability and transparency in the ESA voucher program.
Similarly, House Minority Leader Lupe Contreras (D-LD22) — anticipated to introduce mirror legislation soon — said that the legislation consisted of “basic standards” for transparency and accountability.
The governor put the legislature on notice of the forthcoming legislative package earlier this month.
The day after Hobbs dropped her legislation, ADE Superintendent Tom Horne released the latest data on the ESA Program. Horne reported a projected surplus of $28 million through the 2024 fiscal year, which ends in June.
Citing the projected surplus, Horne denounced the accusations from Hobbs and Democratic lawmakers that the state’s budget woes were attributable to the ESA Program expansion.
“Whatever budget issues state lawmakers are facing this year, they have not been created by the ESA program or any other aspect of basic state aid for education,” said Horne. “The fact there is a surplus in basic state aid, including the ESA program, demonstrates our commitment to good financial stewardship.”
Matt Beienburg of the Goldwater Institute, a major proponent of the ESA Program, said that Hobbs’ proposal constituted “an all-out assault” on students and their families as well as a “government takeover” of private schools.
“Building off Gov. Hobbs’s recent proposal to rip away 50,000 ESA scholarship awards, this legislation goes even further and would terminate the entire ESA program—including for students with special needs—before thousands of these children even complete their studies,” said Beienburg. “This legislation would impose a government takeover of private school tuition rates and operational decisions, attempting to destroy private education and parental autonomy, forcing thousands of families back into a system they’ve desperately tried to escape.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Arizona Senate Republicans are throwing a challenge flag over the state’s Democrat Governor’s shocking recognition of School Choice Week.
On Tuesday, the National School Choice Awareness Foundation announced that Governor Katie Hobbs had “officially proclaimed January 21-27 as Arizona School Choice Week.”
The Foundation expressed thankfulness to Hobbs for her ceremonial action, writing, “Governors play a key role in raising school choice awareness, so we’re grateful to Gov. Hobbs for helping Arizona families explore high quality education options.”
This praise for Hobbs earned a sharp retort from the Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus “X” account. They stated, “This has got to be a JOKE, right? Governor Hobbs has been dead set on dismantling Arizona’s universal school choice program since she entered office. She currently wants to pull nearly 50,000 students out of the program as reflected in her budget proposal.”
🤔This has got to be a JOKE, right? Governor Hobbs has been dead set on dismantling Arizona’s universal school choice program since she entered office. She currently wants to pull nearly 50,000 students out of the program, as reflected in her budget proposal. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/yPOQhWmRIG
Cathi Herrod, one of Arizona’s top advocates for family and school choice issues, echoed the sentiments from the State Republicans, posting, “When you think you can’t be surprised by anything that happens, you see this…from a governor trying to do all she can to dismantle school choice. Unreal.”
When you think you can’t be surprised by anything that happens, you see this….from a governor trying to do all she can to dismantle school choice. Unreal. https://t.co/UxGxLkfB0E
Hobbs, perhaps in a show of regret for her published commendation, returned to form on her education position on the same day of the Foundation’s social media post. She shared a clip from her recent State of the State address before the Arizona Legislature, renewing her vow to “address the lack of accountability and transparency in Arizona’s ESA program.”
We must also address the long-term health of our K-12 schools – which means we must address the lack of accountability and transparency in Arizona’s ESA program. pic.twitter.com/euXxDSytHO
Arizona Republicans and Democrats enter the second year of a divided state government at odds over the future of the historic Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. Democrats wanted to reform or end the program in 2023, before Hobbs acquiesced to legislative Republicans in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget compromise, which left these school choice opportunities completely intact. In the aftermath of last year’s budget passage and in her latest State of the State address, Hobbs has redoubled her rhetoric against ESAs as she attempts to rally her base in a pivotal election year for Arizona.
While Democrats have sharpened the political and legislative knives against the ESA program, Arizona Republicans have remained stalwart defenders of all school choice opportunities for families in the Grand Canyon State. Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma have led the charge in the state legislature to counter the governor’s actions and to hold the line for the tens of thousands of boys and girls enrolled in the program.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Gov. Katie Hobbs is claiming that the state’s school choice program is rife with abuse and in need of serious reform.
In her State of the State address on Monday, Hobbs claimed the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program lacks accountability and transparency, alluding to media reports of questionable and controversial expenditures — some of which were debunked previously.
“We have seen a steady stream of news coverage around unacceptable and sometimes downright outrageous use of taxpayer money under this program, including water park admissions, ski passes, and luxury car driving lessons,” said Hobbs.
We must also address the long-term health of our K-12 schools – which means we must address the lack of accountability and transparency in Arizona’s ESA program.#SOTS2024#HobbsSOTSpic.twitter.com/C5FOU7d1eK
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) issues quarterly reports on the ESA program; the latest was released several days prior to Christmas. These reports include the program award amount received by students, as well as the number of orders and reimbursements approved and rejected.
ADE also provides lists of allowable and disallowable expenses, both updated last March. The ADE debunked one of Hobbs’ claims of “outrageous” expenditures last summer. In a statement, ADE clarified that it rejects expenditures for water park admissions.
An ESA representative mistakenly said this was acceptable, but when it came through, it was rejected. Please reach out to confirm stories. https://t.co/HFyU3C3C6J
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) July 26, 2023
An ABC15 review of 2022-23 ESA program expenditures found that ADE issued nearly 80 approvals for driving lessons and over 100 approvals for ski passes. However, that report didn’t distinguish whether those expenditures were made in 2022 under former ADE Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) Kathy Hoffman, or in 2023 under current SPI Tom Horne. The difference matters because, as Horne stated in November, similar “outlandish purchases” occurred under Hoffman, not him.
“Approvals like those came during the prior superintendent’s administration led by a friend of the leader of Save Our Schools, and one of my first acts in office was to put an end to it,” said Horne.
As reported by AZ Free News last January, Hoffman’s administration of the ESA program was described as neglectful and improper. In addition to severe understaffing and hundreds of thousands of unfulfilled expense requests, the Horne administration discovered questionable expense approvals such as espresso machines.
Hoffman’s administration of the ESA program has been something that Horne has pointed out repeatedly in refuting claims of improper ESA program expenditures.
“The frivolous ESA spending approvals occurred under the administration of the Governor’s friend, Kathy Hoffman,” said Horne in another statement last month.
Hobbs’ criticism of the ESA program comes days after she announced a plan to effectively dismantle the ESA program. Monday’s speech made mention of several aspects of this proposed plan: fingerprint background checks for private school educators, a new audit authority for the auditor general specific to monitoring ESA expenditures, and requirement of attendance at a public school for at least 100 days to qualify for the program.
The governor’s plan also aims to require private schools to accommodate Individualized Learning Plans and Section 504 Plans, prohibit private schools from increasing tuition costs at a rate higher than inflation, require private schools to meet certain education requirements, and require ADE to disclose which parental and student rights are waived upon entrance into the ESA program as well as graduation and chronic absenteeism rates.
We must also address the long-term health of our K-12 schools – which means we must address the lack of accountability and transparency in Arizona’s ESA program.#SOTS2024#HobbsSOTSpic.twitter.com/C5FOU7d1eK
At least one of Hobbs’ proposals addresses a practice already in place, according to Horne: accountability in the form of manual reviews of purchases over $500 and rejection of non-academic expenditures.
Horne explained in a statement that his staff reviews all expense requests, regardless of amount, leading to a rejection of over 12,000 purchase order requests and the suspension of nearly 2,200 accounts totaling $21 million due to public school enrollment.
“My job is to administer the ESA program in line with state law, and if changes are made, the Department of Education will follow them,” said Horne. “My office already reviews all expense requests regardless of amount, unlike the previous superintendent who approved many frivolous requests.”
That $500 threshold appears to be related to another false expenditure-related claim echoed by Hobbs from the activist group, Save Our Schools Arizona. The activist group implied in a viral post picked up by various media outlets that ADE approved an expenditure of over $500 for a Lego set.
“Contrary to a falsified document tweeted by Save Our Schools, no ESA parent has been reimbursed $500 to buy Legos,” said Horne. “To be clear, district, charter and ESA students are allowed to use Legos. The issue here is a pattern of lying. Save Our Schools admitted they fabricated a document to make it look like a parent made a $500 purchase when she did not. By doing so they have misled both the Governor and a prominent newspaper columnist, both of whom have retweeted this lie.”
Although the claim was debunked, Hobbs didn’t retract her viral accusation of ESA program mismanagement.
“Your taxpayer dollars are being used to buy $500 Lego sets because partisan politicians refuse to place limits on school vouchers,” said Hobbs.
Your taxpayer dollars are being used to buy $500 Lego sets because partisan politicians refuse to place limits on school vouchers.
It is time to end this wasteful, runaway spending by passing real accountability & transparency measures. ⬇️https://t.co/MBdqirOrfg
