For Immediate Release: March 28, 2023

Contact: [email protected]

Horne: More money in the classroom improves student performance

Calls on bi-partisan support for better teacher pay

PHOENIX – State superintendent of schools Tom Horne today released a Department of Education study that demonstrates statistically that school districts that put a higher percentage of their budget into the classroom, primarily teacher salaries, do much better academically, compared to districts that have a higher percentage of their budget in other categories.

“We are going to undertake a major campaign to persuade districts to put a higher percentage of their budget in the classroom,” Horne said. “The data shows clearly that this has a positive academic benefit. “

The data is presented on graphs that represent large or very large districts and includes 74 percent of all students.

Going to the right on these graphs, shows districts that spend a higher percentage of their budget on the classroom. Going up the graph and shows passing scores. And the line switch shows the averages move dramatically up as one moves to the right, showing a very strong relationship between money spent in the classroom and good academic performance.

Horne has urged the legislature to pass Representative Matt Gress’s bill to use part of the budget surplus to give every teacher a $10,000 raise.

“No school can be better than the quality of the teachers in the classroom,” Horne stated. “The surrounding states pay more, and we lose good teachers to those states. We cannot afford to let this go on. “

Horne expressed profound shock that a number of Democrats in the legislature, and the leadership of the teacher’s union, opposed the bill to give every teacher a $10,000 raise. 

“If the public knew that a number of Democrats in the legislature, plus the leadership of the teacher’s union, opposed a $10,000 raise for teachers simply because the proposal came from a Republican, they would also be profoundly shocked. We should not let partisanship interfere with the steps we need to take to increase the academic performance of Arizona students, which is my sole overriding goal. “

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Department of Education launches “Empower Hotline”

Encourages reports of school lessons that detract from teaching academic standards

PHOENIX – Arizona schools chief Tom Horne has launched the Department of Education “Empower Hotline” so that Arizonans can report inappropriate public school lessons that detract from teaching academic standards. These include those that focus on race or ethnicity, rather than individuals and merit, promoting gender ideology, social emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content.

The hotline provides the opportunity for constituents to provide feedback, concerns or complaints, which is a standard service offered by multiple government agencies and private-sector businesses. It is available at 602-771-3500. The phone line will be staffed during normal business hours, but after-hours phone calls will be accepted at any time and followed up appropriately.

Horne explained, “Some say critical race theory (CRT) is a graduate study, not taught in K-12 schools. The evidence is to the contrary. I have a list of 250 Arizona teachers who signed a shocking statement promoted by the national teachers’ union, that if critical race theory were banned, they would defy the law. They would not have signed if they were not already teaching it. They come from 25 school districts, including the largest ones. Teachers must teach academics, not use their power over a captive audience, to promote their personal ideology. That is unprofessional conduct.”

Horne added, “I promised to establish this hotline so that anyone could report the teaching of inappropriate lessons that rob students of precious minutes of instruction time in core academic subjects such as reading, math, science, history and the arts. That promise is being kept.”

“I believe we are all individuals, brothers and sisters under the skin, entitled to be judged by what we know, what we can do, our character, and ability to appreciate beauty,” Horne explained. “Race is irrelevant to anything. Critical race theory teaches the opposite, that race is primary. They divide students into ‘oppressors’ and ‘oppressed’ based on what race they were born into, which is irrational,” he concluded.

For Immediate Release 
March 7, 2023
Contact: [email protected]

Horne asks State Board of Ed. to strengthen operation of ESA program

Improving services, changes to state law among factors

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne has sent the State Board of Education four proposals for changes to the handbook regarding the administration of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. This is with an eye toward improving service for parents and students and to comply with updates to state law.

Horne said, “The mission of the Arizona Department of Education is a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents. The four updates that I am asking the State Board of Education to consider for the operation of the ESA program ensure compliance with the original ESA law.”

The proposed updates cover four areas:

Allowable education-related expenses: This program is subject to audit and the Department is committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being used only for educational purposes as authorized by the law.

Accreditation for tutors and teaching services: Currently, these services are intended to be provided by a person or facility accredited by an accrediting organization. However, in terms of facilities, this was not enforced in prior years. Because accreditation of facilities was not enforced in previous years requiring a college degree would be disruptive to parents and students.

Access to ESA funds and debit card use: There are four ways to arrange payments to vendors. One of these is debit cards. Contrary to some impressions, those who have debit cards and have been in compliance with the law, can keep them. However, debit cards create a much higher administrative burden than the other three methods of payment. As the program expands, issuing more debit cards would make it impossible to pay vendors within a reasonable amount of time. The department is recommending that it sticks only with those who now have debit cards and ask new ESA participants to use the other three payment methods.

Change to Third Party payment vendor: Many ESA parents have complained about the performance of Class Wallet. A Request For Proposal (RFP) for other providers is being prepared and the department expects to have a new vendor under contract near the end of May.

A copy of the email sent to ESA families and the State Board of Education is attached.

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Horne: School safety grants should prioritize police presence

Armed officers best line of defense against violence

“Every school should have a law enforcement officer to protect students and staff, and this should be accomplished on an urgent basis”, Horne said. “Delay in implementing this goal could leave schools more vulnerable to a tragic catastrophe. Schools that currently have no armed presence yet submit grants applications that do not request an officer will not receive a recommendation from this Department to the State Board of Education.”

In recent weeks, throughout the Valley, there have been reported incidents of heightened school threats, real and fake weapons found on campus, and disturbing social media postings regarding school violence. Department staff have also received phone calls from teachers in a Phoenix-area high school district complaining of fights including one involving multiple students in which a female teacher was knocked down. This is a growing trend not just in Arizona but throughout the country.

Horne added, “I am a longtime supporter of each school having a counselor to help ensure the well-being of students. As a school board member in 1978, I was the only one to vote against a proposal to eliminate counselors from that district’s schools. Schools still ought to have counselors but providing a safe school atmosphere that requires an armed presence is the first priority.”

As part of the Department’s service-oriented mission, Michael Kurtenbach, the former Assistant Chief of the Phoenix Police Department, has been named the Director of School Safety. He will be assisted by former Phoenix Police Commander Allen Smith. The two will work throughout the state providing schools with resources and expertise to implement effective personnel and safety procedures. They will also assist school administrators in building trust with students to foster specific types of communication that help support a safer school environment.

Kurtenbach has more than 32 years of experience in law enforcement. He has served as Vice Chair of Terros Behavioral Services, Advisory Board Member of the ASU Center for Violence Prevention, Board Member of AZ Common Ground, and numerous law enforcement associations.

He attended the 2018 Anti-Defamation League National Counter Terrorism Seminar in Israel, and he has served as a grant reviewer for the U.S. Office of Justice Programs.

He has been awarded the Freedom Fund Award for Law Enforcement from the Maricopa County NAACP, the MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award, Hero Award from the Center for Neighborhood Leadership and multiple law enforcement honors including the Phoenix Police Department Medal of Valor, Distinguished Service Award, Community Based Policing Award, among many others.

For Immediate Release 
January 25, 2023
Contact: [email protected]

Immediate Job Openings to be filled at “Arizona Education Job Fair & Career Expo” 

Schools offering opportunities for educator and support positions

PHOENIX - Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is encouraging job seekers to explore exciting new career opportunities at the statewide Arizona Education Job Fair & Career Expo. The event hosted by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel.

“Arizona public schools are some of our state’s largest employers providing a wide array of career opportunities that many people may not even be aware of,” said Superintendent Horne. “Arizonans attending the fair will have the opportunity to explore and perhaps secure an excellent job where their skills can support public education throughout our state." 

At least 130 Arizona public schools will have recruiting booths at the job fair. Attendees will be able to speak with employers about open positions and learn more about the vast career opportunities and benefits available to school staff.  

The participating schools will be able to issue letters of intent and job offers to prospective teachers, and other new hires pending background checks. Representatives from ADE’s Certification Section will also be available to counsel attendees on becoming a certified teacher in Arizona. Convenient finger printing will be on site for interested applicants. 

To register for the Arizona Education Job Fair & Career Expo, please visit: Registration Form

Horne’s office approves nearly 25,000 overdue ESA requests from parents 

More than $22 million in delayed payments made to schools and educators

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Education has approved 24,366 delayed requests from parents seeking to participate in the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program. Approval was also given for payments to schools and tutors who were owed a total of $22,234,151.48 going back to the second fiscal quarter of 2022.

The department also paid more than 1,500 tutors who had gone months without a paycheck and paid a small school that had explored getting a bank loan to cover expenses because their state payments had been delayed.

“When I took office, the commitment I made is that the Arizona Department of Education is a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents. On my first day on the job, I demonstrated my resolve to fulfill that mission. Delays and inefficiencies of this kind are unacceptable and won’t be repeated,” Superintendent Tom Horne said. 

The department is also announcing that the ESA customer service phone lines at 602-364-1969 are now staffed every business day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as opposed to the previously limited schedule of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The department is also preparing to hire more staff out of the state legislature’s specific appropriation for ESAs to fill positions and serve customers more rapidly.

For more information: azed.gov/esa