For immediate release: May 22, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne points to academic gains from Achievement Tutoring Program

State effort directs $40 million for tutoring in math and reading

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne says the initial results of those students tested as part of the department’s Achievement Tutoring Program show gains in academic progress.

Horne initiated the program late in 2023 using federal dollars earmarked to address learning loss due to the COVID pandemic. So far this year, student registrations total 17,324 over three six-week sessions.

Horne said, “So far, more than 20 percent of those students tested have seen academic gains representing half a school year of learning within six weeks of tutoring. This helps these students to be better prepared for success at the next grade level. Other students have seen smaller gains, and some have exceeded a half-year’s progress, but every increase in the proficiency rate is important.”

He added, “I urge parents of public-school children to take advantage of this opportunity. It is available at participating schools or through private tutoring services at no cost to the parents. A child who is struggling in reading or math deserves this chance to be more successful in the classroom and children already doing well can do even better.”

Among the responses the department has received are a parent who reported her first-grade son received tutoring at his elementary school and is “now the fastest reader in his class… This program is revolutionary…very, very powerful and successful! Keep it up!”

A tutor said her student faced “just the right amount of challenge. He is so cute, he said 'There is no stopping me' - and his mom said she can really see his confidence growing!”

A parent commented “I just want to take a moment to thank you all for this amazing program! Our oldest child was at risk of failing this year math and thanks to the tutoring program is now scoring at 82% (was at 23%)! The impact has been tremendously positive!”

For more information about the Achievement Tutoring Program: azed.gov/achievement-tutoring

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For immediate release: May 16, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne cites antisemitism in call for two districts to remove Amnesty International from campus

Pro-Hamas materials at issue

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has sent letters to the Superintendents of both the Cave Creek and Chandler Unified Districts alerting them to the potential distribution of antisemitic materials on campuses where Amnesty International has a presence.

Horne said, “Amnesty International was once a well-regarded organization but is now in the thrall of antisemitic interests. Its presence on high school campuses poses a serious concern to Jewish students because of the organization’s blatantly antisemitic reaction to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. This is why I am alerting these district superintendents to get Amnesty International off their campuses. No one would hesitate to remove an anti-black Ku Klux Klan club from a high school campus and the same standard should be applied here.”

In his letter, Horne details that pro-Hamas materials that were distributed to a student club at Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain High School last Fall stated that “Palestinians have been subject to killings, torture, rape, abuse, and more for over 75 years.’ This is a ‘blood libel’ similar to the blood libels used in the Middle Ages to get people to go out and kill random Jewish people.”

He adds, “In none of this propaganda is there any reference to what happened on October 7. The fact that 1,400 civilians were murdered does not begin to describe to horror of what Hamas did. They went house to house in the neighborhoods, machine gunning entire families, and sometimes killing fathers in front of their children and children in front of their fathers. They copied the Nazi technique of setting fire to houses so that people would burn to death, or if they came out of the fire house, killed them upon their exit. The actions of Hamas are a repetition of what happened during World War II. Yet the materials make no mention of October 7.”

The schools in question are Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek and Hamilton High School in Chandler.

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For immediate release: May 9, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne praises Arizona students named Presidential Scholars

Three high school students honored

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne is applauding the work of three Arizona high school students who were today named as 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars. This program recognizes high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.

The scholars are, Sruti Peddi of Fountain Hills, who attends BASIS Charter in Scottsdale, Matteo N. Huish, a student at BASIS Charter in Mesa, and Scottsdale Chaparral High School student Vivian M. Saavedra.

Horne said, “These three students represent the best of what Arizona’s public schools offer. They have committed themselves to the pursuit of academic excellence, and their hard work has paid off by attaining the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholarship.”

He added, “This is Teacher Appreciation Week, and the accomplishments of these students remind us of the value of great teachers. Every educator who had a role in influencing these scholars deserves a great deal of praise.”

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964. It has honored more than 8,000 top-performing students in the U.S. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students’ performance in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program extended recognition to students in career and technical education fields.

For more information: www.ed.gov/psp.

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For immediate release: May 8, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne sets up task force to take on Fentanyl crisis

Lays groundwork for getting Narcan into schools

PHOENIX – Citing the growing incidents of Fentanyl deaths and overdoses among Arizona school-aged children, schools chief Tom Horne has announced an initiative to supply schools with the anti-overdose drug Narcan and the creation of a statewide task force to address this growing crisis. He has also endorsed an effort to get free anti-drug awareness materials into all Arizona schools.  

Among all age groups, Arizona recorded more than 1800 opioid-related deaths and more than 4000 overdoses in 2023.

The School Training Overdose Preparedness and Intelligence Taskforce, (STOPIT), is being formed and will include representatives from schools, health care, law enforcement and other interested stakeholders. Among the first organizations to lend their support are Terros Health and the Mayo Clinic.

Horne also supports the work of the Sold Out Youth Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides interactive online materials warning of the dangers of illegal drugs, proven Accredited Fentanyl Education Curriculum and online platform and promoting health and wellness and fitness education.  These materials are provided at no cost to schools.

Horne said, “Sadly, overdoses are a reality for school-aged children throughout Arizona. Fentanyl can kill students within minutes of an overdose.  It is vitally important that all schools have Narcan available to help save student lives if it should happen on campus. With the establishment of the STOPIT task force, we will work to get Narcan into schools and assist with training for its use. I am also endorsing the work of The Sold Out Youth Foundation, which has excellent resources to address this ongoing crisis.”

Dr. Holly Geyer, Addiction Medicine Specialist at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale said, “There has never been a greater need to prepare the next generation with the knowledge and tools necessary to combat the opioid epidemic. With more than 50 percent of U.S. fentanyl being trafficked directly through our state, we are ground zero.  It’s time to bring solutions as big as the problem to the table. This taskforce has assembled a wide array of proven thought leaders whose collective expertise can and will change the landscape of our state’s opioid overdose trends.”

Dr. Karen Hoffman Tepper, president and CEO of Terros Health said, "Terros Health is honored to join the STOPIT task force.  Too many young people are being impacted by the harmful effects of fentanyl. Our team has been on the front lines, educating thousands of Arizonians on when and how to use Narcan and we have seen it save lives. We look forward to working collaboratively to make this life-saving tool available in every school and community."

Sold Out President Roman Gabriel III said, “Sold Out is committed to partnering with K-12 public schools attacking our countries current youth drug, alcohol, and mental health crisis. The SOYF Program is saving lives by equipping school staff, parents and students with a comprehensive program that includes a PLA Accredited Fentanyl Education Platform. The emphasis is on education and awareness for parents and students to understand the grave dangers that this deadly poison poses, and in turn saving lives.” 

Horne concluded, “The American Medical Association reports that overdose deaths nationally among adolescents has doubled since 2019. Fentanyl is responsible for more than three-quarters of those deaths and Arizona is not immune from this scourge. The rise of illicit fentanyl and its trafficking via social media is having a disproportionate impact on our children. This is a tragedy beyond words, it shows no sign of abating and schools are a vital resource to educate children on these dangers.”

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For immediate release: April 29, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne cites ASU, UArizona response to protests as template for K-12 schools

Urges K-12 schools to be vigilant

PHOENIX – State schools superintendent Tom Horne is praising University of Arizona president Robert Robbins and Arizona State University president Michael Crow for their handling of student protests and says K-12 schools that may be confronted with similar unrest should follow those universities’ model.

Horne stated, “Robert Robbins and Michael Crow deserve exceptional praise for standing up to antisemitism on their campuses. This stands in stark contrast to how many colleges, universities and ideological faculty members have kowtowed to disruptive pro-Hamas demonstrations. It is also an excellent template for K-12 schools in Arizona to follow should any attempt be made by students to copy the type of protests that have shut down portions of college campuses and caused Jewish students to feel unsafe.”

He added, “We already saw some examples of antisemitic behavior at some high school club events shortly after the October 7 attack on Israel where students and faculty piled on to attack the victims of October 7. Therefore, I urge schools to ensure students are using valuable classroom time for academic instruction and not for protests that can promote a climate of fear or intimidation.”

Horne notes Jewish students at Columbia University report having rocks thrown at them, and a Jewish student at Yale was stabbed in the eye with a pole holding a Palestinian flag.

Horne stated, “Our DNA is no different from the DNA of Germans in the 1930s, and Nazis started with young thugs attacking people on the street. We need to be vigilant.”

He concluded, “President Robbins wrote an eloquent letter in which he encourages students ‘to embrace your First Amendment rights and make your voices heard, but please do so peacefully, safely, and civilly.’ His words were bizarrely described as ‘inflammatory’ by leaders of the planned protest. Notwithstanding that kind of response, a protest this past weekend was peaceful. ASU experienced more disturbing behavior that required multiple arrests, but President Crow’s decisive action made sure that calm was restored. Their courage and conviction in the face of potentially disruptive protestors should be applauded and emulated.”

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For immediate release: April 22, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne to US Ed Secretary: Quit threatening to shut down Grand Canyon University

Calls comments before Congress unjust and unwarranted

PHOENIX - Arizona schools chief Tom Horne has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Michael Cardona urging him to abandon his threat to shut down Grand Canyon University and instead meet with school leadership to iron out their differences.

Horne describes Cardona's recent threat made before the U.S. House Appropriations committee as unworthy of his position as a Cabinet secretary who is sworn to uphold the Constitution.

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."

In his testimony to Congress, Cardona repeated accusations leveled against GCU by the U.S. Department of Education as justification for shutting down the school. In his letter, Horne reminds the Secretary that the federal government has so far failed to provide GCU with evidence to support the allegations and Cardona's refusal to meet with GCU leadership is unreasonable.

Horne reiterates his support for the school, noting that GCU is "a major ally to my effort to raise academics in Arizona schools, and any harm you do to them would do harm to my goal of academic excellence. We also have a severe teacher shortage in Arizona, and the elimination of GCU would be a severe blow."

A copy of the letter is attached.

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For immediate release: April 12, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne criticizes Governor’s classroom cell phone ban veto

Bill addressed invasion of mobile devices in schools

State schools chief Tom Horne criticized Governor Katie Hobbs’ veto of a bill he supported that would allow local districts and charters to set a policy restricting the use of mobile devices while students are in class. He pointed out that under the bill, local school authorities would set policies to accomplish that goal.

Horne stated, “Anyone with a minimum of empathy would empathize with teachers who try to teach while students are scrolling on their cell phones. Every instructional method is precious. A teacher should not have to put up with that interference with instruction.”

He added, “Cell phones have also become the major way in which students are bullied. It is enough that they get bullied on their cell phones when they’re away from school. It should not be happening while they are in school trying to learn, so that the bullying occurs 24 hours a day. To permit that bullying to go on 24 hours a day shows a lack of empathy for the students.”

A recent poll of Arizona parents on this subject only five percent were unsure.  Of the remaining 95 percent, 62.75 percent supported the ban, with 71 percent of those saying it would increase focus on studies and reduce distractions.

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For immediate release: April 9, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne corrects false information about federal funds in letter from legislators

State schools chief Tom Horne is responding to state legislators who made inaccurate assertions in a letter about the Department of Education’s disbursement of federal education dollars.

Here is his statement:

“We received a letter from six Democrat legislators, including the minority whip, stating the following: ‘In light of recent information about the Arizona Department of Education’s plan to withhold federal funding allocations to Title I schools…’ That is a false statement. The Department of Education never had, and never would have, a plan to withhold federal funding allocations. The Department of Education‘s sole role is to distribute funds that come in from the federal government according to a formula received from the federal government and we are doing that.

If it were up to us, we would increase Title I funding. The letter is unnecessarily insulting in lecturing us on the importance of Title I funds, and we at the department spend a lot more time on helping schools improve academic results for high poverty students than anyone in the legislature. Where they get the audacity to lecture us on the importance of Title I funding is beyond me.

In estimates that were clearly marked as preliminary, we estimated 20 percent less based on what we were hearing about possible cuts in Title I funding, and a significant cut in Arizona’s share because of decreasing levels of poverty compared to other states. It was clear for anyone bothering to read the email that that was preliminary only. The schools will have the actual numbers before the end of this week. That will be in plenty of time to avoid any negative impact of the preliminary numbers.

We will, of course, furnish all the information that the letter requests. We always do that. There was no need to send an irrationally insulting letter.”

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For immediate release: March 19, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Parent files lawsuit defending English as language of the classroom

Horne notes action has potentially “draconian” outcome for school board members

PHOENIX – A Phoenix-area parent of a public-school student has filed a lawsuit challenging the Creighton Elementary School District’s use of dual language instruction in violation of a voter approved law requiring English Learners to be taught in English the entire school day.

State schools superintendent Tom Horne is not party to the lawsuit but notes that if it is successful, the consequences for the district’s elected school board members are significant.

Horne said, “Each member of the Creighton Elementary school board will be compelled to leave the board immediately and will not be able to hold a position of authority in Arizona public schools for five years if the court agrees that they are violating the voter-approved Proposition 203. The law includes this penalty to ensure that schools take the law seriously. Despite these draconian consequences, the evidence is clear that the Creighton District is violating the will of the voters by using dual language programs. The clear mandate of the law is that English Language Learners be taught English by immersion throughout the day and all school districts must follow the law.”

He added, “When I sued the Governor and Attorney General for their failure to enforce this law, all I requested was a judgment that the intent of the law is clear and must be enforced. The suit was dismissed because some years ago the legislature authorized certain departments to sue and be sued, and the Department of Education was not one of them. My argument, on which we are appealing, is that there was an implied authorization because I was given many duties to oversee education of English language learners. But I also warned that if my lawsuit was unsuccessful, it would pave the way for any parent of any public school in Arizona to file another lawsuit that would result in these draconian penalties. That day has come.”

A copy of the lawsuit is attached.

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For immediate release: March 12, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
 

Supt. Horne sounds warning on teacher shortage, promotes workforce readiness and academic initiatives in State of Education

Updates multiple academic initiatives for 2024

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne says the largest and most urgent problem facing the state is a dire shortage of teachers, calling it a “potential catastrophe” that requires immediate attention.

Horne also cited significant workforce development concerns both in the public and private sector that are being addressed through the Arizona Education Economic Commission that he established in 2023. In addition, he outlined sixteen initiatives to public schools increase academic outcomes.

Speaking to the House Education Committee Horne explained, “Currently, we have 60,000 teachers in our classrooms. 8,000 of them are leaving each year. 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.”

Horne supports legislative efforts to raise teacher salaries as well as a bill proposed by Horne to strengthen state law to require more district and charter administrative support for teacher discipline. He noted that those two issues were cited in a recent survey of teachers as the top two reasons for leaving the profession.

Workforce development shared the spotlight as Horne explained the development of the Arizona Education Economic Commission.

He stated, “We entered into an agreement with the leaders of the major companies in our state: we will provide the skilled workers. In return, the businesses will either teach our career technical education teachers what skills to teach or will provide people to teach those skills.”

He added, “We started with a core group of 20 industry leaders including TSMC, Banner Health, Raytheon, U-Haul international, and Lucid Motors. Also participating are all of our state’s career and technical education districts. With the enthusiastic support of all of Arizona’s major industries, this Department of Education is going to solve Arizona’s shortage of sufficiently skilled workers.”

Other initiatives Horne highlighted include a growing number of school improvement teams, leadership training, paperwork reduction, school safety and using data to improve academic outcomes.

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