Issue up for State Board discussion next week

PHOENIX – State schools chief Tom Horne is grateful to the eight state legislators who submitted a letter to the State Board of Education urging members to start the process to revise Arizona teaching standards that include Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) language. He is hopeful the board will heed their recommendations at their December 8 meeting.

The Arizona Department of Education has proposed opening the months-long stakeholder process to consider revisions to the state teaching standards that cover the colleges of education at the three state universities. The board tabled the matter at its November meeting, moving discussion to next week.

Horne said, “I am very thankful to the eight lawmakers who sent a letter calling on the Board to start the process to revise Arizona’s teaching standards and remove DEI language. This is essential not just because DEI language improperly emphasizes race over individual merit, but it threatens $866 million in federal education funds under the President’s recent Executive Order.”

He added, “Removing DEI terms from state teaching standards is the right thing to do. We must rid race-based ideology from the classroom and ensure teachers spend their time teaching math, science, language, history and the arts. The support of these legislators is especially helpful to convey the importance and urgency of this task, and I urge my fellow board members not to further delay this process.”