Save Our Schools Arizona
Weekly Education Report
56th Legislature, 2nd General Session
Volume 6, Issue 32• Week of August 18, 2024
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Supt. Horne Lands in Hot Water — and Attacks SOSAZ
Last week, Gov. Hobbs and legislative Democrats called for an audit of the Horne administration’s finances at ADE after they nearly lost $29 million in federal grant funds for students in high-need schools. This week it was announced that Superintendent Horne will appear before the JLAC (Joint Legislative Audit Committee) in September.
How do you lose $29 million? According to the AZ Republic, ADE officials informed schools in July that it was cutting their anticipated school improvement grants — by more than half in some cases — after losing nearly $29 million. The department failed to hand over most of the money to schools before the September 30, 2023 deadline for schools to spend it. The U.S. Department of Education intervened last week, saying it was not too late to apply for a waiver and extend the deadline. These waivers are commonplace across the states, but it appears the ADE failed to seek a waiver to ensure schools could access these funds.
The blame game: Horne has attempted to blame his predecessor Kathy Hoffman. However, Horne’s former financial director Denise Lee, said the state could have easily given the money to schools at any point before the September spending deadline. Lee said she’d attended several meetings where ADE employees discussed the funds’ impending expiration, and says Horne was briefed on the issue before the money expired but he dismissed it: “We sit in a room once a month, and we go over all this. How do you not know what your budget is and that $29 million is getting ready to go back to the feds and hasn’t been spent? How do you not know as the superintendent? … When people were trying to make you aware of what was going on, you didn’t want to believe them.”
What we’re laughing at: One might think that all of this hot water might cause a politician to dig in and find solutions. But Horne, in classic fashion, has taken to Twitter/X to attack SOSAZ’s Director Beth Lewis for defending more inclusive bathroom policies for students — using his official state agency platform!.
We love this Phoenix New Times article, which lays it all out.
“Superintendent Horne obviously should have his hands full of real work considering he just lost $29 million for Arizona public schools through the inaction of his department. But he’s choosing to double down on culture war issues that literally don’t impact Arizona students.” — Beth Lewis, Director SOSAZ
Take Action!
🔥When we elect a pro-public school Legislature and school boards this November, it’s going to be because of everyone who stepped up and stepped out of their comfort zones to talk to voters. If you’ve been meaning to jump in and get involved, NOW is the time. We have 12 weeks left to make massive change for our state!!
Our conversations with voters show that they want to vote for schools but have NO IDEA who supports them. These easy chats are met with gratitude — people just want to know who to vote for that aligns with their values. If you can’t walk doors in this heat, no worries — you can drive and offer relief (and A/C!) for our knockers. Busy on the weekends? No worries, try a phonebank virtually with our team — we’re a lot of fun, and you can talk to voters from your couch! Training and support always provided 🙂💪🍎🗳️
Upcoming Canvasses
Phoenix – LD 2 Taco Tuesday
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 5:00-7:30pm
Mesa – LD 9 Paletas y Puertas
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 5:30-7:30pm
Mesa – LD 9 Thirsty Thursday
Thursday, Aug. 22 – 5:30-7:30pm
Marana – LD 17
Saturday, Aug. 24 – 8:30-11:00am
Paradise Valley – LD 4
Saturday, Aug. 24 – 8:45am-12:15pm
Mesa – LD 9
Saturday, Aug. 24 – 9:00am-12:00pm
Phoenix – LD 2
Saturday, Aug. 24 – 9:30am-12:00pm
Goodyear – LD 23
Sunday, Aug 25 – 5:00-7:30pm
Upcoming Phonebanks
Marana School Board & LD 17
w/ Special Guests John McLean
& Kevin Volk
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 5:30-7:30pm
Yuma Elem/High & LD 23
w/ Special Guests Rep. Mariana Sandoval
& Matias Rosales
Wednesday, Aug. 21 – 5:30-7:30pm
💥 Statewide – Phonebank
w/ Special Guest Kathy Hoffman! 💥
Thursday, Aug. 22 – 5:30-7:30pm
Maricopa Unified & LD 16
Tuesday, Aug. 27 – 5:30-7:30pm
Deer Valley Unified & LD 2
Thursday, Aug. 29 – 5:30-7:30pm
Upcoming Canvasses
Phoenix – LD 2 Taco Tuesday
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 5:00-7:30pm
Mesa – LD 9 Paletas y Puertas
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 5:30-7:30pm
Mesa – LD 9 Thirsty Thursday
Thursday, Aug. 22 – 5:30-7:30pm
Marana – LD 17
Saturday, Aug. 24 –
8:30-11:00am
Paradise Valley – LD 4
Saturday, Aug. 24 –
8:45am-12:15pm
Mesa – LD 9
Saturday, Aug. 24 –
9:00am-12:00pm
Phoenix – LD 2
Saturday, Aug. 24 –
9:30am-12:00pm
Goodyear – LD 23
Sunday, Aug 25 –
5:00-7:30pm
Upcoming Phonebanks
Marana School Board & LD 17
w/ Special Guests John McLean
& Kevin Volk
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – 5:30-7:30pm
Yuma Elem/High & LD 23
& Matias Rosales
Wednesday, Aug. 21 –
5:30-7:30pm
💥 Statewide – Phonebank
w/ Special Guest
Kathy Hoffman! 💥
Thursday, Aug. 22 – 5:30-7:30pm
Maricopa Unified & LD 16
Tuesday, Aug. 27 – 5:30-7:30pm
Deer Valley Unified & LD 2
Thursday, Aug. 29 – 5:30-7:30pm
NEW #Vote4PublicEd Volunteer Training Series
New to volunteering during an election? Ready to jump in and make a difference? Check out each of the topics for the 6-part series HERE.
Sunday, August 25 – 3:00-4:00pm
Text to Win!! Make a Difference from Your Couch
Up Next: Sunday, September 1 – 3:00-4:00pm
What on Earth is “Canvassing”? How to Knock Doors and Make a Serious Difference!
Upcoming Events!
SOSAZ VIRTUAL Game Night FUNdraiser!
August 28th — 5:30-7pm
Join us for hilarity, games, prizes, dancing and more 🎉
Bad Faith *Virtual* Film Screening & Discussion
Wednesday, September 4 – 6:00-8:00pm
Read about this powerful documentary here.
Voucher Watch
We are international!!! The BBC came to Arizona to record our fight against private school vouchers in a fascinating podcast. Below are some excerpts, but trust us, you really should listen to the whole thing!
First, the BBC shadowed our Digital Organizing Director Rachael Clawson as she launched a massive phonebank to elect pro-public education candidates in Yuma and South Phoenix ☎️ “We’ve really been the laboratory for school vouchers here in the country. We know that us standing up and fighting back is also showing the rest of the country that we don’t have to give up on our public schools.”
👂Jeff Blake, Superintendent of Phoenix Christian, where Gov. Ducey signed universal ESA vouchers into law, admits the voucher doesn’t cover tuition and says: “Public schools are becoming increasingly secularized… A term we use often around here is a ‘Christian worldview.’ To look at the world through the eyes of the scripture, the Bible, and then to interpret what is going on from that viewpoint. When we’re teaching math, one of the ways we look at it is god is the god of order, the god of structure… in a history class, we’re looking at history through the eyes of faith… we believe it would be brainwashing only to hear one side of the story, to say here’s a evolution side of Earth.. .obviously we’re going to have a bent towards the Creation perspective.”
😯 Listen to Meisha, a homeschool mom using ESA vouchers: “I want my children learning my belief system… it’s a parent’s job to indoctrinate their child into their belief system.” She says schools are trying to teach morality, and are not inclusive of Christianity because they teach evolution and not Creationism. “It’s really hard finding books… We’ve had to look for books that have things like Creationism that say god created the dinosaurs.” 🦕
😞 Pamela, a mom of James who has special needs, tells the BBC using the voucher has been impossible for her family: “They don’t care how much voucher money you have. They don’t want your kid there… the choice is with the schools. It’s not with the parents — at all.”
Vote 4 Public Ed Shop
NEW SWAG HAS ARRIVED!!
For a limited time, donate to receive a special package with everything you need for the election cycle, including t-shirt, tote bag, car magnet, and newly designed vinyl stickers!
Candidate Corner
Over the next 12 weeks, we’ll spotlight some amazing #PublicSchoolProud candidates running for the state legislature and school boards across Arizona! Check out all of our endorsed candidates at: sosarizona.org/vote4publiced/
Legislative District 2: This week, we’re visiting North Phoenix with a focus on Legislative District 2 and Paradise Valley Unified School Board. LD 2 has two fantastic candidates for the state legislature: current state Representative, Judy Schweibert, who is running for the State Senate and Stephanie Simacek, who is running for the State House.
Rep. Judy Schweibert is a former educator of 27 years, founder of Theatre Works, and was elected to the legislature in 2020. Judy has spent her life in LD2, where she raised her two sons and taught at both Cactus and Greenway High Schools. When Judy learned that almost 25% of Arizona students had no permanent, qualified teacher, she decided to run for office to be a part of the solution. As a member of the “Teachers Caucus,” she has staunchly defended public schools at the Legislature!
Stephanie Simacek is a member of the Deer Valley School District Governing board, the district her children attend and where she used to teach. Her experiences in the classroom, both rewarding and challenging, reaffirmed her belief in the power of education to transform lives.
Paradise Valley School District: PVUSD makes up a large chunk of both LD2 and LD4 (stay tuned for our spotlight on that district in a future Weekly!). The PVUSD #PublicSchoolProud candidates are Amanda Lim, Jessica Wani, and Anne Greenberg.
Amanda Courtright-Lim is a proud PVUSD graduate and an active parent deeply committed to fostering inclusive education within her community. Drawing from her personal journey as a student with a learning disability who received robust support from teachers at Larkspur Elementary, Shea Middle School, and Shadow Mountain High School, Amanda is a dedicated community leader and advocate.
is the proud graduate and parent of two children attending PVSchools and has been an active parent volunteer for more than a decade. She has advocated at the state and local level for increased funding for Arizona’s public schools and has volunteered to help successfully pass bond and override elections for PVSchools since 2017. Fun fact: she helped SOSAZ defeat vouchers in 2018!!!
Anne Greenberg, current PVUSD Board President, is the mother of two PVUSD graduates and has volunteered in the PV community since her first child entered kindergarten in 1995. Anne remains committed to providing an engaging and exceptional education for all in a safe, secure environment; ensuring continued fiscal responsibility and transparency; recruiting and retaining the highest quality teachers and employees; and advocating for education issues and funding.
If you live in North Phoenix, please support these amazing #PublicSchoolProud candidates this November! In the meantime — help us spread the word. Here are some upcoming events in the area! Click any of the events below to register now.
- LD 2 Taco Tuesday Canvass — Tues 8/20, 5:00-7:30pm
- LD 2 Community Canvass — Sat 8/24, 9:30am-12:00pm
- LD 2 & Deer Valley Unified Phonebank — Thurs 8/29, 5:30-7:30pm
- Interested in making calls to support these candidates on your own time?
Contact tyler@sosarizona.org to get started!
Public School Proud!
Check out some incredible pictures and stories from across the state that make us #PublicSchoolProud!
Know a story you think we should spotlight? Send an email to tyler@sosarizona.org to let us know!
🎨 At Freeman Fine Arts Academy in Littleton Elemntary, these mini-Picassos are already creating new masterpieces to add to their very own portfolios! Through Artsonia, students create an art portfolio that they can take with them and grow as they develop as an artist.
In a time-honored beginning of the year tradition, 5th and 6th grade students at Gateway Pointe Elementary in Higley Unified gave campaign speeches in their bid to run for Student Council! We love to see democracy at work!! 🗳️
🕰️ In Chandler Unified, middle school students at Willis STEAM Academy welcome 5th and 6th grade students from Knox Gifted Academy for an engaging day of collaborative learning! Willis students hosted interactive sessions on 100 years of history, including popular music and dance routines! 👯
We are excited to announce SOSAZ’s *NEW* Public Education Defense Fund, which will protect Arizona students’ right to a safe, quality, accessible public school in their community.
Every dollar contributed to this fund will go directly towards electing pro-public education candidates up and down the 2024 ballot, from school board to the state legislature.
Donate to SOSAZ’s Public Education Defense Fund Today!
Building a strong Public Education Defense Fund is essential to fighting back against increasingly dangerous political agendas that threaten our students’ right to learn in safety, acquire a truthful understanding of science and history, and succeed in excellent public schools.
Your contributions will help us recruit, elect, and support public education champions running for local school boards and the Arizona state legislature, shifting the balance of power at the Arizona state legislature towards one that will prioritize, fund, and defend Arizona’s public school students, educators, and classrooms.
Thank you for helping us work toward a future where a high-quality, fully-funded public education is available to all Arizona students.
Get Plugged In!
Don’t forget to join us on social media. Pick your favorite(s) and join us for fun, engaging content!! This is where we post important updates, key news articles, and informative graphics and videos you can’t get anywhere else.
Here are some other easy actions you can take:
- Sign up for a Community Action Team (CAT): East Valley, West Valley & North Phoenix, Northeast Valley, Central & South Phoenix, Northern Arizona, Pima County and Rural Southern Arizona! Your local coordinators will help you with using Request to Speak and contacting your lawmakers.
- Request an SOSAZ Education Arizona Roadshow presentation HERE
- Sign up to automatically receive the SOSAZ Legislative Weekly Report HERE