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Are You Ready to Rumble? 😡
View and share a URL to this email with 3 friends! [bit.ly/February16EdReport]
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This Thursday, the confirmation hearing for President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education Linda McMahon [[link removed]] revealed more about the dismal course the administration plans to chart for public education — and how it seeks to dismantle the Ed. Dept and advance private school vouchers. [[link removed]]
McMahon, former CEO of the WWE and a zealous pusher of “school choice” (aka, private school vouchers), laid out how she believes Trump’s plans to dismantle the Ed. Dept. will unfold.
Under questioning, she told senators that abolishing the department would "certainly require" Congressional action and repeatedly promised the federal school funding appropriated by Congress to assist low-income school districts and students would continue. (As a reminder, the Dept. of Ed. safeguards the civil rights of students with disabilities and sends billions of dollars to schools that serve low-income students, among its many responsibilities.)
However, on Wednesday (less than a day before McMahon’s hearing), Mr. Trump said he wanted to see the Ed. Dept. shuttered “immediately,” calling it “a big con job.”
President Trump, McMahon said in the hearing, “pledged to make American education the best in the world, return education to the states where it belongs, and free American students from the education bureaucracy through school choice.”
In a tense exchange [[link removed]] , Democratic Senator Chris Murphy (CT) asked McMahon to clarify Trump’s order banning DEI in schools. McMahon said events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. should be allowed, but she hesitated when asked about African American history classes: “I’m not quite certain. I’d like to look into it further.” Murphy said her answer would “have a lot of educators and a lot of principals and administrators scrambling right now.” [[link removed]]
📧Tell Your Senators to Vote "No" for Linda McMahon for Sec. of Education [[link removed]]
☎️ Call Your Senators - Urge them to Vote “No for Linda McMahon for Sec. of Education [[link removed]]
A plan being considered by the White House would direct the new education secretary to dismantle the department as much as legally possible while asking Congress to abolish it completely [[link removed]] . Indeed, at a White House news conference last week, Trump said he wanted McMahon “to put herself out of a job.” [[link removed]]
Even without an order to close the department, the Trump administration has been overhauling many aspects of its work. DOGE has already cut $900 million in contracts [[link removed]] for the Ed. Dept. research office that tracks progress of students in schools across America, raising alarms about the future of the work it has done to support research and track achievement gaps.
On Wednesday, the Ed. Dept. fired at least 39 employees, including civil rights workers, special education specialists, and student aid officials.
bit.ly/SaveUSEdDept [bit.ly/SaveUSEdDept]
💥 ACT NOW: Tell your US Senators & Representatives to stand up for public education! Urge them to protect the U.S. Department of Education and the millions of vulnerable students it serves.
📧 Send your message in minutes with our one-click email tool: bit.ly/SaveUSEdDept [[link removed]]
Full Weekly Education Report HERE [bit.ly/February16EdReport]
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Bills in Committee
[[link removed]] Crossover Week Chaos: This week’s committee agendas are jam-packed with horrible bills because for most bills this week marks the last chance to advance. In other words, it's the last chance for lawmakers to advance their ideas (good or bad). This inevitably leads to a blizzard of activity leading to long agendas and even longer hearings. It's critical that you speak up now. Most of these ideas will survive this round, but the support or opposition they garner between now and the next deadline (at the end of March) can doom or save a bill on its way to becoming law — and also help ensure a Hobbs veto stamp. [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] 🛑 Use Request to Speak on the following bills:
👎 NO on SB1097 • 👎 NO on SB1226
👎 NO on SB1298 • 👎 NO on SB1473
👎 NO on SB1534 • 👎 NO on SB1560
👎 NO on SB1584 • 👎 NO on SB1693
👎 NO on SCR1028 • 👎NO on SCR1032
👎 NO on HB2191 • 👎 NO on HB2700
👎 NO on HB2725 • 👎 NO on HB2814
👎 NO on HB2867 • 👎 NO on HB2918
👎 NO on HB2920 • 👎 NO on HCR2015
👍 YES on HCR2003
SB1097 , sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require public district schools to be closed on every regular primary and general election day, and to provide their gymnasiums for use as polling places upon request. Whether schools offer their space for elections should be left up to local control. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1226 , sponsored by Shawnna Bolick (R-2), is a copy of a vetoed bill from last year [[link removed]] that would require district and charter school boards to restrict student access to the internet and to limit students’ use of phones during the school day to only for educational purposes or during an emergency, including during meals, passing periods and recess. This is a national trend [[link removed]] that is already being handled on the local level [[link removed]] . Schools should be allowed to set their own policies and not struggle under top-down legislative mandates. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1298 , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would expand Arizona's existing religious property tax exemption to also exempt religious schools. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1473 , sponsored by David Farnsworth (R-10), would create a new funding formula for K-12 school districts that takes Arizona a step closer to "backpack funding" by shifting costs around. Districts would be allowed to opt into the charter school funding formula, which is higher, in exchange for giving up locally funded bonds and overrides. From far-right tax policy group ATRA [[link removed]] , the bill furthers their longstanding agenda to eliminate property taxes and could harm Arizona's K-12 funding. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1534 , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would allow for more partisan ballot language, transferring the responsibility for preparing the summary of ballot initiatives and referenda from the Secretary of State to the Legislative Council and removing the requirement for the Attorney General to approve the summaries. This is yet another effort to curtail the citizens' initiative and referendum process granted by our state constitution. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1560 , sponsored by Vince Leach (R-17), would require referendum signature campaigns to adhere to strict compliance requirements, making it vastly more difficult for them to succeed. The sponsor has a long history of attacks on direct democracy [[link removed]] . Scheduled for Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1584 , sponsored by Janae Shamp (R-29), bans public schools from implementing hiring policies based on factors other than "merit" as part of the MAGA attack on diversity, equity and inclusion. Allows individuals to sue, which would lead to endless frivolous claims of “reverse racism.” Scheduled for Senate Regulatory Affairs & Government Reform, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1693 , sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would mandate that students at private schools or who use ESA vouchers must be allowed to try out for interscholastic activities at public schools [[link removed]] . Athletics should be something parents consider when choosing a school for their student. When parents opt out of local schools, they opt out of extracurriculars. ESA vouchers already siphon dollars away from local public schools; it is unreasonable to require them to cover non-attendees’ costs for extracurriculars. This bill places an unreasonable burden on public schools, who would be required to include voucher students even though they've chosen to go to school elsewhere. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1028 [[link removed]] , sponsored by Shawnna Bolick (R-2), would ask voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to require school district bond measures receive at least 60% voter approval [[link removed]] instead of a simple majority. In effect, this measure could stop school districts from ever passing desperately needed bonds again. “It puts the minority of the community in charge, because if a minority of the people vote against it, it doesn’t pass,” said [[link removed]] school funding expert Chuck Essigs [[link removed]] , who also pointed out that voters don't elect the Legislature this way. The bill is part of a concerted effort by some politicians [[link removed]] to reduce citizens’ power to enact policy at the ballot. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1032 , sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), is a ballot measure that would permit the Arizona State School Fund (the state land trust from which Prop 123 monies flow) to provide guaranteed financing for district and charter schools, including bonds, overrides and capital financing. We question why taxpayers should guarantee loans for for-profit charter schools; some have [[link removed]] made [[link removed]] a tremendous [[link removed]] profit [[link removed]] . This change could put the land trust's current ability to fund schools at risk. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2191 , sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), is a copy of a failed bill from 2024 [[link removed]] that would adjust zoning restrictions to allow churches to build housing on their property. This is part of ALEC’s 2025 policy push to enable wide-scale building of religious microschools [[link removed]] across the US. Scheduled for House Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2700 , sponsored by Teresa Martinez (R-16), would insert "a specific focus on the Gulf of America" into the state high school social studies standards for graduation. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2725 , sponsored by Chris Lopez (R-16), would force public schools to notify parents if their child does not recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the time set aside for it each day. This punitive and cruel bill would stigmatize kids and would be incredibly difficult to enforce as a teacher. One teacher commented, "Do they really expect me to monitor all 35 students every day to see if they're saying it?" Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2814 , sponsored by Lisa Fink (R-27), would let the legislature direct federal funding however they wish if Trump dissolves the Department of Education [[link removed]] and turns the money into block grants to states for them to spend as they please, with no strings attached. This could allow the state to redistribute Title I and IDEA funds to private school vouchers with no strings attached. See HCR2015 . Scheduled for House Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2867 , sponsored by Michael Way (R-15), would ban public schools from teaching, promoting, funding or training students in antisemitic conduct. Students and parents would be allowed to sue for damages. The bill requires ADE to investigate all complaints and impose disciplinary actions up to revocation of teaching certifications. The bill does not define "antisemitism," but does say it creates "a hostile educational environment" — which is often coded language for avoiding any discussion that deals with thought-provoking or difficult subjects. The bill also bans "requiring a student to advocate for or against a specific topic or point of view to receive credit," which is core to many social studies and English standards and is necessary to properly develop critical thinking skills. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2918 , sponsored by Justin Olson (R-10), would slash Arizona's tax rates in the sales, individual income, small business and school district categories. The 2022 Ducey tax cuts have already caused state revenues to plummet, leading to massive deficits [[link removed]] . Arizona cannot shoulder the burden of further cuts. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2920 , sponsored by Justin Olson (R-10), would require county treasurers to include school district property tax rates on bills and statements. This and other bills introduced by Olson go out of their way to point out the costs that fall to counties and localities when the state — namely the legislature — fails to adequately fund public schools. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday, and House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HCR2003 , sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would waive Arizona’s archaic school spending cap for next school year (2025-26), averting teacher layoffs, program cuts and school closures. Without a waiver, the public district schools which serve 70% of the state’s schoolchildren [[link removed]] would be legally unable to spend [[link removed]] $1.4 billion in funds the Legislature has already allocated to them, and would have to cut spending [[link removed]] by nearly 20% across the board. The bill requires a two-thirds supermajority vote in both chambers. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. SUPPORT.
HCR2015 , sponsored by Lisa Fink (R-27), would ask voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to let the legislature direct federal funding however they wish if Trump dissolves the Department of Education [[link removed]] and turns the money into block grants to states for them to spend as they please, with no strings attached. This could allow the state to redistribute Title I and IDEA funds to private school vouchers with no strings attached. As a ballot referral, this would circumvent the governor's veto. See HB2814 . Scheduled for House Appropriations Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
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It’s happening!! 🎉 Join us for our 2nd annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools [sosaznetwork.org/caps] 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 [sosaznetwork.org/caps] — 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!!
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
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