For immediate release: September 5, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne announces $40 million tutoring program to raise academic outcomes and offer public school teachers more income
Program begins in October

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is making $40 million available to parents of elementary grade students to pay for free tutoring in reading, writing and math beginning October 2. The amount will pay for approximately 1.3 million hours of tutoring. As part of this project, participating public school teachers will earn added income as tutors. Private tutoring companies will also be an option for parents.

Horne said, “My first priority as Superintendent is to raise academic outcomes, therefore I am making $40 million available so parents whose children did not test as proficient can get free tutoring for students in first through eighth grades.”

He added, “Public school teachers who tutor will be paid $30 an hour and will earn a $200 stipend for each student who shows a one-half year gain from the tutoring. A teacher who tutors the maximum amount would earn an extra approximately $8,000. I believe teachers deserve more pay, which is why I supported Rep. Matt Gress’s recent bill for a $10,000 raise. I was shocked to see that the Governor and teachers’ union opposed it. If they won’t help teachers get more money, I will.”

In late 2021, federal funds allocated to overcome pandemic-related learning loss were distributed to multiple organizations throughout Arizona by the prior state schools Superintendent. Last month, Department of Education staff asked them to provide evidence of the academic impact of their work. Those who could not show reasonable impact for the money had their contracts cancelled or reduced. This is the funding source for the $40 million.

Horne noted, “If they cannot show increased academic outcomes, I will, with this massive tutoring program.”

Additional details will be available for this specific program at azed.gov beginning September 15.

The FY 2024 K-3 Reading Budget and FY 2023 K-3 Reading AFR zip files have been posted to the LEA Budget Resources page of the School Finance website.

The completed files must be uploaded via the Budget System by October 1, 2023. 

If you have any questions, please email School Finance at [email protected] .

Thank you!

Integrity Rule - 10023 has been updated to align with to ARS§15-901(A) which defines the allowable age for students to be assigned ungraded (grade UE) as children with disabilities who are at least five years old, but under six years of age by September 1. A designation of UE cannot be given to students who entered kindergarten early (5 years old as of January 1 but after September 1) or to students who are 6 years old or older on January 1.

Students who turn 6 years old before January 1 are ineligible for UE because they are considered first grade or above in accordance with Arizona Constitution Article XI, Section 6, and cannot be reported as ungraded.

Old - 10023 message: Student must be at least 5 years old by January 1st for Ungraded Elementary (UE)

New - 10023 message: Student must be 5 years old on September 1st for Ungraded Elementary (UE)

If you have questions after reviewing the information above, please email the School Finance Analyst Team at [email protected].

School Finance is aware that there are still some lingering questions regarding the transition for Type 03 High School Students for the 2023-2024 School Year.  School Finance has compiled a list of answers to frequently asked questions that can be found here.

Type 03 District FAQs

For immediate release: August 17, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne addresses boys and girls restroom policies at schools
Education Department has received concerns from parents

PHOENIX – Recent questions raised about school policies for the usage of restrooms, locker rooms and shower areas has state schools chief Tom Horne responding to concerns he has received from parents and other interested citizens statewide.

Horne stated, “I have been contacted by a number of parents who are outraged by the idea that biological boys can use restrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities meant for girls, and they are considering removing their daughters from schools that allow this. In Arizona, they certainly have multiple school options from which to choose.”

Some schools have cited federal Title IX as a basis for their guidance. Horne explained, “Under the current Title IX, there is no language that compels schools to permit biological boys to use girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms or shower areas. The Biden administration has proposed changes to Title IX that might allow for this, but this proposal has no force of law until it is ruled on by the courts, which has not occurred. Therefore, the Arizona Department of Education strongly advises that schools not initiate a policy that allows biological boys to use restrooms, locker rooms or shower facilities that are intended for girls. Biological boys who expose themselves to girls could be violating indecent exposure laws and subject to arrest. Schools can provide separate facilities – even small ones that are open to either gender - that meet the needs of transgender students without compromising the dignity of others.”

He added, “The issue will ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court. I am defending the state law that prohibits biological boys from participating in girls’ sports and the basic legal argument for that action is similar to the one that addresses the use of bathrooms, locker rooms and shower areas.”

Please join ADE/ESS for the next Special Education Professionals Check-In on Thursday, August 17, 2023, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. 

Select the link to join this Microsoft Teams event: Join Special Professionals Check-In on August 17,2023

This month’s Special Education Director Check-In topic will address an upcoming flexibility regarding preschool disability data reporting. It will briefly discuss deployment dates, timelines, and implementation for this current school year. The main presentation will be an ESS Fiscal Update for federal grants. Please extend this invitation to your Business Managers, as ESS will present updates for the Fiscal Year 2024 IDEA funding applications, review available High-Cost Child funding opportunities for Fiscal Year 2024, and provide an overview of the upcoming GM Completion Report season. The ARP-IDEA funding cycle ends on September 30, and ESS Program Management wants to ensure that PEAs maximize their funding opportunities in the grant. Finally, we will cover where to find Maintenance of Effort Compliance standards to ensure that PEAs accurately report state-level expenditures on the 2023 Annual Financial Reports.

SY 2023–2024 Check-In Schedule: 2023–2024 Special Education Professionals Check-Ins occur monthly, on the third Thursday of every month, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you have questions or suggestions for content for Check-Ins, feel free to send them to the ESS Inbox. 

Reminder: Payment 3 will be based on data captured that is passing integrity and generating ADM in AzEDS. There is no option for districts to be paid on prior year data, or for charters to be paid on estimated counts. Actual data in AzEDS will be used to calculate ADM for Payment 3.

Please submit a School Finance HelpDesk ticket if data assistance is needed.

For immediate release: August 14, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne responds to Attorney General threats against voter-protected English language law
AGO sent warning to AZED

PHOENIX – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has responded to a warning sent last week to his office by the Arizona Attorney General regarding the enforcement of the state’s voter-approved English language instruction model. Horne says the warning amounts to a threat and ignores the will of Arizona voters when they passed the voter-protected Proposition 203 in 2000.

In the letter, Horne states, “The voter-protected initiative… specifically states that ‘all children in Arizona public schools shall be taught English by being taught in English, and all children should be placed in English language classrooms…’ The voter-protected initiative is not subject to being overruled by the Attorney General, the State Board, or anyone, including me. I must faithfully execute the law as it is written.”

The Attorney General’s email to Superintendent Horne claims that the Department of Education “places barriers in front of schools and their students trying to register for (Dual Language Instruction) classes like requiring Waivers…” The email cites a recent Attorney General Opinion that says waivers are not required of students enrolled in those classes. It also claims potential legal liability if the Department of Education does not conform to the law as defined in the recent formal AG Opinion.

In response, Horne said, “The AG’s threat regarding potential liability of the agency and individuals is offensive, and unworthy of the Attorney General’s office. She will not win legal arguments to ignore voter-protected initiatives, by making those kinds of empty threats. We are all obligated to perform our functions according to state law, including voter-protected initiatives. No threats will ever persuade us to abandon that duty.”

He added, “The AG’s opinion is interesting. The AG clearly wanted to find that Dual Language was in conformity with the law. But she could not because the above quoted law is so clear. So, she specifically said that she would refuse to answer that question. All she said was that the State Board not the Superintendent of Schools enforces that law. We have always known that it is the Department of Education’s job to propose to the State Board cutting off funds for violation of law, and the Board’s decision to do so. She added nothing to that. Where she refused to answer the key question and only added the obvious, the opinion was vacuous.”

Horne intends to pursue this matter in a legal challenge.

For immediate release: August 10, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
 

In-person teacher certification assistance returns to Tucson
AZED restores service for southern Arizona

TUCSON – The Arizona Department of Education has restored in-person teacher certification assistance at the department’s downtown Tucson office, making it available there for the first time since 2019.

Teachers must still go online to begin and complete the certification process, but with this improvement the Tucson office will once again have in-person staff available to assist teachers who may have technical questions or trouble managing multiple certifications.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said, “When I returned to this office in January, I was shocked that there was no in-person certification service for Tucson and southern Arizona. We had provided this in my earlier terms as Superintendent and I made it a priority to restore it to make sure we are an organization that is committed to serving all of Arizona.”

Certification assistance is available Thursdays from 12:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M. and Fridays 8:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M at the AZED offices located at 416 W. Congress St., Suite 100 in Tucson.

For more information: azed.gov/educator-certification

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For immediate release: August 7, 2023
Contact: [email protected]
 

Horne: Governor’s ESA cost alarms unfounded
Independent analysis shows program will save tax dollars

PHOENIX – Arizona schools chief Tom Horne says an independent analysis of how much the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program will cost shows the dire predictions made by Governor Hobbs and other opponents of the program are incorrect.

After studying a detailed review by education analyst Dr. Matthew Ladner, Ph.D, regarding the various sources of school funding and how ESA funding impacts the state budget Horne offered these comments:

Horne stated, “I agree with Dr. Ladner that the cost of the ESA program will never be $943 million for reasons which I will explain. But even if it were, that would be only about one percent of the fiscal 2022 state budget of $80.5 billion.

Here are the reasons the cost will never be anything like $943 million.

Taxpayers pay both state and local taxes. Combined they contribute about $13,000 per student for every student in public school. If a student leaves a public school for a private school, and obtains a payment from ESA of $7200, that is a savings of about $6000 per student to the taxpayers.

If the student was never in a public school but was already in a private school when the ESA program was adopted, there is still a benefit to the state for the following reasons: many students in private schools are beneficiaries of the tax credit available for contributors to the student’s tuition. If they choose to take the $7200 from the ESA program, they have to give up that tax credit. This increases revenues to the state, because the tax liability that previously was erased by the tax credit now has to be paid to the state.

Dr. Ladner has studied the issue thoroughly and without political bias. His analysis should be read to reassure taxpayers the ESA program saves tax dollars and is sustainable.”