by Rosemary McAtee | May 20, 2025 | Opinion
By Rosemary McAtee |
Secrecy, control, and parents without a voice. These factors apparently comprise the current motto of Superintendent Tom Horne and John Ward, head of the ESA department. As a six-year veteran parent in the ESA program, I know what I am talking about. Over the past two years, the changes I have seen have been nothing short of appalling, frustrating, and alarming. Instead of empowering parents with trust and the ability to make free choices in educating their students, the current Superintendent has done all he can to rob parents of the freedom granted in the lawmakers’ legislative intent in the historic bill that was passed in 2020.
I could spend hours sharing all the abuses that parents have experienced at the hands of Tom Horne. To save us all a bunch of heartache, I’ll leave it at one major concern: the ongoing development of the most recent edition of the parent handbook. As a longtime shareholder, I can tell you the current protocol of closed-door meetings and a handpicked handbook committee led by a non-ESA parent has never been the norm of this program. Even under former Superintendent Kathy Hoffman, a clear opponent to the program, parents were offered townhalls to make their voices heard.
This year, despite the State Board of Education’s President demanding that Superintendent Tom Horne offer a townhall, Superintendent Horne has remained silent for months. Instead, prior to the last State Board of Education meeting, Mr. Horne sent an email to parents, demanding they sit down and shut up.
I quote, “This email is particularly directed to ESA users who have been in disagreement with the proposed handbook: We received some concern from state legislators. We therefore agreed to postpone the vote on the handbook until the June meeting to give us a chance to sit down with the legislators and hopefully reach mutually acceptable agreements. We therefore respectfully request that those who have signed up to speak on this issue wait until the June meeting and not come to the meeting next Monday. The handbook will not be on the agenda, and once agreement is reached with legislators, any objections you have might be solved. It is best to come to the meeting when you know what the final proposal will be in June.”
Clearly Superintendent Horne has no interest in listening to the concerns of the parents.
Now, let us explore some major issues in the handbook itself. A large portion of the parental outcry has primarily been against the mandated caps in different spending categories. While the caps seem to be contrary to the law, I firmly believe they are merely a diversion from the real agenda of the ESA department. Take a moment to examine two critical footnotes.
For the second time in the last two years, we see a footnote that an acceptable expense category is as follows: “Any fees that may be levied by the Department to cover the costs of managing of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program” (pg 15, footnote 10). This means that the ESA department really wants to pull fees out of students’ accounts to cover administrative fees. Students already only receive 90% of the funding they would in public schools – and now the department wants to steal money from the kids to cover their own expenses?
Even more concerning is footnote 22 on page 52, which says: “The Department may ask for repayment of any items approved in error, if items are improper or unallowable under your ESA contract, state law, administrative rule, program policies, or this ESA parental handbook.”
For the first time in my experience as an ESA parent, Superintendent Horne and John Ward have approved auto approvals of expenses in the ESA program. Before this, every single purchase had to be approved, thus protecting tax dollars from being used improperly. However, because the current ESA department cannot be run efficiently or effectively (despite the program being handed over to Mr. Ward with turnaround times being 24-48 hours for every single order), they now want the buck to stop with the parents, not themselves as the lawful administrators of the program. This leaves parents in a position that if rules change or future ESA parent handbooks remove categories, the state can demand repayment. This has nothing to do with improper spending, but everything to do with bureaucratic inefficiency.
It is clear that Tom Horne is no advocate for school choice and no advocate for making the voices of parents heard. We parents have had enough. We will scream until our voices are hoarse, because we are the primary educators for our children and we should have a say in the proposed ESA parent handbook.
Rosemary McAtee is a home-educating parent of 7 students and a 6-year veteran of the ESA program.
by Matthew Holloway | May 10, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona schools will be protected by more armed school campus officers, newly developed safety technology, and advanced training through a new bipartisan bill, just signed into law. The bill, HB 2074, was signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs on Tuesday.
Sponsored by State Representative Matt Gress (R-LD4), the new law makes a massive expansion to the existing, already successful, School Safety Program and allows retired law enforcement officers to serve their communities again as school officers.
Speaking in support of the new law, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said, “I am very pleased that this bill has become law. There is a need for more armed officers in schools and expanding the pool of available law enforcement professionals to include those who have retired in good standing is a commonsense idea that will put more officers in schools, making campuses safer. The added training and technology will increase the value of this successful program that makes our students, educators and staff safer on campus.”
“Schools must be places where all students, teachers, and staff feel safe,” said Gress in a press release. “I’m proud that this bill has been signed—crafted through collaboration with educators, certified mental health professionals, law enforcement, legislators, and Superintendent Tom Horne—into law. This marks a major step forward in implementing meaningful, commonsense school safety enhancements.”
According to a statement from the Arizona Department of Education, the new law contains provisions for Arizona schools to install new safety equipment and infrastructure. School districts and charter schools will also have access to training for safety officers on interacting with special needs students in addition to civil rights, student privacy laws, and adolescent mental issues. Each of the districts and charters must also prepare and submit a campus emergency response plan.
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 Jonathan Eberle | May 4, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
The Arizona Department of Education has unveiled a new public webpage identifying which schools in the state are in compliance with the Trump administration’s recent directives targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The move comes amid national legal battles over DEI in public education.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance requiring schools to sign compliance letters affirming they do not engage in DEI practices that the administration deems discriminatory. Failure to comply could result in the loss of federal funding. In response, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced the launch of a tracking site aimed at promoting transparency around which schools have agreed to follow the guidance.
“I am committed to following the law and will abide by the latest guidance from the U.S. Department of Education to take no action against schools until further notice,” Horne said in a statement.
The federal guidance has sparked legal challenges and confusion across the country, with educators and administrators unsure what qualifies as a DEI program. Two federal judges have already intervened. In one case, U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty of New Hampshire criticized the vague language in the compliance letters, noting that they fail to clearly define DEI initiatives or how they allegedly violate civil rights laws.
Despite the legal uncertainty, Horne has voiced strong support for the administration’s position. “Federal law and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution are clear that no person shall be discriminated [against] because of race, skin color or ethnicity, and this guidance aligns completely with my philosophy,” Horne said. “By contrast, the use of DEI programs does just the opposite and promotes racial discrimination.”
Horne said he believes the current DEI restrictions will ultimately be upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and encouraged Arizona school districts and charter schools to take the issue seriously.
The Arizona Department of Education’s DEI compliance page can be viewed here.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 29, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne offered criticism of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) governing board for rejecting the urgent request of two of its high schools’ employees and administrators to place armed security officers on campus. Horne said that the decision is an “error” that is placing these schools, their students, and faculty at risk.
In a press conference Thursday, alongside three current and former educators of PXU, Horne called upon the board to reconsider its decision and authorize the deployment of armed officers at Betty Fairfax and Carl Hayden High Schools.
Horne told reporters, “The governing board made a mistake by rejecting the wishes of its district administrators and the two principals of these schools. Board members do not have to show up on campus every school day and deal with safety problems, but teachers, students and staff do. They know how bad the situation has become. Principals at these two schools requested armed officers through the state’s School Safety program that the Department of Education agreed to pay for them. The board should have respected the wishes of its own educators.”
The superintendent added, “Should the unthinkable happen and an armed maniac kills students at a school as we have seen in other states, the parents of those students would never forgive those responsible for failing to provide protection for the school.”
In the March decision, the board voted 5-2 to reject state funding to place an officer to be shared between the schools. The funding would have used excess funds under the Arizona Department of Education’s School Safety Program to hire a police officer, and the position would have been funded through June 2026. Neither school presently has an assigned officer on campus.
Phoenix Union students protested the presence of police on campus in 2020, demanding their removal. The district chose not to renew its contract with Phoenix PD shortly after, only moving to bring in School Resource Officers in 2023. There are two School Resource Officers (SROs) employed by PXU assigned to other schools full-time and four “school safety officers,” off-duty law enforcement officers assigned to schools without SROs.
Speaking at the press conference, Horne sought to make “a respectful request” of the PXU Governing Board saying, “The school board should give some thought to the safety (of teachers and administrators).”
The educators who joined Horne, Retired PXU teacher Mark Williams, Susan Groff, a National Board-Certified Teacher, and Pamela Kelley, M. Ed., suggested that the existing coverage of PXU is insufficient.
Williams said, “Superintendent Tom Horne is attempting to protect students and staff by an ever-increasing threat of violence because some parents are failing to parent, and the school board is bending to a very few but vocal community about not having their children around police officers. One should ask ‘why’?”
Groff highlighted the positive impact the presence of SROs has saying, “As a retired teacher and longtime resident of this community, I have seen firsthand the positive impact School Resource Officers have in our high schools. Their presence not only enhances safety but fosters trust and support among student and staff.”
In addition to the call for officers, Kelley suggested more action is needed: “All Phoenix Union High School District Schools need metal detectors and School Resource Officers (SROs) for the safety and security of the students, staff, and visitors.”
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 Matthew Holloway | Apr 28, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Grand Canyon University, despite a tumultuous period which saw unprecedented fines and targeting by the Biden administration, reported the largest number of graduates in the Christian university’s history for its 75th Anniversary.
According to the university, the GCU Class of 2025 will graduate 31,104 students, 5,669 of them in person at the university’s Phoenix campus and another 25,435 online. Commencement ceremonies for in-person students are already underway as of this report and will take place between April 29th and May 2nd for online students.
“This year’s record-breaking graduating class reflects the dedication of our exceptional students, the unwavering support of our faculty and staff, and our commitment to offering innovative educational opportunities across multiple delivery platforms,” said GCU President Brian Mueller.
“Whether through in-person classes, online learning, hybrid models or accelerated pathways, our flexible approach allows us to connect with students no matter their life circumstances. Increasingly, more and more families are seeking these opportunities, especially when taught from a Christian worldview perspective,” he added.
“Our focus remains on partnering directly with employers to help them address their workforce shortages, especially in critical sectors like education, healthcare, technology, engineering, social work, counseling and the military,” Mueller said. “While many universities have scaled back programs amid declining enrollments since the pandemic, GCU has introduced 148 new academic programs, emphases and certificates across our 10 colleges, all aligned with current labor market demands.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), under the Biden-Harris administration, imposed a staggering $37 million fine against Grand Canyon University despite the DOE failing to reveal any meaningful complaint against the university. In response, the Goldwater Institute launched a lawsuit against the agency demanding an explanation.
In 2024, Arizona’s Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne called upon the Biden administration to come to the table with GCU after Richard Cordray, the Chief Operating Officer of the Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid, claimed the university had lied to, “more than 7,500 former and current students about the cost of its doctoral programs over several years.” The claim was made despite a complete lack of legal proceedings to adjudicate it.
Horne wrote, “In the U.S., anyone accused of wrongdoing is presumed innocent and entitled to their day in court. For a Cabinet-level official, one who is sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution, your threat against GCU is contrary to those constitutional guarantees and unworthy of your position. It is unwarranted, unjust and the latest episode of harassment against this school by the federal government.”
At the time, GCU responded to then-U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, stating, “GCU has been asked repeatedly why it believes it is being targeted by federal agencies of the Biden administration. Here’s what we can tell you: Mr. Cardona’s inflammatory comments make very clear the Department of Education’s intentions and their disdain for institutions that do not fit their ideological agenda. What’s also clear is that ED has no lawful grounds to carry out those intentions based on their disingenuous and factually unsupportable allegations.”
Despite the controversy with the DOE, the Christian university celebrated its 75th Anniversary through a Week of Service in the fall that featured over 1,000 opportunities to serve across 40 different ministries. In addition, it also held its first-ever Amethyst Gala, which raised approximately $1.5 million to benefit the university’s ambitious Five-Point Plan to transform the west Phoenix community it calls home.
GCU boasts an enrollment of almost 25,000 students taking traditional classes in Phoenix with another 98,000 or more students online around the world.
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.
