Department of Education aggressive in rooting out fraud

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne says the only way today’s conviction of two people on charges of fraud using Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) dollars could happen was because the Department of Education discovered the activity in 2024 and referred it for prosecution.

Horne stated, “In a recent television interview, state Attorney General Chris Mayes outrageously and mindlessly accused me of permitting improper purchases such as lingerie and diamonds.  If she paid attention to her job or even to the news, she would know that this was a false charge.

To date we have collected or referred for collection more than $622,000 in improper purchases under the program where purchases for under $2,000 are paid but not approved immediately, subject to later audit. That method, called risk-based auditing, is a common practice in many federal and state agencies and is dictated by state law.  Without this program, reimbursements for expenditures would take over two months, putting a terrible burden on parents who have paid money and are entitled to reimbursements.

We have also won 16 appeals of improper expenses such as dune buggies, golf simulators and other unallowable items. In all those cases, the department has not received any support from the Attorney General’s office to ensure anyone who tried to defraud the system is held accountable. That appeals work is being done entirely by the Department of Education, and we have won them all.

The Department of Education has the same number of people authorized to review purchases as it had when it had one-tenth as man participants in the ESA program. The 12 people assigned to this task work very hard and courageously and can process 500 per day even though they get 1000 requests every day. Without this program, reimbursements for expenditures would take over two months, putting a terrible burden on parents who have paid money and are entitled to reimbursements.

In the most recent legislative session, the House of Representatives budget had an item for more people in the Department of Education doing this work, but Governor Katie Hobbs told them that if they did not remove it, she would veto the budget. As a result, they felt they had to remove it, because at that stage an unapproved budget would have resulted in a government shutdown. 

I am committed to doing everything possible to protect taxpayer resources and root out fraud and abuse.”

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued the following statement in response to the fatal stabbing of a student at Maryvale High School today.

Horne stated, “The death of a student as the result of a stabbing at Maryvale High School is a terrible tragedy. Schools must be safe places.

The on-campus school safety officer responded immediately, rendered aid to the student, and did his job well.

This terrible incident reinforces my commitment to doing everything possible to make schools safe.”

Says criminal should have faced more prison time

TUCSON – State schools chief Tom Horne says the armed Tucson man who broke into school grounds vowing to kill children at an east Tucson campus earlier this year deserves more punishment than today’s sentence of 18 months in prison followed by probation.

Daniel Hollander was arrested in January after breaking into an east Tucson school. He was armed with a gun and knife and was confronted and arrested by Tucson Police Officer William Bonanno, a school safety officer who had recently been assigned to the campus. Hollander was quoted as saying he intended to kill children and make them famous.

Horne issued this statement:

“In the sentencing at Pima County Superior Court today it came out that the prosecutor had recommended only one year in prison followed by 10 years of probation for someone who went into a school with a gun and a knife threatening to kill 20 students. The judge increased it to 18 months but could not do more in view of the prosecutor’s recommendation. As a former Attorney General, I know that the public is entitled to be protected from people like this defendant. Probation is not perfect. If this individual has a bad day, he could go into a school and kill students. In my opinion, the prosecutor’s recommendation should have been at least 20 years in prison to protect our children.

In this case, we avoided that tragedy by the skin of our teeth. Tucson Police Officer William Bonanno was the safety officer on campus. He was hired just two weeks before the incident.  He is experienced and brave, and after being alerted to a problem on campus, checked an open door, and found the would-be perpetrator with a gun and a knife. Because of his experience and courage, he did not wait for back up but immediately arrested the individual.

I have increased the number of police officers in our schools in the last two years from 190 to 585. Just prior to this incident, we found some unused funds and reopened opportunities to apply for grants, which is how funds were available to hire Officer Bonanno.

I urge the schools to consider that a maniac could invade a school and kill 20 students as has happened in other states and could happen here. This is my worst nightmare.”

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit is pleased to offer a variety of resources and professional learning opportunities on Autism. These free sessions are offered virtually during the 2025–2026 school year and are designed for general and special education teachers.

Session 1: Positive Behavior Supports
Be introduced to the foundations of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in inclusive classrooms. Participants will explore practical tools such as token boards, First-Then visuals, choice boards, and power cards/social stories. Emphasis is placed on the role of communication in behavior support. Through interactive activities and real-time feedback, attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies.

September 25, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 2: Routines and Schedules
Learn how structured routines and predictable schedules can reduce disruptions and support positive behavior. Explore visual tools like schedules, timers, and task strips, and walk away with strategies you can use immediately to improve transitions and unstructured time in the inclusive classroom setting.

November 20, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 3: Structured Work Systems
Discover how structured work systems promote independence and support diverse learners. Learn to set up clear, organized workspaces using visual schedules, task cards, and color coding. Walk away with practical tools to help students start tasks, transition smoothly, and self-regulate in inclusive settings.

January 29, 2026, 3:30-4:30 pm

Session 4: Inclusion Supports
Explore the principles of inclusive education and how collaboration with families and staff enhances student success. Learn to use STAR resources and data to support individualized learning, foster belonging, and implement inclusive practices with confidence.

April 16, 2026, 3:30-4:30 pm

We are delighted to offer these opportunities to collaborate with your teams in support of student success.

Please contact the Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance. 

Registration for the 2025–2026 Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) is closing soon, so please be sure to register if you are beginning your first or second year as a special education director.

This professional learning opportunity prepares new special education directors for the practical operation of a special education system. SENDS covers topics such as compliance and legal requirements, fiscal issues, assessment, general supervision, and ADE supports and resources. New special education directors directly employed by Arizona public education agencies in their first or second year as special education directors (including any previous positions) in the fall of 2025 are eligible to attend SENDS.

Registration
The $100 registration fee for SENDS includes:

• Registration for the in-person kick-off session on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007 
• Follow-up webinars scheduled during the 2025–26 school year 
• A one-year membership to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and CEC’s Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) special interest division

Registration is open until Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Travel Reimbursement
Funding is available for travel costs for districts and charter organizations traveling 51 miles or more from the school district or charter office to 100 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007.  The district or charter organization will receive the reimbursement, not the special education director, via the Arizona Procurement Portal. Please note that APP registration and an additional completed State Procurement Office Form will be required. ADE/ESS will provide information regarding travel reimbursement to eligible PEAs once registration is completed. The PEA must complete the initial registration by August 15 to be considered for travel reimbursement for SENDS.

Register for the Special Education New Director Symposium (SENDS) training!

If you have questions about SENDS, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

Reminder that the AzEDS Instructional Calendar must be submitted to the AzEDS Portal and be certified and free of Integrity errors for your district or charter to generate ADM.

If you encounter an integrity error and are unsure how to fix it, you can use the Calendar Integrity Reference Guide. This helpful guide explains how to correct each Calendar Integrity code listed on your INTEG35 report.

Please work with your Student Information System (SIS) vendor to upload the calendar to AzEDS.

If you need additional assistance, please submit a HelpDesk ticket.

New $1,700 credit would bring more money to classrooms

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne has urged Governor Katie Hobbs to include Arizona in a new federal school tax credit opportunity that would add more money to the classroom for students in public district, charter and other school settings.

Horne stated, “Governor Hobbs has a very simple choice to make by having the state opt-in to the new federal school tax credit that can be used by any taxpayer in the state. It benefits students in public district schools, charters and every other school setting. Therefore, there is no logical reason to oppose this.”

He added, “It is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit that taxpayers can donate up to $1,700 annually to Scholarship Granting Organizations as allowed by the law that give money to cover school expenses. Any school could establish such a scholarship organization to accept contributions and bring more money to the classroom. It does not cost the state any money and would increase funding for education.”

Eligible expenses include books, supplies, tutoring, special needs services, computers, tuition, fees, room and board and transportation covered by the federal Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, which requires enrollment at an eligible school.

He concluded, “All the governor needs to do is approve a list of scholarship organizations and submit the list to the federal government by the end of the calendar year. Failure to do so means that other states will be able to take advantage of federal tax dollars paid by Arizonans, but Arizonans will be left out. That is an avoidable tragedy, and I urge the governor to take this common-sense step toward raising more money for all Arizona students.”

September 11, 2025
8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Rio Vista Recreation Center
8866 W Thunderbird Rd., Peoria, AZ 85381

Thanks to Peoria Unified School District for providing the venue for this event.

ADE/ESS is pleased to bring Amy Graham, CCC-SLP, back to Arizona this fall for a brand-new topic. This intensive, full-day workshop will equip speech-language pathologists, speech-language technicians, and speech-language pathology assistants with advanced strategies for effectively and efficiently addressing challenging speech sound disorders. We will cover how to implement evidence-based approaches for remediating severe phonological impairments, techniques for treating challenging articulation errors, like lateral lisps and /ɹ/ distortions, as well as methods for effectively addressing motor speech deficits among children with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS).

Key Topics
This course goes beyond the basics, diving deep into the most effective, evidence-based methods for treating complex speech sound disorders. These advanced strategies will not only help you tackle the trickiest cases but will also enhance your overall clinical skills. This course will provide actionable, real-world techniques you can immediately apply in your therapy sessions, helping your students achieve faster, more efficient improvement.​

• Advanced Phonological Interventions: Learn how to implement evidence-based approaches to treat severe phonological impairments, including the complexity approach, cycles approach, and the multiple oppositions approach. Learning these approaches will enable you to provide targeted, effective intervention for children with the most significant phonological challenges.

• Remediation of Articulation Errors: Understand the most up-to-date practices for treating persistent articulation errors such as lateral lisps and /ɹ/ distortions. Learning how to use phonetic shaping and cognitive reframing techniques will help children of all ages overcome these stubborn errors and achieve long-lasting improvements in their speech production.

• Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS): Gain insights into evidence-based techniques for treating CAS. This workshop will cover how to select appropriate targets and utilize motor learning principles to improve speech motor planning and production for children with CAS, enabling more effective and faster progress in therapy.

• Real-World Elicitation & Generalization Strategies: Learn specific strategies for elicitation and carryover that are tailored to different types of SSDs, including phonological, articulation, and CAS. Videos of actual therapy sessions will be shown to demonstrate all these strategies and examples of how to promote generalization of speech skills from structured therapy sessions to spontaneous speech outside of your therapy room.

• Target Selection and Therapy Planning: Discover how to make informed, strategic decisions when selecting speech therapy targets, particularly for children with severe phonological impairments and motor speech deficits. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to structure your therapy to maximize the effectiveness of each session.

Are ASHA CEUs provided?
Although ASHA CEUs are not provided, you will receive a certificate of completion for 6 Professional Development Hours (PDH), which count toward CCC maintenance. You can find more information from ASHA about PDHs on the ASHA website.

What is the fee to attend the workshop?
This workshop is free. Lunch is on your own.

Apply to attend the workshop
You must work in an Arizona public district or charter school to attend this event. Please complete an application to attend. Completing the application does not guarantee registration. You will be notified of the status of your application as soon as possible.

If you have questions about this event, please email the ESS Recruitment and Retention Inbox.

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is pleased to announce our first 2025-26 national presenter: Kelli Suding, M.Ed. Kelli will present two virtual after-school sessions designed for special and general education teachers, school administrators, IT and Ed Tech staff, and related service providers. Join us for one or both engaging sessions, jam-packed with ideas and activities you can use in therapy and/or in the classroom right away!

Session 1:        Uniting Accessible Materials and Assistive Technology for Inclusive Learning

Date:                  Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Time:                 3:30 p.m.−5:30 p.m. (PDT, Arizona Time)   
Fee:                     Free
Where:              Virtual (Zoom)

Too often, accessible materials and assistive technology are treated as separate solutions—when in reality, they are most powerful when used together. In this session, educators will explore how accessible educational materials (AEM) and assistive technology (AT) complement one another to remove barriers and create inclusive learning environments. We’ll also tackle common misconceptions, including the myth that using AT is “cheating,” and instead reframe these tools as essential for access. 

Register for Uniting Accessible Materials and Assistive Technology for Inclusive Learning Session

Session 2:        Inclusive by Design: Applying UDL Principles in Everyday Instruction

Date:                  Thursday, September 25, 2025
Time:                  3:30 p.m.−5:30 p.m. (PDT, Arizona Time)   
Fee:                    Free
Where:              Virtual (Zoom)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) isn’t just a framework—it’s a mindset for designing learning environments where every student can thrive. In this session, participants will explore how to apply UDL principles in practical, everyday instruction to reduce barriers and embrace learner variability. Through real-world examples and interactive activities, educators will learn how to proactively design lessons, materials, and assessments that are flexible, accessible, and inclusive from the start.

Register for Inclusive by Design: Applying UDL Principles in Everyday Instruction

As a Professional Learning Specialist on the Accessibility Team at CAST and technical assistance support for the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES), Kelli promotes the availability of accessible educational materials and technologies to ensure that all students have inclusive opportunities for learning.

Kelli also has a strong understanding of and ability to connect theory to practice. Her instructional experience has been with students requiring mild, moderate, and intense intervention. Kelli’s specializations include autism, accessible educational materials and accessible technologies, Google Chrome accessibility and integration, specific learning disabilities, and Universal Design for Learning.

If you have questions, please email [email protected]. 

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support PEA staff with free Virtual Learning Opportunities for the 25-26 School Year. 

 2-Day STAR Comprehensive Workshop 
This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco, and Krug, 2015), a research-based curriculum, is used to provide examples. Appropriate content connected to the common core curriculum is presented, and detailed information on the three evidence-based instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching through functional routines is shared. 

 1-Day STAR Consistency of Implementation Workshop
This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based STAR Program. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two-day STAR comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the STAR Program

2-Day Links Comprehensive Workshop 
This two-day workshop provides participants with information on how to implement evidence-based practices for secondary students using the Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman, and Magee-Arick, 2012). Participants will learn to use a process for assessing and teaching functional routines that has been documented in the research. Extensive information will be given on selecting and individualizing routines and teaching specific skills to support success during routines.

1-Day Links Consistency of Implementation Workshop
This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based Links Curriculum. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. The workshop will engage participants in hands-on practice activities to become fluent in the instructional strategies of discrete trial training and teaching functional routines as described in the Links Curriculum. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two or three-day Links comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the Links Curriculum.

The ADE/ESS Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices Unit and STAR Autism Support are collaborating to offer resources and professional learning opportunities to support PEA staff with free Virtual Learning Opportunities for the 25-26 School Year. 

2-Day STAR Comprehensive Workshop 

This comprehensive two-day workshop provides participants with detailed examples and practice activities on how to implement the evidence-based practices identified in the National Standards Report (2009). The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco, and Krug, 2015), a research-based curriculum, is used to provide examples. Appropriate content connected to the common core curriculum is presented, and detailed information on the three evidence-based instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching through functional routines is shared. 

1-Day STAR Consistency of Implementation Workshop

This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based STAR Program. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two-day STAR comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the STAR Program

2-Day Links Comprehensive Workshop 
This two-day workshop provides participants with information on how to implement evidence-based practices for secondary students using the Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman, and Magee-Arick, 2012). Participants will learn to use a process for assessing and teaching functional routines that has been documented in the research. Extensive information will be given on selecting and individualizing routines and teaching specific skills to support success during routines.

1-Day Links Consistency of Implementation Workshop
This one-day workshop provides participants with a review of how to implement the evidence-based instructional strategies identified by the National Standards Project (2009) using the curriculum content and lesson plans from the research-based Links Curriculum. The focus of the workshop is on the fidelity of implementation of the evidence-based practices and the use of data collection for instructional decision-making. The workshop will engage participants in hands-on practice activities to become fluent in the instructional strategies of discrete trial training and teaching functional routines as described in the Links Curriculum. Participants will also be provided with detailed handouts to assist them in obtaining fidelity of implementation in their school programs. Participants at this workshop should have attended the two or three-day Links comprehensive workshop or be very familiar with the implementation of the strategies included in the Links Curriculum.

PEAs are also encouraged to contact STAR Autism Support if they would like additional individualized support during this time for their teachers, related service staff members, and paraprofessionals! Click here to see the full list of offerings for the school year. 

We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support our students!  Please contact Bekah Anderson [email protected] or Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance. 

 Click here to see the full list of offerings for the school year. 

 We are excited to offer these opportunities to work with your teams to support our students!  Please contact Bekah Anderson [email protected] or Academic Achievement & Inclusive Practices inbox for questions or assistance.