We Won’t Let Them Win
Trump & his Ed Sec McMahon take aim at public education, rally to protest MAGA attacks on kids, and Hobbs sounds the alarm on vouchers
On Monday, the US Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as Trump’s Secretary of Education on a party-line vote (51-45). A billionaire ex-wrestling CEO, McMahon was widely derided by education advocates as unqualified, considering her lack of experience in education policy or the classroom.
McMahon’s “Final Mission”: Wasting no time, McMahon sent a message to US Dept. of Education employees that day, laying out what she called the “final mission” for the department as Trump threatens to dismantle it. An anonymous employee said, “This is a power grab. The message is clear that they want to privatize public dollars on the backs of our nation’s most vulnerable children. We know poor children and children with disabilities will suffer with the plans McMahon has laid out. Private schools will leave our students with disabilities out. Poor kids will receive less money to compete on a level playing field.”
Not a King: This comes as Trump is reportedly finalizing plans to issue an executive order to eliminate the department and eliminate or reorganize its functions and programs, threatening tens of billions in federal K-12 funding primarily schools in lower income communities and students with disabilities. It’s important to remember that shutting down the department would require an act of Congress, as would reallocating the funding distributed by the Dept. of Ed — and any efforts to unilaterally do so will certainly be litigated.
🚨 SOSAZ shares what’s at risk for AZ students if the US Dept of Education is dismantled: “Due to chronic underfunding by the state Legislature, Arizona schools rely on federal funds to provide critical services to our students, including meals, tutoring, preschool, and key supports for low-income, disabled and rural students. Arizona receives one of the highest portions of federal funding in the US — meaning we also have the most to lose."
👀 Arizona could lose $957,000,000 a year in Title I, IDEA, Impact Aid, and other grants. This is approximately $375,000 per school if averaged, meaning it would trigger massive cuts, layoffs, and closures.
📣 We’re Not Gonna Take It: This week, SOSAZ and organizations from across Arizona held an incredible rally at the Capitol to demand that MAGA politicians from the AZ State Capitol all the way to DC stop attacking our kids and our schools. Hundreds attended and marched in solidarity — thank you to all of our inspiring speakers and amazing partner orgs!
Don’t forget to post your pics from the rally and tag us — and stay tuned for next steps as we protest this MAGA billionaire takeover of our treasured public schools. We won’t let them win — and we won’t let them hurt our kids.
🤠 All the news you need to know from this week in one quick read:
🙏 'There’s still hope': Community backlash prompts Phoenix Elementary school board to delay school closure vote of two schools, Dunbar and Heard. Parents and community members testified against the closures, explaining the history and importance of these campuses and asking for more transparency from the board and superintendent. Arizona public school districts are struggling due to massive underfunding and the state’s $1 billion voucher program. Thank you to everyone who spoke up!!!
👏 Hobbs Sounds the Alarm on Vouchers: Gov. Hobbs issued a report that there’s been a “dramatic spike” in spending on Arizona’s ESA voucher program and that the updated state budget now includes nearly $50 million in unbudgeted spending for the upcoming fiscal year 🚨 Hobbs’ office says the program is projected to hit $1 billion in taxpayer spending: “While [Republicans] fight to protect the right of the 1% to spend taxpayer dollars on luxury car driving lessons, ski resort passes, and grand pianos, they’re refusing to fund life-saving programs that support the health and independence of the more than 50,000 Arizonans who rely on the Division of Developmental Disabilities.”
👀 Charter Board Votes to Close Primavera: The Arizona Charter Board voted Tuesday to signal its intent to shut down Primavera Online Schools. The vote comes after reports that the school’s CEO, Damien Creamer, raked in millions of dollars as the school failed to meet state standards for years. How long will it take them to convert to a private school to rake in ESA voucher cash? 💸
😡 Trump Defunds AZ Teaching Program: The Trump administration has stripped 3 Arizona school districts (Osborn, Avondale, and Gadsden) of millions of dollars in federal funding that was meant to support teacher recruitment and retention. The US Department of Education pulled the funding in a move tied to the Trump administration’s order to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies from schools. According to Osborn Board member Ed Hermes, “This has nothing to do with DEI. It has to do with a grant that we received, a competitive grant because the US Dept. of Education saw that we needed this funding. We don't get funded enough here in Arizona for our public education. So we needed, and we've been relying on, this grant to fill those gaps."
Here are some quick but critical actions you can take to support public education and stand up against the MAGA attacks on students, educators and public schools.
Tell Congress to Protect Public Ed:
Contact your US Senators & Representatives to urge them to protect the US Department of Education and the MILLIONS of vulnerable students who rely on the protections and funding it provides.
📧 EMAIL: Use our one-click email tool: bit.ly/SaveUSEdDept
☎️ CALL: Use this easy click-through calling tool: bit.ly/SaveDeptEd
This past week, mostly along party lines, Arizona lawmakers advanced all of the below harmful bills. These bills now move to the opposite chamber to receive committee assignments and take their place in line, we hope to meet Gov. Hobbs' veto stamp.
😡SB1133 (Rogers, R-7) would require schools to teach the history of communism and domestic communist movements in high school social studies. State lawmakers shouldn’t be mandating curriculum; that’s the job of educators who are trained in curriculum development.
😡SB1097 (Hoffman, R-15) would prevent principals from refusing to allow their public schools to be polling places. Unfortunately, polling places have become dangerous sites subject to armed militia and threats of violence. While the bill requires public district schools to be closed on every regular primary and general election day, teachers must participate in in-service and cannot use a vacation day — even under a threat of violence on campus.
😡SB1534 (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.
😡SB1693 (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. ESA vouchers already siphon dollars away from local public schools; it is unreasonable to require them to include (and fund) voucher students who have chosen to go to school elsewhere.
😡HB2167 (Gress, R-4) would ban school districts from holding an override election for one year if they fail to correct a financial reporting deficiency within 90 days of receiving notice from the auditor general.
😡HB2700 (Martinez, R-16) would insert "a specific focus on the Gulf of America" into the state high school social studies standards for graduation. Part of a national push to force right-wing curriculum into schools.
😡HB2867 (Way, R-15) would ban K-12 public schools and universities from "teaching, promoting, funding or training" students in antisemitic conduct. The bill does not define "antisemitism," but does allow students and parents to sue for damages, opening up endless frivolous lawsuits against teachers.
😡HB2868 (Way, R-15) would ban school districts from admitting students or hiring staff with race, sex or ethnicity in mind, as well as from holding any trainings on diversity, equity and inclusion (which include sexual orientation and gender identity issues). This would negatively impact student learning and teacher retention and recruitment.
However, some bills are not vetoable. The Legislature advanced the following bills along party lines with only Republicans in support. These are referrals, which would circumvent the governor's veto and proceed directly to our 2026 ballots.
😡HCR2057 (Keshel, R-17) would ask voters to restrict Arizona’s initiative and referendum process by requiring that ballot measures collect signatures from a percentage of voters in all of Arizona’s 15 counties — which is virtually impossible and prohibitively expensive. This bill has already passed the AZ House and only requires a full Senate vote to go directly to the ballot — Call your senators and urge them to oppose.
Each bill we tell you about from this point forward has passed at least one chamber, putting it that much closer to passage or veto — and making it that much more important that you weigh in!
🛑 Use Request to Speak on the following bills:
👎 NO on SB1091 • 👎 NO on SB1133
👎 NO on SB1164 • 👎 NO on SB1255
👎 NO on SB1269 • 👎 NO on SB1331
👎 NO on SB1441 • 👎 NO on SB1443
👎 NO on SB1625 • 👎 NO on HB2008
👎 NO on HB2018 • 👎 NO on HB2081
👎 NO on HB2113 • 👎 NO on HB2601
👎 NO on HB2814 • 👎 NO on HB2920
👎 NO on HCR2015 • 👎 NO on HCR2042
SB1091, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-14), would require that ballots in school district bond and budget override continuation elections state how much voters' taxes would drop if they refused to pass the continuations. This would force blatant propaganda onto our ballots that is designed to discourage voters from supporting overrides in the name of "transparency." Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1133, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would require the State Board of Education to mandate schools teach the history of communism and domestic communist movements in high school social studies. State lawmakers shouldn’t be mandating curriculum; that’s the job of educators who are trained in curriculum development. Part of a national push to force right-wing curriculum into schools. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1164, sponsored by Warren Petersen (R-14), would force public schools in Arizona to open their doors to ICE agents. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a free public education. Some Arizona districts are instituting “safe zone” policies to protect their students, stating that no individual or organization that would create an educational disruption is allowed on school grounds. This bill would override those local policies. The bill appropriates unspecified amounts from the state general fund — in other words, blank checks — to county sheriffs' offices and the state Department of Corrections to administer the legislation. Scheduled for House Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1255, sponsored by Shawnna Bolick (R-2), would require each school district and individual public school to post on its website information on students’ race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age that is meant for the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Schools would also have to complete a newly created survey from Tom Horne’s Arizona Department of Education on bullying, fighting, harassment and other school safety issues, which ADE would post on their website. Public schools are already subject to many laws covering discrimination and bullying, making this an excessive overreach. Meanwhile, bills to expand these protections to kids at ESA voucher-funded schools are going unheard (see SB1369, 2024). Held in House Education Committee 3/4 because no one present could answer Fink's question as to the meaning of "data regarding the school climate" (page 2 line 32). Once again scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1269, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would let district and charter school boards allow religious chaplains into schools to provide support, services or programs to students. The bill does not specify what the chaplains' roles would include, set any training or certification requirements, or require that students from a range of faith traditions or identities be accommodated. Most credentialed chaplains are not qualified to address the needs of students and cannot replace trained school counselors or other student support staff. The ACLU, which opposes such proposals across other states, says, “Chaplains may provide inappropriate responses or interventions that could gravely harm students, including those experiencing mental health crises, LGBTQ students, and other vulnerable individuals. When a student seeks mental health care at school, that care should be provided by a qualified professional.” Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1331, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would eliminate capital gains taxes (or wealth taxes) beginning in 2026. The bill's fiscal note says this would cost the state General Fund $40-60 million a year, primarily to give tax breaks to the rich while further limiting Arizona’s ability to properly fund our public schools and services. Our budget is one of the smallest per capita in the US, and our schools are funded at 49th in the country. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1441, sponsored by Carine Werner (R-4), would make school board elections partisan, a move being pushed by national extremist organizations. Local school boards are our most democratic institutions, and should stay above party politics. Making school boards partisan turns districts and schools into just another venue for extremist conflict. This idea failed in committee in 2022 and was vetoed last year. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1443, sponsored by Carine Werner (R-4), gives parents the explicit legal right to make mental health care decisions for their minor child, and creates a mandatory minimum $2,500 judgment against "governmental entities or officials" (such as schools and teachers) who violate that "right." This would put at risk every public school teacher and school counselor who supports the mental health of a minor student with unsupportive or even abusive parents. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1625, sponsored by Carine Werner (R-4), would expand the Arizona School Spending Portal to force district and charter schools to report each general ledger entry, including revenues, or expenditures and disbursements. This is bureaucratic red tape that would snarl schools in time-consuming overreporting, not to mention a massive government overreach. Meanwhile, Arizona's ESA voucher program has no such transparency. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2008, sponsored by John Gillette (R-30), would hinder citizen’s initiatives by requiring notaries to hold fingerprint clearance cards and provide their thumbprint with each notarization. Passed the full house 55-3 (only no votes Chaplik Weninger Willoughby). Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2018, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), blurs the lines between public and private education by allowing private and for-profit universities in Arizona to provide taxpayer-funded financial assistance to students in teacher training programs on the same terms as those at Arizona’s three state universities, and increases funding for the program by $10 million to accommodate the private, for-profit universities. Scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2081, sponsored by Gail Griffin (R-19), would exempt tips from Arizona income tax. The bill’s fiscal note estimates the move would cut the state's general fund by $31 million per year. State revenues are already stretched thin and will be forced to absorb huge cost shifts as the federal government cuts programs. Arizona's tax expenditures have increased dramatically from $12 billion per year in 2017 to $29 billion per year in 2024. As the current federal administration pushes for a similar and massively expensive change, critics warn that exempting tips from taxation could create loopholes that may lead to wage restructuring, potentially benefiting employers rather than employees. Scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2113, sponsored by Nick Kupper (R-25), would ban the display of certain flags in Arizona schools, such as LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter flags. Critics say the ban will cause BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students to feel uncomfortable or unsafe in school simply for being who they are. The bill is written so broadly, it apparently bans everything from flags of favorite sports teams in locker rooms to international flags in language classrooms. The House's nonpartisan attorneys also warn the bill may violate First Amendment free speech protections. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday (was held 3/5). OPPOSE.
HB2601, sponsored by Nick Kupper (R-25), would exempt individuals under the age of 18 from state income tax if their Arizona gross income is less than $50,000, regardless of income source or nature, beginning in 2026. Minors rely on public transportation, roads, schools, and other services in order to join the workforce and should support these public goods like everyone else. The fiscal note estimates the move would cost the General Fund $8 million per year; it also notes that the estimate is "uncertain," likely lowballed. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2814 and 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 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, HCR2015 would circumvent the governor's veto. Both are scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. 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 Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HCR2042, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), would ask voters to enshrine racism in the state Constitution. This culture-war-driven measure would prevent the state from giving BIPOC-owned businesses any preference in state contracts, keep school districts from specifically hiring black or brown teachers in an effort to increase representation, block teachers from discussing inclusion and equity issues that have arisen despite the 14th Amendment, and ban certain content from being taught in schools. This would negatively impact student learning, as well as teacher retention and recruitment. The legislature would be allowed to also "prescribe related practices or concepts" to ban. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
✅ The SOSAZ 2025 Bill Tracker contains full information about all bills SOSAZ supports or opposes in 2025 and gives you up-to-the-minute information on where these bills stand.
Need a RTS account? Sign up here.
Email Gov. Hobbs & your lawmakers to urge them to do their constitutional duty and invest in Arizona’s public schools! Our easy-to-use, one-click email tool is preloaded with SOSAZ’s legislative priorities, but we also encourage you to customize your email for maximum impact.
Click HERE or the image above to send an email now!
Get your tickets now– the clock is ticking!!
It’s happening!! 🎉Join us for our 2nd annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools gala on March 29, 2025 at the Madison Center for the Arts! Our special guest will be Jess Piper, 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 — 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). PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
DEADLINE EXTENDED! Nominate a Champion of Public Education! 🏆 Know an incredible AZ educator, staff member, or school leader? Nominate them for our Champions of Public Education award before Friday, March 8th!!
Check out some incredible pictures and stories from across the state that make us #PublicSchoolProud! Do you know a story we should spotlight? Post it on social media with #PublicSchoolProud or email leda@sosarizona.org to let us know.
In honor of National School Social Worker Week, Tempe Elementary School District is celebrating all of their dedicated social workers. Social workers play a vital role in supporting students, families, and educators to ensure that everyone has the tools they need to be successful. Thank you to all of the amazing social workers all across Arizona!
At Cromer Elementary School in Flagstaff, Talibah Begay introduced students to Késhjéé, the Navajo Shoe Game. Through play and song, the students learned about the traditional guessing game deeply rooted in Navajo storytelling that also teaches about the cycles of night and day. Késhjéé emphasizes balance, honesty, patience and teamwork.
🧏 Sign language students from Liberty High School met with members of the local deaf community to learn about their experience and get some real-life experience with American Sign Language.
Students at Douglas Elementary in Flowing Wells celebrated “No One Eats Alone” Day by creating artwork about themselves to post on a bulletin board in the cafeteria. The initiative helps students find others with similar interests to ensure that no one eats alone.
Don’t forget to join us on social media. Pick your favorite(s) and join us for fun, engaging content! This is where we post important updates, key news articles, and informative graphics and videos you can’t get anywhere else.
Here are some other easy actions you can take:
Sign up for a Community Action Team (CAT) (NEW Region sign ups!): Central & South Phoenix, East Valley, Northeast Valley (Scottsdale/PV), Northern Arizona, Pima County, Pinal County, Rural Southern Arizona, West Valley & North Phoenix, and Yuma County! Your local coordinators will help you with using Request to Speak and contacting your lawmakers.
Request a presentation of our updated and fully refreshed SOSAZ Education Arizona Roadshow HERE
Sign up to automatically receive the SOSAZ Legislative Weekly Report HERE