[link removed] [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Mayes Battles Horne on Vouchers
This week, Governor Hobbs made it clear that the state must reform the off-the-rails ESA voucher program to address potential shortfalls in next year's budget [[link removed]] : "We are going to be making a run at the unaccountable vouchers that are hurting public education.” Mayes Investigates Voucher Fraud [[link removed]]
💪 Mayes Battles Horne: Then, Attorney General Mayes revealed she’s been conducting a major “public monies investigation” into Supt. Horne [[link removed]] ’s automatic $2000-and-under approval policy for reimbursing anything purchased in the voucher program. As spokesperson Richie Taylor shared with 12News, “Arizonans should be concerned the ESA [voucher] program has such little oversight that these items were ever allowed to be purchased in the first place.” Horne protested, accusing Mayes of being “hypocritical” for not prosecuting some cases of ESA voucher fraud that the AZ Dept. of Education (ADE) has sent to her office, but the AG’s office, in response, noted that they can only prosecute cases with a reasonable likelihood of conviction and that many of the cases did not meet the standard.
Attorney General Kris Mayes [[link removed]] "Litigation is not off the table, but we are pushing (Horne) really hard to make reforms that would prevent that misspending of taxpayer dollars.”
– Attorney General Kris Mayes
💍👙 Diamonds, lingerie, appliances, oh my: Earlier this year, 12News obtained spending records for the ESA voucher program, revealing shocking purchases such as diamond rings, lingerie, and Kenmore appliances [[link removed]] that were approved under Superintendent Horne’s “anything goes” automatic reimbursement policy for all purchases under $2000. Following the report, AG Mayes sent Horne a letter ordering the ADE to immediately halt their automatic approval policy, stating that she was “gravely concerned about [their] apparent failure to appropriately manage [ESA voucher] funds.” At the time, Mayes said she had not ruled out taking legal action to halt the waste and abuse in the program.
Thanks to the total lack of oversight from the ADE, we have no idea how many fraudulent or non-educational purchases are being approved, how many accounts are being closed, or how many taxpayer dollars they have been unable to recoup. Horne claims that his office has closed 700 voucher accounts due to misspending; however, that figure covers three years, and it is unclear how many accounts have been closed since the automatic approval policy was enacted a year ago.
One thing is clear: this blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars must end.
Stop the Voucher Grift! 🚫💎 Arizona’s ESA voucher program has ballooned to $1 billion a year, and is wide open to bad actors. We need you to speak up! Tell Arizona leaders you expect them to put guardrails on this program NOW using our easy-to-use tools.
📨 Use our easy one-click tool to send an email to AZ’s elected officials: bit.ly/StopVoucherGrift [[link removed]]
➕ Extra Credit! We also have a tool that lets you call your members of the AZ legislature: bit.ly/StopVoucherGriftCalls [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
READ THE FULL WEEKLY EDUCATION REPORT HERE [[link removed]]
LEA EL SEMANARIO EN ESPAÑOL [[link removed]]
Stop Horne's DEI Overreach!
🧑‍⚖️ Decision on Dec. 8: On October 27, the Arizona State Board of Education voted to table the process [[link removed]] to remove references to “DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) from state teaching standards until their December 8 meeting, which gives us time to speak up.
📣 Speak up! Raise your voice to encourage our State Board of Education members to support Arizona’s diverse students by rejecting these revisions as the overreach they clearly are. They will vote on the matter at their Monday, December 8 meeting – mark your calendars to join us!
👉 Use our one-click email tool [[link removed]] to write the AZ Department of Education, then click HERE to submit a comment to the State Board of Education [[link removed]] ! (You can copy/paste your email from the tool for this)
This week brought a devastating blow to public education, with Trump’s Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announcing massive shifts within the US Dept. of Education [[link removed]] (US ED) that aim to accelerate her “final mission” to shut down the department altogether — removing critical protections for students and sending our country back 50 years in terms of civil rights and services for disabled students.
[link removed] [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK TODAY! [[link removed]]
We desperately need funding to ensure our work continues to go strong heading into 2026! Year-round organizing is our goal, and it takes everyone who believes in our work to help us sustain it. Please consider a donation to fuel our grassroots work!
Voter Registration Squad!
We are ready to WIN BIG IN ARIZONA IN 2026. But — and it’s a big “but” — our voter registration numbers are not where they should be in order to effect the wins we need to achieve to ensure adequately funded community schools, well-paid educators, and robust resources for classrooms. Turning Point USA is spending millions to register MAGA voters across Arizona, and we need to step up and compete. We don’t have millions — but we do have people. Earnest people who yearn for change and want to make their communities better. YOU!
Join our Voter Registration Volunteer Squad today [[link removed]] ! We have trained 60 voter registration volunteers in the past month, and have 1 more 2025 training [[link removed]] to ensure you have what you need to register voters wherever you’re comfortable — at libraries, music festivals, food fairs, and so much more. Person-to-person contact is the most effective way to register voters, and that human connection helps people understand the critical importance of casting their vote. You can be a connector and a force for good – click here and join us [[link removed]] ! (find out more below)
[link removed] [[link removed]]
💥📋Register Voters in Your Community! Join us for a virtual training to learn the ins and outs of registering voters in your community! No experience necessary to get started in making a difference and helping neighbors use their vote and their voice!
REGISTER HERE [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
💥☎️ Register Voters over the Phone! Want to help register voters? Join us for our virtual phone banks Sunday Dec. 7 3:00 - 4:30pm, Tuesday Dec. 16, 5:30 - 7:00pm, and Sunday Dec. 21, 3:00 - 4:30pm [[link removed]] to help eligible voters get registered! Training is provided — all experience levels are welcome!
REGISTER HERE [[link removed]]
Join Us!
[link removed] [[link removed]]
Connect with Voters through Canvassing! Learn all about deep canvassing and how to have meaningful conversations with swing voters. Deep canvassing focuses on listening and connecting with voters to understand their concerns, questions, and perspectives on public education. Sign up for one of our interactive virtual trainings so you can be part of this incredible team of changemakers!
REGISTER HERE [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]]
✨ 3rd Annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools ✨ Be the first to get your tickets [[link removed]] to SOSAZ Network’s 3rd Annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools! Don’t miss an unforgettable evening featuring inspiring speakers and student performances, delicious food and drinks, an amazing silent auction, and more! Join us on March 7th, 2026, from 5:30 pm to 9pm at the Madison Center for the Arts.
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE [[link removed]]
Support SOSAZ
[link removed] [[link removed]] Our newsletters don’t write themselves! Support our work by becoming a paid subscriber to Save Our Schools Arizona’s Substack [[link removed]] . A monthly or annual donation of any amount helps to keep the lights on at the Weekly Education Report so we can provide you with the latest news in education week after week.
SUBSCRIBE HERE [[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]