Tom Horne’s McCarthyite Tactics at the Arizona Department of Education

Over the last couple of weeks, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is giving a lack of transparency and Mccathyite tactics new meaning at the Arizona Department of Education (ADE.)

First, he and his Director of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA,) Christine Accurso sent an approximately one-page memo to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) stating, with no concrete data to substantiate it, that voucher payments would approach $900 million during the 23/24 fiscal year. They also, again without hard numbers, said that the number of scholarship applicants coming from public schools (they did not break it down between charter and traditional) was now just under 50 percent of the new applications.

This memo necessitated a pointed response for the JLBC in a two-page memo of their own (please click here to read it,) stating that they needed more information (like actual statistics) to ascertain whether their $900 million figure is accurate.

The main points from the memo were:

• “After reviewing the ADE submission, we do not yet have enough actual data to revise any of the budget assumptions concerning the ESA program.
• In its May 30, 2023 report (see attached), ADE estimates total ESA enrollment will reach 100,000 by the end of FY 2024. The report does not delineate between enrollment in the universal ESA program compared with individuals who were already eligible prior to the expansion (the “original” ESA program). The report also does not detail the methodology used in developing the enrollment estimate. We have asked the department for additional information concerning their estimates.
• ADE’s report states that “many of the students that are enrolling now are coming from the public school system” to the ESA program, but does not specify the percentage. We understand that ADE has informal estimates of switcher participation. We are reaching out to the department to determine how they will verify that a new FY 2024 ESA student was in the public school system in FY 2023.”

McCarthyite Tactics with the Empower Hotline

In the latest example of Mr. Horne and his team not being totally forthcoming with all the facts in a Joseph McCarthy way, the Superintendent held a press event on Thursday, June 8, 2023, where he revealed that his team’s newly installed Empower Hotline has resulted in revelations from complaining parents and educators that the Mesa, Catalina Foothills, and Chandler School Districts have all engaged in practices that go against current state law.

In justifying the existence of the hotline, the Superintendent said:

“Since its inception earlier this year, ADE has been compiling information regarding inappropriate activity occurring in Arizona schools through the Empower Hotline. These complaints have come not just from concerned parents but also from teachers. When parents saw during COVID what students were being taught on their laptops, they were outraged by CRT content and went to school board meetings, where some were treated rudely. The Employer Hotline directs them to a method to communicate their concerns.”

Critical Race Theory Professional Development at Mesa.

In a statement released after the presser, the Superintendent accused Mesa of conducting professional learning workshops that entertained the instruction of Critical Race Theory (CRT.)

“For example, Mesa is our largest district. A teacher reported through the hotline that the Mesa school district has a training program for teachers that clearly states that certain Americans are ‘living under a system of white supremacy.’ That is a divisive and bigoted statement that has no place in education. We are individuals, entitled to be judged by what we know, what we can do, our character, and not the color of our skin. To its credit, Mesa is in discussion with the Department about this.”

Earlier in the statement, Mr. Horne relayed:

“Despite those in ideological groups and some in the media that propagate the urban myth that CRT is not a part of the school system, we have evidence from the empower hotline, that there is enough CRT in our schools to constitute a problem, though it is obviously not universal…”

In the presser, the Superintendent presented this exhibit.

While this is more than what Joe McCarthy had when he waved a piece of paper, claiming he had the names of communists at the State Department, the exhibit Mr. Horne presented is lacking in specific details and context.

When Blog for Arizona reached out to the Communications team at the Arizona Department of Education and asked for more information than what was presented regarding the Mesa allegation (Full disclosure: this writer has a part-time position in the Mesa District,) the reply was:

“The visual materials sent yesterday are what we are able to share as part of the ongoing nature of our discussions with the districts in question. The Mesa attachment was sent in by a teacher in the MESA USD who objected to this being a part of their professional development.”

Furthermore, according to reporting from AZ Central, Mesa Superintendent Andi Fourlis “said the teacher training materials highlighted by Horne were part of an optional, one-off training in 2020, and not part of the regular professional development offered by the district.’Mesa Public Schools has always found pride in our relationship with the Arizona Department of Education … and hope to continue that our focus is on student outcomes, and we continue to make that our highest priority.”

Gender Identification at Catalina Foothills.

With regards to Catalina Foothills, the Superintendent stated:

“We also have evidence that schools have put systems in place to hide or attempt to hide critical personal information from parents about their child. This is in direct violation of Arizona law, A.R.S. §1-602.”

As evidence, the Superintendent showcased this exhibit.

Like the claim on CRT professional development being conducted in Mesa, this assertion also lacked more specific detail and context.

When asked about that and whether there was a chance educators were responding to concerns from children about negative reactions from parents if they were informed of their preferred gender identification, the initial response from the Communications team at ADE was:

“The spreadsheet from Catalina Foothills clearly indicates that an employee or employees of that district were concealing a minor’s personal information from parents, which is in violation of ARS 1-602. The language of ARS 1-602 would also apply to your question about students who may be afraid of a parental reaction. ARS 1-602 makes it clear that school employees are not given authority to act in loco parents.”

When this writer followed up with the question, “So if a child says do not tell my parents or they will hurt me, what is the instructor or administrator supposed to do? Call CPS?” the reply received was:

“We are looking at this strictly from the legal standpoint of ARS 1-602.”

In a word, chilling.

In the AZ Central article, Catalina Foothills spokesperson Julie Farbarik said the form presented at the presser is no longer in use and stated:

“This is news to us. We have not been in any discussion with ADE on this topic. We respect any student’s preference regarding how they are addressed in school, be it a nickname or a pronoun request. However, as students are informed if a parent were to inquire, our staff do not keep this information from parents. Further, we encourage students to discuss these matters with their parents.”

Emancipation Paperwork in the Chandler Unified School District.

According to the press release,  the Superintendent and his team revealed a complaint from a parent:

“In the Chandler Unified School District, a lunchtime Gay-Straight Alliance Club was created to discuss gender issues but also included the distribution of emancipation paperwork, which a parent only knew about because parents found it in their student’s backpack. Both of the above are examples of activity contrary to Arizona law.”

Unlike the first two allegations, no exhibits were presented. When this writer asked for that, the response from the Communications team was:

“The Chandler allegation is a verbal one raised by a parent and is still under discussion.”

Then why even bring it up at the press event if there is nothing tangible to substantiate the allegation.

Reaction from the Arizona Education Association.

Marisol Garcia, the President of the Arizona Education Association, issued a blistering statement following Superintendent Horne’s press event, commenting:

“Tom Horne continues to be an embarrassment to the state of Arizona. Instead of making any actual effort to promote and elevate our public schools, his office is keeping busy fielding prank calls (thirty thousand, at last count!) and pursuing random allegations and complaints, some of them years old. Arizona deserves so much better.”

Closing Thoughts.

If all the evidence Mr. Horne has is two pieces of paper and a verbal allegation, then his team needs to reexamine its priorities. It would be different if these issues were reinforced by multiple individuals with detailed and voluminous evidence. Apparently, this is not the case here and the Superintendent and his team should abandon its nontransparent and McCarthyite tactics and concentrate on projects that will actually make the public school experience better for children and educators.