From teachers protesting to national news coverage, the Arizona Department of Education’s hotline for parents to report inappropriate class materials is garnering attention.
On Wednesday morning, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne appeared on FOX News to discuss the hotline.
“I served 24 years on a school board,” said Horne referring to his service on the Paradise Valley School District board, “and our rule was anybody could come in and watch the teaching, and the teachers never complained because they were proud of what they were doing, so those who are protesting, maybe they are not so proud of what they’re doing.”
Superintendent Horne believes in transparency and empowering parents. The Empower Hotline gives parents the power in education. Thank you, @foxandfriends, for having Superintendent Horne on this morning! #EducationForAll https://t.co/dvXcs5UlAR
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) March 15, 2023
On Wednesday, approximately 30 union members and organizers with the Arizona Education Association marched from the State Capitol building to the Department of Education building. Union members and organizers chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the hotline has got to go,” as they walked the few blocks.
Happening NOW – educators march and protest outside AZ Department of Ed speaking out against Horne's hotline and ALL the attacks on educators and the work we do! pic.twitter.com/6LHlfT917M
— AZ Education Assoc. 🍎🏫 (@ArizonaEA) March 15, 2023
Today we, the AEA met with amazing legislators who fully support AZ public schools and their educators. We, the AEA took member input for the 2023 educators budget and we the AEA pushed back on the constant attacks on educators by demanding the SPI’s Attack Hotline be taken down. pic.twitter.com/mUI0YlXVJw
— Marisol Garcia (@MarisolGarciaAZ) March 16, 2023
Horne launched the Department of Education’s “Empower Hotline” so that Arizonans can report inappropriate public school lessons that detract from teaching academic standards. These include lessons that focus inappropriately on race or ethnicity (rather than individuals and merit), as well as those that promote gender ideology, social emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content.
The hotline provides the opportunity for Arizona parents, who are the Department’s constituents or customers, to provide feedback, concerns or complaints, which is a standard service offered by multiple government agencies and private-sector businesses. It is available at 602-771-3500, or through email at empower@azed.gov. The phone line will be staffed during normal business hours, but after-hours phone calls as well as emails will be accepted at any time and followed up on appropriately.
“I promised to establish this hotline so that anyone could report the teaching of inappropriate lessons that rob students of precious minutes of instruction time in core academic subjects such as reading, math, science, history and the arts,” explained Horne at the time the hotline was launched. “That promise is being kept.”