Supportive leadership, collaborative freedom, and safe campuses are the leading reasons why thousands of Arizona educators say they don’t quit education.
A new survey from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) polled more than 9,300 current Arizona teachers during the 2025-2026 school year on their reasons for staying in the profession.
More than 2,000 teachers (22%) completed the survey. ADE disclosed that it excluded the responses of approximately 170 teachers that were ultimately deemed ineligible upon further screening.
According to ADE interpretation of the data, a majority of these educators cited strong leadership support, the ability to collaborate with other educators, and safe campuses as among their highest priorities. Districts who meet these criteria for their teachers have better chances at higher rates of K-12 educator retention, they say.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the results of the survey confirmed his sentiments on the matter, which he has vocalized in interviews with the media and implemented through ADE policy. Horne said tapping into available state funds would alleviate one key issue raised by educators in the survey: teacher pay.
“This survey confirms what I have consistently said about educators needing support from their school leadership, a collaborative and safe workplace environment, and higher pay,” said Horne. “Arizona is facing a catastrophic teacher shortage, but this survey shows there are some answers that can be implemented immediately, although more effort needs to be made to raise teacher pay. That is something I have consistently fought for and can be done without raising taxes because there is money available in the state land trust.”
93% of responding teachers said they planned to return to a teaching position for the 2026-2027 school year. 7% said they did not.
Nearly 77% of respondent teachers collectively said they felt safe and supported at their school site. Nearly 75% said they felt their school fostered a positive and collaborative environment. Nearly 74% said they felt they had autonomy to make instructional decisions for their students. Nearly 71% said they felt valued and respected by school leaders. About 70% said they felt they had access to the instructional resources and materials they needed to be successful.
Class sizes at their school were manageable according to most (nearly 700 agreed), followed by a close-second majority who said they disagreed (nearly 400), and those who strongly agreed or were neutral were close in numbers (more than 300 respectively). Those who strongly disagreed with the sentiment totaled 160.
A strong sense of belonging in the school community was present for most (more than 700 who strongly agreed), followed by a close-second majority who said they agreed (nearly 700), then those who said they were neutral (nearly 300), then those who said they disagreed (about 150), and those who said they strongly disagreed (about 60).
However, teachers indicated that they had insufficient time during their work days to complete non-instruction tasks. Close to 600 teachers said they disagreed that they had sufficient time, followed by more than 500 who strongly disagreed. 360 teachers said they agreed they had sufficient time, nearly 300 were neutral on the matter, and 150 strongly agreed.
Teacher pay came a close second for highest levels of dissatisfaction among respondent teachers. Only 38% overall said they felt their salary was competitive with similar positions in the state.
More than 500 teachers said they agreed that their salary was competitive with similar positions in the state, and 190 said they strongly agreed. More than 400 were neutral or in disagreement, respectively. More than 300 said they strongly disagreed.
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Arizona’s “Save Women’s Sports Act” no longer faces a court challenge following a Supreme Court ruling.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia v. B.P.J. (inclusive of Little v. Hecox) that states have a constitutional right to enact laws restricting single-sex sports participation on biological sex. The court ruling affirmed that biology, not gender identity, defines sex when considering federal regulations on sex-based discrimination.
The Save Women’s Sports Act went into effect in 2022 under SB 1165. The law requires K-12 students to play on sports teams aligning with their biological sex.
The following spring, the families of two boys who identify as transgender girls sued State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne in Doe v. Horne. The boys who filed were, at the time, an 11-year-old middle schooler in Maricopa County identified as “Jane Doe” and a 15-year-old high schooler in Pima County identified as “Megan Roe.”
Roe, now identified as Grey Picciano, dropped out of the case upon graduating high school, and until this week only Doe remained in the case.
The two youths had alleged the law was unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act since they had either not undergone puberty or were taking puberty blockers.
The Tucson division of the Arizona District Court blocked the state law in July 2023, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in 2024.
Horne celebrated the lawsuit’s dismissal in a press release announcement, bringing to close a three-year court battle in which Horne ultimately held the line on Arizona’s law.
“There had been numerous articles about girls who worked hard on their sports, hoping to make the team, or even get a college scholarship or compete for the Olympics. Then they had to compete with a biological boy who was bigger, stronger and faster from birth,” said Horne. “They could not compete. Their dreams were shattered and they were devastated. They no longer need to fear those outcomes.”
Horne also pointed out that, of all those named as defendants in the original lawsuit, only his office remained three years later. Attorney General Kris Mayes reportedly declined to represent Horne in the case. Horne contracted the services of Wilenchik Law Firm to represent him.
An attorney behind the lawsuit to stop Arizona’s law, Rachel Berg, senior staff attorney with the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR), told Capitol Media Services that it was Doe’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit.
“[O]ur client has decided for personal reasons that she does not want to continue with the litigation,” said Berg.
In a statement last week responding to the Supreme Court ruling, Berg claimed state laws restricting participation in single-sex sports based on biological sex would lead to institutions checking the gender of participants should they appear to be physically above average.
“Blanket bans on transgender girls playing school sports invite anyone to call for a ‘gender check’ on any girl who wants to play sports if they think she is ‘too tall’ or ‘too strong,’” said Berg. “Local schools and sports associations should be handling this issue, not politicians.”
Including the dismissed case, NCLR has filed five cases challenging Arizona laws and policies which allegedly impose unlawful discriminations against individuals who identify as transgender.
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Arizona families using the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program will no longer be required to submit curriculum documentation when purchasing general educational supplemental materials, such as basic school supplies, under a settlement agreement announced by the Goldwater Institute.
The agreement resolves a lawsuit brought by ESA parent Velia Aguirre against the State of Arizona, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), and Superintendent Tom Horne over the documentation requirements.
The settlement, which took effect July 1, states that ESA families “shall not be required to submit a specific curriculum document” when purchasing items identified as “general educational supplemental materials” in the 2025–2026 ESA Handbook.
After pushing this bureaucratic abomination for 2 years, the office of Attorney General Kris Mayes has walked back its unlawful demands. No more permission slips needed to buy pencils and children's books:
The dispute began after Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office sent a 2024 letter to the ADE opening a public monies investigation into ESA spending approvals. The Attorney General’s Office said at the time that ADE guidance appeared to allow expenses beyond the statutory framework for the ESA program, including the approval of supplementary materials without documentation demonstrating a curricular connection.
In the letter, Mayes’ office asked the ADE to “promptly cease approving supplementary material expenses without the requisite documentation of a curriculum nexus,” and requested information on ESA spending for supplementary materials, curriculum materials, and textbooks from the 2019–2020 school year through the 2023–2024 school year.
The Goldwater Institute, which represented Aguirre, said in a September 2024 press release that the directive forced parents to justify purchases of basic school supplies and educational books. Goldwater said Aguirre had purchases such as “Where the Red Fern Grows,” a periodic table poster, and pencils rejected for failing to satisfy the curriculum documentation requirement.
Arizona law allows ESA funds to be used for several categories of educational expenses, including tuition at qualified schools, textbooks, tutoring, curricula, and supplementary materials.
The law defines “curriculum” as “a course of study for content areas or grade levels, including any supplemental materials required or recommended by the curriculum, approved by the department.”
After Mayes’ 2024 letter, the ADE posted guidance stating that supplementary materials, including common school supplies such as pencils, paper, glue, and crayons, required curriculum support. The ADE’s ESA support page stated that items previously allowed without curriculum documentation “now do require a curriculum.”
Goldwater filed suit in September 2024 on behalf of Aguirre and Rosemary McAtee, arguing that the documentation requirement imposed new burdens on families buying ordinary educational materials. Goldwater said at the time that parents were being required to show that each purchase was explicitly called for in a curriculum, including items such as pencils, erasers, flashcards, and children’s books.
Under the settlement, ESA families purchasing general educational supplemental materials must attest that the items are intended to support a curriculum or course of study for the qualified student and are not being purchased for another purpose. The agreement also requires ESA holders to indicate the curriculum or course of study the materials support by selecting categories such as reading or grammar, social studies, science, mathematics, physical education, art, vocational instruction, or other.
The agreement states that the ADE will not require a specific curriculum document as a prerequisite for approval or processing of general educational supplemental material purchases. It also provides that the ADE may require an ESA holder to enter the name of the curriculum or course of study in a text box when selecting “Other,” once technologically feasible or no later than the second quarter of fiscal year 2027.
The settlement does not eliminate the ADE’s oversight authority. Rather, it states that nothing limits the ADE’s ability to review or audit individual expenditures or ESA accounts, disallow expenses, seek repayment, or report an ESA holder to the Attorney General’s Office for investigation of fraud, misuse of funds, or unlawful expenditures.
The agreement also preserves the Attorney General’s authority to investigate or enforce the law in cases involving fraud, misuse of funds, or unlawful expenditures, and to request information in specific cases where there is a reasonable basis to believe a violation occurred.
The State disputed in the settlement agreement that the ADE enforced the alleged documentation policy and maintained that the ADE has the authority and obligation to confirm that ESA expenditures are allowable under statute and rules. The parties agreed to resolve the case to avoid the time, expense, and uncertainty of further litigation.
Goldwater characterized the settlement as a victory for ESA families.
“ESA holders shall not be required to submit a specific curriculum document when purchasing items identified as ‘general educational supplemental materials’ in the 2025–2026 ESA Handbook,” Goldwater wrote, quoting the settlement agreement. The organization said the change means families will no longer have to provide individualized curriculum documentation for ordinary educational purchases such as pencils and children’s books.
In a press release on July 2, Matt Beienburg, Director of Education Policy at the Goldwater Institute, summarized the legal victory:
“This means no more manufactured paperwork from parents simply to appease the bureaucratic whims of politicians. No more wasted hours explaining why hundreds of individual items, like pencils or children’s literature, are necessary for a child’s education.
“Instead, parents will simply acknowledge via a single check box for a purchase order or reimbursement request that the purchases are intended to support the course of study for an ESA student. What was once the needless compounding of minutes into hours to comply with the attorney general’s demands will now be two clicks of a mouse.”
The parties agreed to file a stipulation dismissing the case with prejudice within 10 days of executing the settlement.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws barring males from competing in female sports, even if they identify as female. The ruling drew praise from Arizona’s Republican leaders.
In its opinion in West Virginia v. B.P.J. (inclusive of Little v. Hecox), the high court declared that biology defines sex, not gender identity, when considering federal regulations on sex-based discrimination.
“The term ‘sex’ […] cannot plausibly be interpreted to refer to anything other than biological sex,” stated the ruling.
Arizona participated in the lawsuit through its leaders in the Republican-led state legislature: Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (LD14) and Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro (LD29). The pair filed an amicus brief last September.
Petersen hailed the Supreme Court decision as a “landmark ruling.” In a press release responding to Tuesday’s ruling, Petersen said the ruling represented a win in both the intellectual and moral sense, calling it common sense justice for women and girls.
“Every young woman deserves the opportunity to compete on a level playing field and earn a roster spot, a championship, a record, or a scholarship based on her hard work. Girls shouldn’t have to lose those opportunities because adults are afraid to acknowledge biological reality. That’s not fairness, and it’s not what Title IX was created to do,” said Petersen. “Arizona has been leading on this issue for years, and we were proud to stand with West Virginia and Idaho before the U.S. Supreme Court to defend girls’ sports. Today’s decision makes it clear that states can continue protecting the integrity of women’s athletics and the opportunities generations of women fought so hard to secure. This is a victory for every girl who dreams big, works hard, and deserves the chance to compete fairly.”
Arizona Superintendent of Schools Tom Horne — the lone elected leader to defend in court Arizona’s law prohibiting biological males from participating in female-only sports — declared the ruling a victory for female success and safety in competition. Attorney General Kris Mayes refused to defend the law in court (Jane Doe v. Warren Petersen).
“The news has been full of stories about girls who worked hard on their sports, hoping to make the team, or even earn a college scholarship or qualify for the Olympics. But then they had to compete against biological boys and their advantages in birth in size, speed and strength. The girls’ dreams were shattered and they were devastated,” said Horne. “Girls have also been injured, including a brain injury, from having to compete against larger and stronger males. I am committed to making sure that Arizona schools follow state law protecting girls’ sports.”
Former Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, passed the “Save Women’s Sports Act” under the Republican-led state legislature in 2022. In a letter approving the legislation, Ducey called it fair and common sense.
“This legislation simply ensures that the girls and young women who have dedicated themselves to their sport do not miss out on hard-earned opportunities including their titles, standings and scholarships due to unfair competition,” stated Ducey. “This bill strikes the right balance of respecting all students while still acknowledging that there are inherent biological distinctions that merit separate categories to ensure fairness for all.”
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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.
