2023 in review: Horne’s first year back in office shows renewed focus on academic outcomes

For immediate release: December 4, 2023
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2023 in review: Horne’s first year back in office shows renewed focus on academic outcomes

Classroom time must be dedicated to academics

PHOENIX – A renewed focus on academic excellence and eliminating ideological distractions that rob students and teachers of precious instruction time for core subjects are some of state schools chief Tom Horne’s academic successes in his first year back in office.

Horne explained, “When I took office, I began demolishing any program or initiative in this department that was related to ideologies such as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Critical Race Theory and excessive Social-Emotional Learning. Our focus will always be to ensure that teachers use precious classroom time to teach students academic subjects and not waste time on ideologies that don’t treat people as individuals but divide them through identity politics.”

Horne, who previously served as Superintendent from 2003 to 2011, immediately took on academic challenges upon returning in 2023, announcing in the spring that the department signed a $10 million contract with Project Momentum to ensure the program continues and expands to more Arizona schools after decision by the Governor’s Office to reevaluate its role in that program.

Project Momentum uses several basic principles for school improvement that include aligning classroom instruction with the teaching methods that get the best academic results.

Perhaps the most unique project undertaken in Horne’s first year is the creation of the Arizona Education Economic Commission where the department has joined forces with the private sector and representatives from the governments of Switzerland, Taiwan, and the Navajo Nation to create the Arizona Education Economic Commission, a collaboration between education and industry to encourage the development of workforce and economic opportunities for Arizona’s students.

The core mission of the Commission is to address the shortage of skilled workers in strategic industries and to give students and adults a pathway to valuable careers.

This year Horne also called on public schools that use “equitable,” or “standards-based” grading to abolish the practice.

In Arizona, several school districts use some form of equitable grading in which the baseline for a grade is not zero but begins at 50 percent. By that standard, what was a 20 percent grade on a 100-point scale would now be a 70 percent passing grade.

On the issue of using English in the classroom, Horne revealed a new data that conclusively demonstrates that structured English immersion is far superior for the academic success of students as opposed to dual language. The data compared five dual language schools with the best scores to the five structured English immersion schools with immersion showing far better results. He also warned that schools using the 50-50 language model are in violation of the law.

Noting that time is running out for states to fully utilize federal funding attached to COVID-related learning loss, in September Horne announced a $40 million tutoring program available to parents of elementary grade students to pay for free tutoring in reading, writing and math. The amount will pay for approximately 1.3 million hours of tutoring. As part of this project, participating public school teachers will earn added income as tutors. Private tutoring companies are also an option for parents.

Students in the Ganado Unified School District in the Navajo Nation received approximately 300 portable tablet devices at no cost as result of a public-private partnership between the on-profit organization My Life My Power and Smart Class Arizona founder Paola Tulliani Zen. The tablets are already loaded with the materials the students need to study reading and math without any need for an internet connection.

Horne concluded, “2023 has delivered many opportunities to focus on academic achievement. I am both grateful and impressed by the level of energy and commitment demonstrated by the 600 employees of this department, and the educators, administrators and support staff in Arizona’s public schools who are dedicated to academic excellence for our students.”

For more information; www.azed.gov

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