AZED News: Horne State of Education speech calls for expanded school safety program after near tragedy in Tucson

For embargoed release: Jan 21, 2025
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Newsrooms: EMBARGOED UNTIL 2 p.m., Jan. 21, 2025

Horne State of Education speech calls for expanded school safety program after near tragedy in Tucson

Highlights academic successes, teacher pay and use of AI for tutoring

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction opened his 2025 State of Education speech praising the actions of a Tucson Police Officer who arrested an armed suspect making threats on a school campus last week. Horne said the incident proves the importance of having armed law enforcement officers on school grounds and he urges lawmakers to expand the program.

Horne stated, “This brave police officer prevented the nightmare I have often talked about. 20 students and additional adults would have lost their lives, and the student’s parents would have had their lives ruined by uncontrollable grief. I know about this because I have lost a child. Those who have been opposing police in the schools need to rethink this issue. Think of the unimaginable tragedy that would have occurred if that School Resource Officer had not been there, or if he had been hired a little later.”

Horne talked of the need to keep biological boys out of girls’ sports and to ensure classroom time is devoted to academics and eliminating distractions such as Critical Race Theory. 

He commented, “I have required the districts and charter schools to answer questions about these kinds of philosophical issues and published their answers on the school report cards. Parents will be informed if the schools are serious about teaching academics or promoting woke ideology. This is important now that parents have choices.”

He added, “Biological males have no business in girls’ sports, showers, or locker rooms. I am fighting this battle in court as we speak and pledge to never stop fighting for the right of girls under title IX to compete, excel, and take their rightful place on the winner’s podium.”

The bulk of Horne’s remarks address specific initiatives that concentrate on classroom instruction and supporting educators.

Horne called for legislative funding for higher teacher salaries and the renewal of Prop 123, a voter-approved measure that adds school funding from the increased payout of the State Land Trust. He noted that higher salaries and passage of legislation to bolster administrative support for teachers will help recruit and retain teachers, which he noted is at a crisis point where more teachers are leaving the profession than are coming in.

Using AI as a tool is a top priority for Horne. On this he told legislators the Khanmigo program is, “the best program we have found for education application of artificial intelligence… It does not substitute for teachers; it helps them... Studies show the most effective means of teaching is one on one tutoring. We cannot afford to hire a million tutors for our million students, but Khanmigo gives every student a tutor. This is the future, and we are making the tools available today.”

Horne is seeking a requirement that high school students not be allowed to graduate unless they pass a graduation test with a reasonable cut off level with multiple chances to pass, or alternatively be certified for a trade in a career technical education program.

He spoke about each one of his 15 initiatives to improve academics in the schools. 

In the elementary grades, he pointed to the success of Move on When Reading, where Horne initiated the effort to close a loophole that formerly allowed Third Grade students who were not proficient in reading to be promoted to the Fourth Grade anyway. 

In the same vein, he also touted the formation of the Arizona Education Economic Commission (AEEC), a huge expansion of Career and Technical Education, with the goal of helping students who do not chose college obtain a skill that will enable the student to get a well-paying job out of high school.

Department efforts in the success of school intervention teams, data-driven instruction, creating the Arizona Digital Education Library, reducing red tape, Character Education, leadership training in all Arizona counties, and the defense of the voter-approved law that requires English to be the language of instruction were also highlighted by Horne. 

The full speech, 15 initiatives and a slide deck are attached.

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