by Elizabeth Troutman | Mar 16, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne said Tuesday that his top priority is reversing the teacher shortage in the Grand Canyon State.
Arizona is facing a serious teacher shortage with more teachers leaving than staying, he said.
“We have got to turn around the situation, bring about equilibrium, so we’re not, we’re not losing more teachers than we’re gaining,” Horne said in his speech to the House Education Committee. “We cannot continue doing that.”
Horne said teacher shortages are a “potential catastrophe” that requires immediate attention.
“Currently, we have 60,000 teachers in our classrooms. 8,000 of them are leaving each year,” Horne said. “Our educator preparation programs produce 1,900 per year that actually show up in our classrooms. 2,815 teachers also return to the classrooms. That is a net loss of about 2,300 per year. If that trend were to continue, it would eventually lead to zero teachers.”
His speech also addressed reading proficiency levels. Horne said it’s a “scandal” that some Arizona high schoolers cannot read.
“Kids go to school day after day, every day throughout the year, eight years,” he said, “and they still can’t read.”
Horne outlined sixteen initiatives to increase academic outcomes in public schools. Some of these include growing the number of school improvement teams, leadership training, paperwork reduction, school safety, using data to improve academic outcomes, and teacher development.
“We entered into an agreement with the leaders of the major companies in our state: we will provide the skilled workers,” he said. “In return, the businesses will either teach our career technical education teachers what skills to teach or will provide people to teach those skills.”
Horne said he supports legislative efforts to raise teacher salaries as well as a bill to require more district and charter administrative support for teacher discipline. Those issues were cited in a recent survey of teachers as the top two reasons for leaving the profession, Horne noted.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 12, 2024 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Many Arizona state schools may not be teaching students about the Holocaust.
Earlier this month, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne revealed that 322 of 750 Arizona districts and charter schools (approximately 43 percent) “have affirmed that they are teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides as required by state law.” Most of the state’s district and charter schools did not respond, according to Horne.
At the start of the year, Horne requested that “all Arizona district and charter schools report their compliance with state law that requires students to be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides.”
In a statement, Horne said, “After the horrific events of October 7, there was a one-sided pro-Hamas presentation at Desert Mountain High School that produced antisemitism among students and made Jewish students uncomfortable and fearful. If Holocaust studies are presented properly, students will be less gullible to antisemitic presentations. I am gratified that 322 districts and charters are following the law, with many of them taking anywhere from two to four weeks to do the instruction. That is commendable, but we need this bill to be sure all districts and charters are in compliance with the intent of the law.”
The law giving the state’s schools chief authority to require the information from Arizona schools was HB 2241, which was passed by the legislature and signed into law by then-Governor Doug Ducey in 2021. The bill was sponsored by Alma Hernandez, a Democrat. It passed both chambers with almost unanimous support. Ducey, in his letter to then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, informed her that he was signing the legislation to “ensure that we continue to teach our students the history of past atrocities, which in return will instill greater compassion, critical thinking, societal awareness, and educational growth in our students.”
Horne’s original deadline for Arizona schools to report to the state Department of Education was January 24. However, Horne announced in early February that he would be extending the deadline to February 23 due to the lack of responses from schools.
Not only did Horne extend the deadline for schools to report compliance with the law, but he is hoping state legislators and the governor are able to strengthen the statute for future students. He again noted that two Arizona state lawmakers have embarked on a bipartisan mission to pass a bill that would “require students in grades 7-12 to twice complete a three-day program on the Holocaust and other genocides.”
The Republican Superintendent added, “Current state law requires teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides, but it does not specify how much time is spent. We surveyed districts and charters to find out if they are following the law, but more than half did not respond. This shows the need for HB 2779, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Republican Rep. David Marshall and Democrat Rep, Alma Hernandez to be passed and signed into law.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 13, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Former Pennsylvania Senate Candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz spoke about health and wellness at a public elementary school on Monday.
Oz was joined by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne and former NFL Players Eric Swann and Darryl Clack at Kenilworth School near downtown Phoenix on Monday morning at 11 a.m.
The group discussed initiatives to improve school health and wellness.
Oz is a TV personality, physician, and professor emeritus of cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia University. The son of Turkish immigrants, Oz ran as the Republican candidate for one of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seats, losing to John Fetterman.
“This generation of teens is facing unprecedented challenges in their physical health, behavioral health, and social needs,” Oz said. “Left unaddressed, this leads to an increased risk for mental illness, substance abuse, chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, and a lower life expectancy. Combating these stats, we provide teens with the tools to become more physically and mentally resilient.”
Oz is the founder of HealthCorps, a non-profit foundation dedicated to improving student wellness. The Arizona Education Department will make resources from HealthCorps available on its online platform for educators soon.
“HealthCorps is the glue between the private sector and public agencies like the Arizona Department of Education,” the television star said. “I am grateful to Superintendent Horne for joining me in this effort.”
Oz and Horne are both Harvard University graduates.
Horne has served in every branch of the Arizona government. He served in the legislature and was chairman of the academic accountability committee. He was State Superintendent of Schools from 2003 to 2011, and then was elected State Attorney General.
“Dr. Oz and I share a passion for having health and wellness; and we need to do as much as possible to teach and encourage healthy eating habits, exercise, and other lifestyle choices that promote the physical and mental well-being of students,” Horne said at the event. “Healthy students also perform better academically. HealthCorps shares my focus on that mission as well as the value of giving students opportunities to explore careers in the healthcare field, where workers are badly needed.”
Horne served 24 years in the state’s third-largest school district board, 10 years as president.
Eric Swann was a defensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers. He played in the NFL from 1991-2000.
Darryl Clack played college football for Arizona State University before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as a running back. He also played in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts. In 1992, he signed with the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football.
Clack is the president and co-founder of SportMetric which emphasizes youth education, community involvement, and athletics.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 8, 2024 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A key reporting deadline for Arizona schools is being extended.
Earlier this week, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced “an extension of the deadline to February 23 for schools to report their compliance with the current law that requires Holocaust education in public schools.”
The law “requires students to receive instruction in the Holocaust and other genocides at least once in middle school and once in high school.”
In a statement to accompany the announcement, Horne said, “Since we first requested that schools attest to their compliance with the state mandate for Holocaust education for middle and high school students, we have received many responses, but not all districts and charters have replied. Arizona law is clear that this is a requirement for middle and high school students. As Superintendent, I have the legal authority to make sure that laws pertaining to education in Arizona are being followed. Therefore, my enforcement action will be that for the online ADE School Report Card we will indicate in red letters any school’s failure to respond to the Holocaust education verification by February 23.”
Not only is Horne extending the deadline for schools to report compliance with the law, but he is hoping state legislators and the governor are able to strengthen the statute for future students. His press release noted that two lawmakers – Representatives David Marshall and Alma Hernandez – have embarked on a bipartisan mission to pass a bill that would “require students in grades 7-12 to twice complete a three-day program on the Holocaust and other genocides.”
Horne also addressed this development in his release, saying, “After the horrific events of October 7, there was a one-sided pro-Hamas presentation at Desert Mountain High School that produced antisemitism among students and made Jewish students uncomfortable and fearful. If Holocaust studies are presented, students will be less gullible to antisemitic presentations and this legislation will strengthen that effort. I am grateful to Representatives Hernandez and Marshall for their bipartisan work to strengthen this law.”
The law giving the state’s schools chief authority to require the information from Arizona schools was HB 2241, which was passed by the legislature and signed into law by then-Governor Doug Ducey in 2021. The bill was sponsored by Alma Hernandez, a Democrat. It passed both chambers with almost unanimous support. Ducey, in his letter to then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, informed her that he was signing the legislation to “ensure that we continue to teach our students the history of past atrocities, which in return will instill greater compassion, critical thinking, societal awareness, and educational growth in our students.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 4, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne approved PragerU teaching materials for Arizona classrooms.
“In some classrooms, the extreme left side has been presented,” Horne, a Republican in his second tour as school superintendent, said Wednesday at a Capitol news conference. “These present an alternative.”
Teachers in all public and charter schools can use PragerU’s lessons and educational videos in their classrooms, Horne said.
Founded by Dennis Prager, PragerU is a conservative media organization offering free, pro-American content. The nonprofit makes videos on topics including economics, character development, politics, American history, and Judeo-Christian values.
Arizona joins several other states in adopting PragerU’s content into its public school curriculum. In July, Florida became the first state to allow schools to use PragerU videos as a teaching tool. Oklahoma, Montana, and New Hampshire followed soon after.
Critics fear the use of PragerU videos in classrooms will push a far-right political agenda.
“This is a program that is not actually a university, despite its name. It’s not an accredited program. It’s not an actual education organization and it’s deeply funded propaganda,” Beth Lewis of Save our Schools Arizona said.
But PragerU says that its mission is to offer a “free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education.”
“Parents who are showing up and are hearing there is a left-wing domination of the educational market, they have an option for something else for their kids, that’s it,” PragerU CEO Marissa Streit said.
Each school district will be able to choose if they want to use the material or not, Horne said.
Horne has fought left-wing ideology in the classroom throughout his time as superintendent. Horne canceled presentations on social-emotional learning at a conference sponsored by his department after two weeks in office last year.
He also removed LGBT resources from the state Department of Education website.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
