Parents Push Back: ESA Limits and Anti-Police Curriculum Ignite Education Firestorm in Arizona

While ESA parents fight to shape spending caps, new revelations show one school district only approved textbooks after stripping controversial content. Is the state investigating?

Jun 06, 2025

Exclusive: State Superintendent Tom Horne confirmed to State 48 News that the Arizona Department of Education has officially opened an investigation into curriculum recently adopted by the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD). He also announced a press conference scheduled for Wednesday, June 11th, in response to the mounting controversy.

The move comes after State 48 News also exposed concerns in a May 12th investigative report, Arizona’s Education Divide Widens as Police, Parents, and Teachers Groups Clash Over Curriculum & School Choice. Law enforcement advocates and parent groups have raised alarms over social science content they claim promotes anti-police sentiment and politically charged narratives.

The watchdog group Scottsdale Unites for Educational Integrity confirms it has submitted examples from the SUSD-adopted social science curriculum—approved by the district on May 13, 2025—to the Arizona Department of Education. Critics argue the material doesn’t just inform students about civil rights movements, but actively frames law enforcement as a threat, rather than a partner, in communities of color.

In email communications obtained by State 48, at the center of the controversy is a Savvas learning module that encourages students to “take action” against “police violence” and disproportionately highlights systemic racism and campaigns to “shrink the power of the police.” One of the included resources, Campaign Zero, explicitly calls for reducing law enforcement presence and authority.

Scottsdale Unified board member Dr. Matthew Pittinsky defended his vote to approve the curriculum, citing nearly 150 emails received—about 68% in support. He noted parents and alumni backed the move to provide “high-quality resources,” challenge students, and trust teachers to meet state standards.

However, in the moments before approving the curriculum, it was revealed by Scottsdale Governing Board President Dr. Donna Lewis that in another district - Peoria Unified - its unanimous 5-0 adoption of the same Savvas curriculum included built-in “guardrails.” Lewis said she personally contacted a Peoria board colleague and learned the district moved forward “by customizing and monitoring” specific content areas. “They did find some pieces that they trusted their staff to work on for customization and monitoring,” she explained.

Her comments concluded with a 3-2 board vote to approve the materials as presented.

Further details emerged in an X exchange posted by Peoria Board President Heather Rooks, who confirmed the district required the removal of all references to SEL, DEI, and Black Lives Matter before approving the curriculum.

In a series of posts on X, Rooks shared what appears to be a letter from Savvas verifying those removals and stated, “That is the only reason I voted yes.” She added that Peoria’s approval includes reprinting all textbooks to exclude such content.

When asked if references to BLM, police violence, and gender identity would be removed from the Peoria editions, Rooks replied simply: “Yes.”

Further fueling the debate over who holds the authority to shape curriculum, Shea Najafi of Today and Tomorrow in Scottsdale weighed in during a recent podcast. Summarizing the board's role, Najafi said the primary responsibility of school board members is to ensure that the Curriculum Committee has done its job properly—not to insert personal preferences into curriculum decisions.

The goal of the board is first and foremost - to make sure the Curriculum Committee did their job.
And if they’ve done their job properly, then it’s really not up to the board members to decide whether or not they like the curriculum.

-Shea Najafi | Today and Tomorrow Scottsdale | Episode 70

So who really runs the show—curriculum committees, school boards, or the state?

Local school boards maintain legal control over curriculum adoption according to A.R.S. § 15-721. While there’s no all-powerful Arizona law that lets the state steamroll local school boards on curriculum choices - the state can step in—when things cross the legal line. Think civil rights violations, misused tax dollars, or ignoring state-mandated standards. If curriculum is seen as discriminatory under state or federal civil rights laws, that’s when state - or even federal agencies - may step in.

Horne tells State 48 News he has ordered the curriculum and is personally reviewing the materials. “If I read the book and I see the complaints are valid, then we will proceed with that press conference,” he said. “But if I don’t feel anything is misleading or out of context, I’ll call it off.”

Horne’s upcoming decision is expected to draw more *national* attention, with growing debate over the role of politics in K-12 education—and where academic freedom ends and ideological influence begins.

The controversy gained national attention on May 30th, when the account LibsofTikTok posted on X, “.@ScottsdaleUSD just spent $675k of taxpayer dollars on new textbooks which promote BLM and glorify George Floyd. This needs to be investigated.” The post has since garnered nearly 220,000 views, fueling outrage online and amplifying calls for an official review of the curriculum.

They agreed to a candid conversation. But what began as a parent-driven effort to address a wide range of ESA concerns has, according to parents, been overtaken by the Arizona Department of Education. Parents tell State 48 News a promised sit-down with the State Superintendent—intended to amplify parent voices—has morphed into a tightly controlled meeting, limited in scope and access, and now focused solely on the department’s version of the ESA handbook.

Superintendent Tom Horne insists he’s listening. In today’s report, Horne tells State 48 he plans to attend two additionally scheduled meetings with ESA families over the next four days and “will continue to hear their concerns.” But, he added pointedly, “So they are being heard but they are not being obeyed necessarily, but they are certainly being heard.”

Arizona has long been considered a national leader in school choice—and its Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program is at the heart of that reputation. Since the Legislature created ESAs in 2011, the program has grown rapidly, especially after lawmakers made it universal in 2022. Now, every child in Arizona is eligible to use state funds for private school, homeschool, or educational services of their choice.

This school year alone, 86,287 students are enrolled in the ESA program, with another 4,809 new students already signed up for next year.

But with that growth has come scrutiny. State Superintendent Tom Horne has taken a hard line on fraud and questionable spending, rejecting purchases such as a Rolex watch, a cello, and even a vasectomy testing kit. Now, as the Department of Education pushes to clarify and cap what families can buy with ESA funds, some parents say the crackdown is overreaching—and they're fighting back.

Parents Say ESA Meeting Was Misrepresented, Now Call It a 'Hijacked Agenda'

This week, State 48 News heard from ESA parents who say they’re frustrated and disillusioned by an upcoming meeting scheduled for Friday morning. Originally described as a one-on-one sit-down with State Superintendent Tom Horne, parent Angela Faber says the event has been reshaped without their input. “Now it’s stacked with people like John Ward, Janelle Wood, several members of the handbook committee, and even ADE’s attorney Maria Syms.”

“This is clearly not the meeting parents were invited to attend. In fact, many of us are now declining to participate because it’s clear the agenda was hijacked to reflect only the department’s interests, not parent voices.” Hear from Faber in her own words.

“It seems so fishy. And, why?” wonders parent Angie Faber, who shared email threads with State 48 News showing how the original intent of the meeting shifted.

Parent Optimism Fades as Handbook Process Moves Forward Without Changes, Critics Say

When State 48 News last spoke with an ESA parent, it was a hopeful Stacey Brown—ecstatic that the Arizona Department of Education had canceled an upcoming handbook meeting to allow more time for review and parent input. But according to parent Angie Faber, that optimism has since faded. “It’s apparent that they are just moving forward with this handbook. They have not considered any of the parent feedback. There has been thousands of parent feedback. Nothing in that handbook has been adjusted whatsoever,” Faber said.

Friday’s meeting, now at the center of controversy, was scheduled by Janelle Wood—who, Faber says, reached out to ESA parents following the last ADE meeting. Wood is serving as the state-appointed facilitator of the ESA Handbook process.

When asked about the concerns, State Superintendent Tom Horne defended the setup. “Janelle told me there were some parents who wanted to talk to me and I was willing to listen, so we set it up. It was supposed to be a candid conversation,” Horne said.

“We didn’t want to do it by remote—and, you know, you don’t have to be afraid of a lawyer. There are some questions a lawyer can help answer.” Horne added pointedly: “I’m a lawyer. I was a trial lawyer for about half a century. So if they don’t want to talk to a lawyer, they don’t want me to listen to them.” —Tom Horne | June 4, 2025

Horne spoke with State 48 News by speaker phone, joined by what sounded like a handful of others on the line. When asked why an ESA father was not allowed to attend in place of another parent, Arizona Department of Education Director of Government Relations and Public Policy Camilla Strongin stepped in to clarify.

“I sent the invitation to the 10 moms that Janelle had been speaking with,” Strongin said. “Janelle put together the invite list and that was based on the people she had spoken to. This other individual was not someone she had been meeting with. And that’s why the determination to not have basically ‘stand-in’—it’s basically plain and simple.”

Horne added that his involvement was limited to what was initially asked of him. “Janelle asked me to listen to what the ESA parents had to say, and I agreed to listen to it. We didn’t agree to anything beyond that.”

ESA Caps and Competing Handbooks: Parents Push Back on ADE Process

Faber says ESA parents are simply asking to educate their children using the funds already allocated to them—without new limits. “And we are not being given that opportunity. They are capping our funds. We should be able to use the funds that we have in our account… that should be our cap,” she told State 48 News.

When we noted that Tom Horne has denied questionable purchases like a Rolex or a vasectomy testing kit, Faber agreed those denials protect the program’s integrity—but argued that necessary items, like a computer, should never be capped.

In response to what they see as an unresponsive system, Faber says a group of parents created their own ESA Handbook—one they say is legally sound, supportive, and clear. “It was kind of jokingly, we were like ‘moms can do this better,’” she explained. Drafted in just three days and reviewed by legislative counsel, the parent-authored handbook was submitted to lawmakers but has received no official recognition. Faber calls the current ADE’s proposed handbook “punitive,” and says it fails to support families: “It’s supposed to be about helping the students and helping the children—not punishing them.”

Superintendent Tom Horne dismissed the alternative, parent-written handbook, saying ADE never asked for it. “They did that on their own,” he told State 48 News. “We [Arizona Department of Education] set up a procedure whereby we’ve got a diverse committee of 10 people to serve… They were very conscientious. They were all ESA parents.”

Horne defended the department’s process, saying the official committee worked hard to address key concerns—especially delays in payment—and that their input shaped the department’s existing rules.

“Where do these people come from saying they want to write the handbook? It’s not their role to dictate a handbook.”

—Tom Horne | June 4, 2025

Challenger Kimberly Yee Criticizes Horne’s ESA Approach, Promises Parent-Focused Reforms

Faber criticized Horne’s leadership, saying he does not support ESA families and that the program needs a stronger advocate. She’s now backing his challenger, Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee, who she says is “100% supportive of school choice” and firmly opposes funding caps.

Yee responded to State 48 News in an exclusive written statement, accusing Superintendent Horne of turning ESA into a “big government program” that disregards parent voices.

“It’s unfortunate that Arizona has a State Superintendent who has taken the mantle of big government and seems to despise the very parents and families who elected him,” Yee wrote. “Unfortunately, the current Superintendent either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about the intent of the program and is attempting to force ESA families into a top-down, one-size-fits-all, big government program—just like the broken U.S. Department of Education.”

Yee pledged to ensure the ESA Handbook “follows the law” under her administration, promising to partner with parents to provide flexible, customized educational experiences. “The bottom line is that I’ll work with parents and make sure the law is followed—neither of which is occurring under the current Superintendent,” she said.

Horne Says Parents Are Being Heard, Points to Past Meetings and Upcoming Town Hall

State Superintendent Tom Horne continues to defend his record on parent engagement, insisting he remains a strong supporter of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and is committed to its longevity. In response to criticism from ESA parents who say they’re not being heard, Horne pointed to recent State Board of Education meetings.

“This is ridiculous,” Horne told State 48 News. “The last two or three meetings, they had two hours to express themselves. And I sat quietly and listened to them.”

“They are being heard—but they are not being obeyed necessarily,” he added. “If they demand total obedience, they need to go to some other realm. But they are definitely being heard.”

In addition to Friday’s meeting, a public town hall is scheduled for next week. According to parent Angela Faber, the event will allow the first 50 people who signed up to speak for two minutes each. The session is set to run 90 minutes. Horne confirmed the town hall was organized at the request of the State Board of Education’s president. “I’ll be there,” he said. “And I’ll listen to what they have to say.”

As for Friday’s meeting, Faber hopes it will either be canceled or opened up to all interested parents. “It’s really not an effective meeting. They’re limiting voices,” she said.

During an interview with State 48 News, contributor and investigative journalist Jennifer Barber asked Superintendent Tom Horne whether the individuals leading the ESA program within the Arizona Department of Education are his own hires or holdovers from former Superintendent Kathy Hoffman’s administration.

Horne says that some individuals tied to alleged fraud were hired under Hoffman’s administration and were “fired by me.”

Barber followed up by asking if he was confident in the current team overseeing the ESA program. Horne didn’t hesitate: “I’m extremely confident. I have John here [John Ward], who is the head of it, and he’s absolutely fantastic.”