In the wake of recent reports about the need to shutter public schools across Arizona due to declining enrollment, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is blaming the “promotion of woke ideology.”
Horne says the promotion of “woke ideology” is a “significant reason behind potential school closures in several school districts,” pointing to the latest effort by the Scottsdale Unified district to promote the transgender agenda among elementary and middle school students.
Horne is referring to a program featured in an article in AZFree News, about Scottsdale Unified School District’s (SUSD) promotion of “a biking event for “girls, nonbinary youth, and gender-expansive” children in family-facing communications.”
According to AZFree News, “In an October 9th post to X, parental rights organization Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity (SUEI) wrote: “Parents confirmed @ScottsdaleUSD is using their district-wide communication system to promote an event for ‘nonbinary youth’ and ‘gender expansive’ children. Girls in Gear (and apparently boys, too) claims that these lessons are Social Emotional Learning. Email: [email protected].”
“This happens because of the expenditure of large amount of campaign funds to elect woke school board members who do not represent their communities,” stated Horne referring to school closing in “woke” districts like SUSD. “Parents have a choice, so they move their children. The school boards in these districts have no one to blame but themselves for allowing the classroom to be corrupted from a place of learning to a venue for indoctrination in woke principles. Districts can change this and renew their focus on the essential subjects of reading, math, science, history and the arts.”
“The Scottsdale school district has yet again decided to push woke ideology on its students and their parents. The most recent example was discovered by a parent group that discovered the district is using its resources to promote ‘nonbinary youth, gender expansive’ children and girls to participate in a bicycling event; heterosexual males need not apply,” explained Horne. “This is a blatant effort to sexualize young children, which is an unconscionable and reckless use of taxpayer resources. It also normalizes the idea that biological boys are no different than girls. It is no wonder that parents are taking children out of Scottsdale schools and choosing education options that emphasize academics over the woke agenda.”
“This scenario is playing out in other districts such as Kyrene Elementary, which has steadfastly refused to back away from such woke programs such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Social Emotional Learning that rob children of precious instructional time for academics. That district has lost so many students that schools have to be closed, as is true of the Paradise Valley district, which has also unfortunately embraced left-wing ideas at the expense of academics,” concluded Horne.
On Tuesday, an 11-year-old boy identified as Allister, in an appearance on the popular James T. Harris radio show, discussed the harassment he received while attending SUSD because at least one educator deemed his devoutly Roman Catholic family to be extremists.
The boy, who is now attending a private school, addressed the SUSD Governing Board with his concerns in a now-viral video.
A 11-year-old says his teacher called him an extremist — and even had a neighbor spy on him.
Now his story is going viral thanks to @libsoftiktok… and he’s joining me LIVE on The Conservative Circus 7:30 tomorrow morning! 🎪🎧 https://t.co/iBtJYCBDek#KFYI #ConservativeCircus… pic.twitter.com/HB16LP2e1A
— James T Harris (@JamesTHarris) October 14, 2025
OMG
Third grader at @ScottsdaleUSD says his teacher labeled him an “extremist” and allegedly had a neighbor spy on him. This same teacher reportedly celebrated Charlie’s ass*ssination.
Students & parents claim she targets Republican students.
How it this person still… pic.twitter.com/ejNS4GvzTF
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 13, 2025
when education is no longer education but indoctrination ‘ yup the parents won’t buy it and you piss away our tax dollars making nowhere plans for nobody ‘ while the teachers cry foul’ cus they are.. so the response to your state is “DUH”!!!!
when will ‘they’ being you.. make public education ‘mandatory’? that’s when the real fight will get underway