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Attacks on Public Ed Mount
What. A. Week. We’re reading the constant stream of executive orders and news so you don’t have to. Read on to get a high-level view of these federal actions relating to K-12 schools — and please keep in mind: most of these actions are not constitutional, and will be challenged in the courts. [[link removed]]
💸 Voucher Executive Order: On Wednesday, President Trump signed an Executive Order [[link removed]] (EO) straight out of the Project 2025 playbook [[link removed]] . This EO is designed to defund public education by advancing harmful private school voucher programs and school privatization across the US. The order calls on multiple agencies to redirect federal grant funding to support private and “faith-based” schools.
We’ll say it again: Arizona serves as a grim cautionary tale to the nation when it comes to vouchers: diverting public funds to private schools without any financial or academic accountability causes dramatic harm to schools and students. But President Trump does not have the power to fund federal voucher programs unilaterally. Federal grants are funded through legislation and directed towards specific purposes — changing how those grants function must be amended by Congress, not via Executive Order. We expect litigation against these efforts and stand united with pro-public education advocates and organizations across the country. Read our full statement here [[link removed]] .
😡 “Ending Radical Indoctrination” EO: President Trump issued an executive order that threatens to strip federal funds from schools teaching "discriminatory equity ideology” [[link removed]] — a vague, undefined term that aims to silence teachers and chill classroom conversation. In addition, it takes aim at schools supporting LGBTQ+ students. The edict says it will sanction schools that assert some people are oppressed because of their race, or that the U.S. is "fundamentally racist, sexist, or otherwise discriminatory." The order also attempts to bar schools from using federal funds to support transgender and nonbinary students through their social transitions – directly or indirectly. It also prohibits allowing trans students to participate in school sports on teams that don't correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
Lifted entirely from the Project 2025 [[link removed][0]=AZWzVa3SS4kaWNOXWPYM1Y38VMt5Znk7ci49VUxoiSTZigKOr6ygjOms2P0oe1Fd-8f59IuYWngi1SEYTkOI35bnVQq_GExPQfQtXJvL5zQd9KWQslXohUm2HH7Z_8qj0aOin-IA9Fb1-8cFN7-NYhRdtvrZTGZU0Frg6-931w1srHDe6PGJSNpZvipxAHCSDqk&__tn__=*NK-R] playbook, this order is likely unconstitutional since the federal government cannot set curriculum — only states and local school boards do that.
Further Attacks on LGBTQ+ Youth: This week, the Trump administration issued an EO to restrict access to gender-affirming care for youth [[link removed]] , which is likely to be challenged in court. Additionally, a new memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed agencies to “ end federal funding of gender ideology [[link removed]] .”
ICE in schools: Arizona schools are “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; it has already directed ICE [[link removed]] to push into schools and churches. However, 22 Attorneys General across the US (including Arizona’s AG Kris Mayes) are already battling this in court [[link removed]] .
“ECCA” Educational Choice for Children Act [[link removed]] — Federal Voucher Bill: The ECCA is a bill that proposes a federal voucher program that would accelerate the privatization of public schools across the US. The ECCA creates a tax credit voucher that could cost billions in taxpayer dollars. Like Arizona’s ESA voucher program, the ECCA would disburse funds for private school, homeschooling and microschools. [[link removed]]
The ECCA is designed to benefit the wealthy and can be used by individuals and corporations as a tax shelter. It will supercharge the already exploding for-profit market in untested and unregulated curriculum, goods, and services, thus degrading educational attainment when the world needs more, not less, knowledge and expertise. Profiteers have long been greedy for the billions of federal and state dollars supporting our public education system.
Full Weekly Education Report HERE [bit.ly/February2EdReport] - now hosted on Substack!
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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]]
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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:
👍 YES on SB1007 • 👎 NO on SB1036
👎 NO on SB1243 • 👎 NO on SB1255
👎 NO on SB1269 • 👎 NO on HB2164
👎 NO on HB2703
SB1007 , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), extends the deadline for the public school tax credit to be used for broader purposes, including school meal programs, consumable health care supplies, playground equipment and shade structures. This ability expired June 30, 2024; the bill is retroactive, so if it passes, it will be as though the ability never expired. Having the flexibility to determine what needs attention most will benefit local schools. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. SUPPORT.
SB1036 [[link removed]] , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would expand an existing law that bans cities, counties and school districts from using taxpayer dollars to convince voters to cast their ballots a certain way. Any Arizona resident could file suit, and if they win, that resident would get a $5,000 taxpayer-sponsored reward. The sponsor says he's looking to encourage these lawsuits to combat what he sees as an increasingly prevalent problem, and isn't concerned about frivolous suits. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1243 , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would require school boards and other public bodies to put their "open call to the public" at the beginning of the meeting before any other official business. This is a direct attack on local control. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1255 , sponsored by Shawnna Bolick (R-2), would require each school district and individual public school to post on its website information on students’ race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age that is meant for the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights [[link removed]] . Schools would also have to complete a newly created survey from the Arizona Department of Education on bullying, fighting, harassment and other school safety issues, which ADE would post on their website. Public schools are already subject to many laws covering discrimination and bullying, making this an excessive overreach. Meanwhile, bills to expand these protections to kids at ESA voucher-funded schools are going unheard. See SB1369, 2024. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1269 , sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would let district and charter school boards allow volunteer school chaplains into schools to provide support, services or programs to students. The bill does not specify what the chaplains' roles would include, set any training or certification requirements, or require that students from a range of faith traditions be accommodated. Participating schools would have to adopt policies detailing the scope of chaplain services, maintain a publicly available list of chaplains with their religious affiliations, and notify parents of available services. Most credentialed chaplains are not qualified to address the needs [[link removed]] of public school students and cannot replace trained school counselors [[link removed]] or other student support staff. The ramifications for tracking people's religious affiliations alone are dangerous. The ACLU, which opposes such proposals across other states, says, “Chaplains may provide inappropriate responses or interventions that could gravely harm students, including those experiencing mental health crises, LGBTQ students, and other vulnerable individuals. When a student seeks mental health care at school, that care should be provided by a qualified professional.” People who happen to be chaplains are already welcome, just like anyone else, to participate in existing school volunteer programs — to help with educational efforts, not to proselytize to students. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2164 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (R-30), would ban what the sponsor deems "ultra-processed foods" from being served in public school cafeterias, snack bars and vending machines. While perhaps well-intentioned, the bill would ban common brands of everything from salad dressings and ketchup to breads and tortillas. This is an unfunded mandate, as schools would likely need major financial support from the state in order to overhaul all meal offerings. The cost of this change is unknown but doubtless significant. This comes amid a focus on food additives [[link removed]] from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick to head the US Department of Health, [[link removed]] and is based on few documented research findings. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2703 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Laurin Hendrix (R-14), is yet another bill that would require early ballots to be returned by the Friday before Election Day. Voters who tried to return their ballots after that would be forced to show ID, sign an affidavit, and cast a new ballot in person. The bill also forces principals to allow their schools to be used as polling places, creating potential issues relating to child safety and available space. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee, Monday. 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!
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PURCHASE TICKETS [[link removed]]
It’s happening!! 🎉 Join us for our 2nd annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools [[link removed]] gala 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 $100. 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 (select “unlock” to enter the code).
NEW: Nominate a Champion of Public Education! 🏆 Know an incredible AZ educator, staff member, or school leader? Nominate [[link removed]] them for our Champions of Public Education award today!!
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SUBMIT A NOMINATION [[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]]
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Contact Us
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Save Our Schools Arizona
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Tempe, AZ 85285
United States
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