[link removed] [[link removed]]
Trump 2.0: What to Expect
for Arizona's K-12 Schools
Full Weekly Education Report HERE [bit.ly/January26EdReport] - now hosted on Substack!
Our team is getting a lot of questions about Trump’s second term and what it could mean for public education. While we’re only one week into what will surely be four long years of tumult, division, and chaos, we want to honor your questions and give our best answers. We also want to remind all of you — our 20,000+ network of incredible volunteers — that we have each other, we are deeply connected, and we will use these connections to advocate for policies that protect kids and to protest agendas to attack kids, educators, and schools. alt [[link removed]]
Here’s what we know so far about Trump 2.0, Project 2025, and the likely impacts on education:
Anti-Immigrant Policies
* ICE in schools: Arizona schools “bracing for the worst” [[link removed]] as Trump’s immigration raids begin. We expect the administration to increase the criminalization and deportation of undocumented Americans, including students and their families. Trump has already directed ICE [[link removed]] to push into schools and churches, drawing the criticism of many — including AZ’s Superintendent Horne [[link removed]] , who said fewer kids would attend school under threats of ICE and “it’s not a child’s fault.”
* Mayes fights back: We have already seen this with the executive order (EO) to end birthright citizenship, and are proud that Arizona is one of 22 states [[link removed]] that has filed a lawsuit to block this order (go Attorney General Kris Mayes! 🔥).
* What can be done? We urge Arizona school boards to pass district policies and resolutions to ensure their schools are free from such threats.
* What’s next? We expect the administration will work to overturn Plyler v. Doe [[link removed]] in an attempt to remove the right to a free public education for all students regardless of immigration status; however, this will need to move through the courts and cannot be achieved via EO.
Attacks on LGBTQ+ and DEI
* Slashed LGBTQ+ protections: We expect the administration to slash protections for LGBTQ+ students, including Trump’s first day EO to define sex as “biological sex assigned at birth” and limit sex to only male/female.
* What can be done? The ACLU [[link removed]] states, “We expect the order may be enforced in other contexts, such as in public schools… If federal agencies and departments act to make those risks a reality, the ACLU and other LGBTQ rights organizations will fight them every step of the way.”
* Attacks on DEI: U.S. Department of Education (ED) officials moved swiftly this week to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion [[link removed]] (DEI) measures and staff following President Donald Trump's [[link removed]] executive order Monday. The ED put employees charged with leading DEI initiatives on paid administrative leave, canceled millions of dollars in contracts related to DEI trainings and services, and pledged to remove more than 200 webpages officials said housed DEI resources for schools and colleges. As a reminder, DEI efforts in K-12 schools typically work to ensure culturally representative hiring practices, as well as programs to ensure inclusive and safe classrooms.
Attempts to Privatize Education
* Federal K-12 funding at risk: Project 2025 and many close to Trump have promised to move federal funding “back to the states” via “block grants.” This means they intend to take funds for students with disabilities (IDEA funding), students in low-income areas (Title I funding), Native students (Johnson O’Malley funding), etc. and transfer those funds to the states to reallocate as they see fit. There are no specifics to this plan, meaning we don’t know where they want to transfer the funds. We do know that this will require major legislation that cannot be done by EO. alt [[link removed]]
* Abolishing the Dept. of Ed: Similarly, Trump and the voucher pushers want to dissolve the US Dept. of Education — but this will require legislation and cannot be done through an EO.
* Federal voucher threats: The ECCA (“Educational Choice for Children Act”) would create a national voucher program that redirects $5 billion a year to unregulated, unaccountable private schools, microschools, and homeschooling — while serving as a tax shelter for the rich. The ECCA may be in a budget reconciliation bill this spring.
Is Education Ready to Rumble? Trump has tapped Linda McMahon as the US Secretary of Education [[link removed]] — yes, that Linda McMahon, of WWE wrestling fame. McMahon has little educational experience. When Trump announced his pick, he called her [[link removed]] a “fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights” who will “fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every state in America.” She once claimed [[link removed]] to have her bachelor’s degree in education and had to resign from the Connecticut Board of Education after this was discovered to be false. McMahon chairs the America First Policy Institute [[link removed]] , a think tank founded in 2021 to promote Trump's public policy agenda that pushes anti-LGBTQ policy as well as vouchers. alt [[link removed]]
The far-right think tank is already serving as a recruitment pool for ED officials, with almost a dozen former employees appointed to top leadership positions [[link removed]] in the agency. McMahon will likely be confirmed by the Senate within the next two weeks. Use this tool from our friends at the Network for Public Education to urge Arizona Senators Kelly & Gallego to vote NO on McMahon [[link removed]] .
alt [[link removed]]
Email Gov. Hobbs & your lawmakers to urge them to do their constitutional duty and invest in Arizona’s public schools! Our easy-to-use, one-click email tool [[link removed]] is preloaded with SOSAZ’s legislative priorities, but we also encourage you to customize your email for maximum impact.
Click HERE or the image below to send an email now! [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Full Weekly Education Report HERE [bit.ly/January26EdReport] - now hosted on Substack!
Bills in Committee
[[link removed]] ✅ Introducing the snazzy new SOSAZ 2025 Bill Tracker [[link removed]] ! Learn more about all bills SOSAZ supports or opposes in 2025 and get up-to-the-minute information on where these bills stand.
[[link removed]] 🛑 Use Request to Speak on the following bills:
👎 NO on SB1002 • 👎 NO on SB1003
👎 NO on SB1090 • 👎 NO on SB1091
👎 NO on SB1099 • 👎 NO on SB1133
👍 YES on HB2213 • 👎 NO on HB2375
SB1002 [[link removed]] , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban teachers from using a student’s chosen pronouns without written parental permission. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1003 [[link removed]] , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban trans kids from using the school bathrooms, changing facilities and “sleeping quarters” that align with their gender identities. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1090 , sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-14), would put Arizona public school teachers (but not teachers at ESA-funded private schools) behind bars for up to two years [[link removed]] if they so much as recommend a book to students that lawmakers consider “sexually explicit.” Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1091 , sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-14), would require that ballots in school district bond and budget override continuation elections state how much voters' taxes would drop if they refused to pass the continuations. This would force blatant propaganda designed to discourage voters from supporting overrides in the name of "transparency." Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1099 , sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-14), is a rerun [[link removed]] of last year's bill to ban district and charter schools from exposing minors to so-called "sexually explicit materials." This would ban many classic works of literature, from Shakespeare to Maya Angelou, and educators could be charged with a Class 5 felony for simply having these materials in their classrooms. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1133 , sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would require the State Board of Education to mandate schools teach the history of communism and domestic communist movements in high school social studies. State lawmakers shouldn’t be mandating curriculum; that’s the job of educators who are trained in curriculum development. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2213 , sponsored by Nancy Gutierrez (D-18), would fund free school lunches for children whose families meet the federal income requirements for free or reduced-price lunches. This change would help kids [[link removed]] who don't qualify for free meals but still struggle to afford the costs. Kids who eat school meals show improved attendance, behavior and academic achievement (kids can't learn when they're hungry!), and they get more whole grains, milk, fruits and vegetables at mealtimes. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. SUPPORT.
HB2375 , sponsored by Pamela Carter (R-4), would require school districts to begin special education evaluations within 15 days of a parent's written request, or provide written notice of refusal, if the request is filed between May 1 and September 1 (much of which is during summer break). This requirement, which is already in State Board of Education rule, places a burden on schools which are already overwhelmed with the volume of expensive requests. Codifying these demands will pull services away from students with existing IEPs whose needs are met by the same employees who evaluate students. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
Bills in Rules Committees
Rules exists only to consider whether a bill is constitutional and in the proper form for passage; the committee doesn’t take testimony and won’t read comments. These bills will proceed to caucus (separate partisan meetings of all Democrats and all Republicans) and from there to a full floor vote.
Bills in Senate Rules Committee, Monday — Contact your Senator [[link removed]]
SB1028 [[link removed]] , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would reinstate high-stakes testing to graduate [[link removed]] from high school. OPPOSE.
Bills in House Rules Committee, Monday — Contact your Representatives [[link removed]]
HB2008 , sponsored by John Gillette (R-30), would hinder citizen’s initiatives by requiring notaries to hold fingerprint clearance cards and provide their thumbprint with each notarization. OPPOSE.
HB2018 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), blurs the lines of public and private education by allowing private and for-profit universities in Arizona to provide taxpayer-funded financial assistance to students in teacher training programs on the same terms as those at Arizona’s three state universities, and increases funding for the program by $10 million to accommodate the private, for-profit universities. OPPOSE.
HB2022 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Selina Bliss (R-1), would allow K-12 public and private schools to authorize employees to carry firearms on school grounds. OPPOSE.
HB2062 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Lisa Fink (R-27), would remove any reference to gender in Arizona law and replace it with “sex,” defined as the male or female label assigned to someone at birth. OPPOSE.
HB2113 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Nick Kupper (R-25), would ban the display of certain flags in Arizona schools, such as LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter flags. OPPOSE.
Need an RTS account? Sign up here. [[link removed]] Want a refresher? Our friends at Civic Engagement Beyond Voting are hosting RTS trainings on Monday evenings at 6:30, starting this week. Sign up here! [[link removed]]
Join Us!
Volunteer Celebration Picnic! Join #TeamSOSAZ for a Volunteer Celebration Picnic on Sunday, January 26th in Phoenix! Be in community with other public education supporters for food and fun together. Please feel free to bring friends, family, and kids — all are welcome! [link removed] [[link removed]]
Register HERE [[link removed]] to help us get a headcount for food! We will announce the picnic location soon, but mark your calendars!
It’s happening!! 🎉 Join us for our 2nd annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools on March 29, 2025 at the Madison Performing Arts Center! Our special guest will be Jess Piper [[link removed]] , an incredible public education advocate from Missouri and TikTok superstar. We will have delicious food and drinks, student performances, awards for incredible educators, and so much more! Tickets are on sale now for $120. Get yours before they sell out [[link removed]] — and if you’re an educator or student, we welcome you to use the code EDUC8 to receive 50% off. See you there!!! [link removed] [[link removed]]
SOSAZ Network Book Club is back! We surveyed the SOSAZ Network Book Club [[link removed]] members who chose Punishing for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal by Bettina L. Love. Our virtual discussions on February 23 and March 23 will be led by ASU Professors Dr. Carrie Sampson and Dr. Sharon Kirsch as well as doctoral student Christina Bustos. Sign up here [[link removed]] to become a new member and/or get more details and resources for these upcoming events. [link removed] [[link removed]]
Order the book through Changing Hands [[link removed]] or your favorite bookseller!
SUPPORT OUR WORK [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Contact Us
[email protected]
Save Our Schools Arizona
PO Box 28370
Tempe, AZ 85285
United States
Paid for by Save Our Schools Arizona. Not authorized by any candidate.
unsubscribe: [link removed]