by Ethan Faverino | Dec 4, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Eight Arizona state lawmakers have joined Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne in demanding immediate action to revise the Structured English Immersion (SEI) framework, warning that the current language, loaded with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology, violates state law, undermines classroom neutrality, and jeopardizes $866 million in federal education funds.
In a November 25 letter to the State Board of Education, Representatives Michele Peña (LD-23), David Marshall (LD-7), Michael Carbone (LD-25, Majority Leader), James Taylor (LD-29), Leo Biasiucci (LD-30), Lisa Fink (LD-27), and Senators Hildy Angius (LD-30) and Tim Dunn (LD-25), threw their full support behind the Arizona Department of Education’s (ADE) proposed revision.
The legislators accused universities and institutions of exploiting “vague and permissive language” to inject “ideological, divisive, and race-based content” into mandatory SEI coursework—material that has no place in research-based English language instruction.
The lawmakers cited constituent complaints that SEI courses, intended solely for neutral English acquisition methods under A.R.S. § 15-756.01, have instead become vessels for racialized theories that divide classrooms, distract educators, and shift instructional time away from statutory requirements.
The letter also highlighted a direct threat to federal funding. President Trump’s recent Executive Order explicitly prohibits the use of federal dollars for DEI programming. The existing SEI Endorsement Course Framework is not compliant, and keeping it as-is exposes Arizona to unnecessary and avoidable risk, the legislators warned, urging the Board to authorize ADE to open the rulemaking process immediately.
Superintendent Horne echoed the urgency in a statement released December 2, praising the legislative coalition. “I am very thankful to the eight lawmakers who sent a letter calling on the Board to start the process to revise Arizona’s teaching standards and remove DEI language,” Horne said. “This is essential not just because DEI language improperly emphasizes race over individual merit, but it threatens $866 million in federal education funds under the President’s recent Executive Order.”
He added, “Removing DEI terms from state teaching standards is the right thing to do. We must rid race-based ideology from the classroom and ensure teachers spend their time teaching math, science, language, history, and the arts. The support of these legislators is especially helpful to convey the importance and urgency of this task, and I urge my fellow board members not to further delay this process.”
The lawmakers criticized the Board’s decision to table the issue at its October 27 meeting and form a study committee, calling the move a delay tactic designed to slow or obstruct needed reforms. They insisted that the question before the Board was never about voting on specific changes but simply whether to begin the public stakeholder process to restore instructional neutrality and legal compliance.
ADE has prepared to launch the month-long rulemaking process covering teacher standards at Arizona’s three public universities. The State Board of Education is scheduled to revisit the proposal at its December 8, 2025, meeting.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 29, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona lawmakers are urging the State Board of Education to fix the state’s Structured English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement Course Framework at its December 1st meeting, according to a letter from Rep. Michele Peña (R-LD23).
A group of State Representatives and Senators cosigned the letter from Peña, warning that existing rules risk placing Arizona out of compliance with federal funding mandates and allow the insertion of politics and racial rhetoric into courses designed to prepare educators, in violation of state law.
“Parents expect English-language instruction to focus on English-language instruction,” Peña said in a statement. “Instead, they’re finding courses with ideological material that has nothing to do with helping students learn English. The Board can’t ignore federal requirements, and it shouldn’t look the other way while universities inject political content into SEI training. The framework needs to be corrected now, and delays only create further problems for students, teachers, and the state.”
Peña warned the board that the present rule set “is harming instructional quality and undermining classroom integrity statewide.”
As noted by Peña, A.R.S. § 15-756.01 requires that the Board of Education “shall adopt and approve research-based models of structured English immersion.” In the letter, Rep. Peña adds, “SEI is intended to be a model focused only on research-based English language acquisition. That is all.”
She continued:
“The insertion of DEI-aligned language, political ideology, or racialized theories is not only outside the scope of the statute, but it also actively undermines the purpose of SEI by introducing content that divides classrooms, distracts educators, and shifts instructional time away from what the law actually requires. Arizona’s students deserve better than to have their language instruction diluted by ideological philosophies and turned into a political debate…
… We expect the Board not to delay corrective action or hide behind process barriers that were never required when these controversial provisions were inserted. Our students, teachers, and districts deserve a framework grounded in objective, research-based instruction, not ideological experimentation.”
The legislators who cosigned the letter include State Representatives David Marshall (R-LD07), James Taylor (R-LD29), Leo Biasiucci(R-LD30), Lisa Fink (R-LD27), and House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-LD25), as well as Senators Hildy Angius (R-LD30) and Tim Dunn (R-LD29).
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued a similar statement in October, calling upon the Board to strip Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) language from Arizona’s teaching standards.
Note: As of this report, the State Board’s public calendar shows the meeting scheduled for Dec. 1, 2025, as a meeting of the Accountability Technical Advisory Committee, while the regular State Board of Education meeting is scheduled for December 8th; this conflicts with the December 1st date provided in Rep. Peña’s statement.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | Nov 21, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Over 100 out of about 400 schools in Arizona have advanced out of federal school improvement status, per the Arizona Department of Education.
There are over 2,800 schools in the state. That means approximately 14 percent (after this latest update) of all schools statewide remain on the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) list.
Schools on the federal list consist of those with low graduation rates and test scores per the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a federal law passed by the Obama administration in 2015 that, essentially, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
ESSA was responsible for every state and district publishing a report card for public review, as well as publishing how much is spent per student at every school, broken down by federal, state, and local monies.
ESSA’s predecessor was the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), enacted in 2002. NCLB received criticisms for its heavily federal approach to education, where many thought the states could yield student outcomes better.
ADE identifies these schools — classified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement – Low Achievement (CSI-LA) schools — every three years. Schools have four years upon identification to exit this status.
CSI-LA schools are those that don’t meet the 60 percent proficiency, 20 percent growth or graduation rate, 10 percent English Learners achievement and growth, and 10 chronic absenteeism (K-8) or 10 percent drop out rate (high school).
The Arizona Department of Education monitors these schools through its Office of School Improvement.
Superintendent Tom Horne said in a statement that these schools’ advancements prove that dedication to the basics — namely through Project Momentum Arizona (PMA) — does work.
“The schools we are honoring today have proven that when students are challenged academically and class time is devoted to teaching core subjects like reading and math, test scores will go up, and students will succeed,” said Horne. “It is a highly effective program that emphasizes academic knowledge and helps educators do the right work to ensure that all students succeed.”
Horne hosted a press conference on Wednesday to praise these schools, including Roosevelt School District, which had four schools leaving the list. Horne also issued a similar announcement on Thursday.
PMA has schools select one or more from a list of guiding questions around which to frame their improvement plans. These questions focus on recognizing the specifics of desired student outcomes, evidence of student comprehension, highest-yielding instructional practices, responses to lack of student learning, planned responses to student mastery of materials, and goals for improving, cataloging, and saving work.
Spring state assessment results showed that an average of 33 percent were passing math, and 40 percent were passing English. These results aligned with those from the previous year.
COVID-19 caused student proficiency to drop significantly. They were on an upward trend, achieving 42 percent in math and English.
Oversight of failing schools may soon become more of a state problem, with ongoing efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
Horne told The Center Square that he’s “pleased” with the Trump administration’s decision.
“[I am] pleased with the administration’s work to move the work of education back to the states and addressing the needless bureaucracy of the federal department,” said Horne.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Nov 15, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Six Arizona campuses have been named Blue Ribbon Schools, a distinction announced Monday by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and the Arizona Department of Education, recognizing standout academic achievement and sustained student growth.
The schools earning the honor this year include the Academy of Math and Science in Peoria, Chinle Elementary School in Chinle, Empire High School in Tucson, the Maricopa Institute of Technology in Phoenix, Saint John Bosco Catholic School in Phoenix, and Ward Traditional Academy in Tempe.
Horne said the recognition reflects the department’s emphasis on academic rigor and measurable results.
“My primary focus as superintendent is on academic excellence, and these schools can be justifiably proud of this accomplishment because it is based on academic success,” Horne said. “Students and educators should always work toward continuous improvement in academic achievement, and Blue Ribbon Schools demonstrate that when schools lead students into challenging themselves, they will excel academically.”
The Blue Ribbon Schools program, now administered at the state level, highlights campuses that show strong performance on state assessments or demonstrate significant progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. Established in 1982, the program is open to both public and private K–12 schools nationwide.
Arizona’s newly recognized schools will join a long-running tradition of campuses that exemplify high standards, strong instruction, and a commitment to raising student outcomes across diverse communities.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Nov 11, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
A new survey from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) indicates that the state’s teacher shortage remains severe, with more than 1,000 teachers leaving classrooms since July and thousands of positions still unfilled or covered by temporary staffing arrangements.
According to the data, 763 teachers resigned or failed to report for duty after July 1, and an additional 292 resigned after the school year began, totaling 1,055 departures. The survey, conducted in late August, received responses from 523 of the state’s 629 public school districts and charter schools—an 83% response rate.
The findings show more than 4,200 teaching positions remain vacant statewide. Of those, nearly 30% are being filled by long-term substitute teachers, about 24% are being covered by current educators giving up preparation or planning time, and roughly 23% rely on temporary staffing agencies. Nearly 1,400 of the openings remain entirely unfilled.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne called the situation “intolerable” and urged state leaders to take action. He pointed to long-standing concerns over teacher pay and what he described as insufficient administrative support on student discipline as key factors driving educators out of the profession.
“Teachers have been underpaid for years, and they have also been discouraged by a lack of administrative support for classroom discipline,” Horne said. He noted that he plans to renew his calls for increased pay and stronger discipline policies during his annual address to lawmakers. He also expressed hope that the upcoming debate over the reauthorization of Proposition 123 will include additional funding for teacher salaries drawn from the state land trust, emphasizing that such an approach would not require a tax increase.
Horne said the results reinforce what many educators have been voicing for years. “This survey is disheartening because the solutions are obvious,” he said. “Better pay and robust support from administrators on discipline are vital.”
Arizona has faced persistent teacher shortages for more than a decade, with advocacy groups and education leaders frequently citing low pay, high turnover, and workforce burnout as major challenges. The new survey suggests those issues remain widespread as the school year continues.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
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