🚨 Arizona's Top Education Official Celebrates Prospect of Eliminating Department of Education
"I'll Throw a Party to Celebrate" Eliminating Federal Oversight From the Department of Education, Superintendent Horne Declares
Based on the 11/15/24 Winn Tucson show on KVOI-1030AM.
🙊 Notable quotes from the show
"I throw a party to celebrate" the potential elimination of the Department of Education - Tom Horne, Superintendent of Public Instruction
"If somebody goes in and I'm paying for the police officers, I'm just asking the schools to ask for them" - Tom Horne, discussing his support for armed police officers in every school
"If all the kids are using their cell phones, it could interfere with the broadband" - Tom Horne, revealing his dismissive attitude toward student cell phone use
"The president of the Arizona Teachers Union put out a statement that was… was kind of shocking. Let's talk about something else. It'll come to me. I'll be able to give you the." - Tom Horne, avoiding discussing criticism from the teachers' union
"We're going to have to be the union thugs that we're supposed to be" - Statement attributed to the Arizona Teachers Union president by Tom Horne
"You can imagine how the Navajos felt about that" - Tom Horne, referring to his decision to change a policy that wrongly categorized Navajo students as English language learners
⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…
🚨 Voting Chaos in Arizona: Cochise and Pima Counties Embroiled in Controversy
Based on the 11/11-12/24 Winn Tucson on KVOI-1030AM.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🤔 In this radio talk, the people in charge of schools in Arizona said some really worrying things. 🚫 They said they want to get rid of the department that makes sure schools treat all kids fairly, and they want to have police officers with guns in every school, even though that can be really scary for students. 😢 They also said they aren't doing enough to keep good teachers in the schools and pay them enough.
🤦♀️ The grown-ups on the radio show seemed to care more about their own ideas than actually helping kids learn and stay safe in school.
🗝️ Takeaways
🚫 Horne celebrates the prospect of eliminating the Department of Education, signaling a desire to roll back civil rights protections
🚨 Horne supports militarizing schools with armed police, ignoring the disproportionate impact on students of color
💰 Horne admits Arizona is losing teachers but offers no concrete solutions to address the chronic underfunding of education
🤦♀️ Horne and Winn display breathtaking disdain for evidence-based policies and student wellbeing
⏬ Jump to the 🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary based on:
📻 What They Discussed
On November 15, 2024, the "Winn Tucson" radio show hosted a conversation between conservative commentator Kathleen Winn and her "very special friend," Tom Horne, the controversial Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Arizona.
As progressives, we feel it is our duty to unpack these two individuals' harmful rhetoric and dangerous ideologies during this broadcast.
🚨 Undermining Federal Oversight in Education
From the outset, Winn introduced Horne as a long-time friend and ally, setting the stage for an uncritical discussion of his tenure and policies.
True to form, Horne immediately expressed his disdain for the federal Department of Education's “irrational decisions,” painting them as out-of-touch bureaucrats imposing misguided policies.
"They just sit in judgment of [failing schools]," Horne lamented, "rather than actually helping them."
Horne's anecdote about Navajo students being wrongly categorized as English language learners was particularly egregious, serving as a classic dog whistle to suggest that efforts to support multilingual students are forms of discrimination.
"Navajo kids who spoke only English, no Navajo, would say my grandma talks Navajo. So they would test them, and they would fail the test not because of language, English was the only language, but because of academic reasons," he claimed.
This dismissive attitude toward the unique needs of Indigenous and immigrant students is part of a wider pattern of settler colonial erasure.
Horne's celebration of the potential elimination of the Department of Education is even more alarming in this context, as it signals a desire to roll back hard-won civil rights protections and the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws in education.
"I throw a party to celebrate" such a move, Horne proclaimed, revealing his true priorities.
🚨 Promoting a Dangerous Agenda of Militarization, Discrimination, and Neglect
Winn and Horne's discussion of school discipline was equally concerning, as they lauded the idea of having armed police officers in every school.
"If somebody goes in and I'm paying for the police officers, I'm just asking the schools to ask for them," Horne stated, ignoring the well-documented harms of militarizing educational spaces.
The notion that "guns-free school" policies make campuses "sitting ducks" is a dangerous NRA talking point that fails to acknowledge the disproportionate criminalization of students of color under such regimes.
Horne's breathtaking disdain for evidence-based policies and student wellbeing was further revealed when he complained about cell phone use in classrooms, stating: "If all the kids are using their cell phones, it could interfere with the broadband for, um, uh, excuse me, somebody's calling me on a cell phone, just turning it off."
This dismissive attitude toward student autonomy and well-being is a clear threat to the safety and dignity of Arizona's young people.
🚨 Neglecting Teacher Retention and Funding
Horne's admission that Arizona is "losing more teachers than are coming into the classroom" is a damning indictment of the state's education system - one that he has overseen for years.
"We must pay them more," he conceded, offering no concrete solutions to address this crisis.
This cavalier attitude toward the chronic underfunding and devaluation of the teaching profession is part of a wider pattern of neglect and disregard for the well-being of Arizona's educators. Winn even suggested that the state should "recycle" administrators rather than prioritize much-needed investments in teacher salaries and resources.
In conclusion, the views expressed by Horne and Winn on the "Winn Tucson" radio show are not just out of touch - they are actively harmful to the students and communities they claim to serve. As progressives, we feel it is our duty to expose this rhetoric for what it is: a thinly veiled attempt to roll back hard-won civil rights and undermine the basic dignity and safety of marginalized students in Arizona.
🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary
🚨 Arizona's Education Chief Promotes Dangerous Agenda of Discrimination, Militarization, and Neglect
Throughout the discussion, Horne revealed a profoundly troubling disdain for federal oversight and civil rights protections in education.
He brazenly celebrated the prospect of eliminating the Department of Education, callously declaring, "I throw a party to celebrate" such a move. This signals a transparent desire to dismantle the very mechanisms designed to ensure equity and prevent discrimination in our nation's schools.
Horne's own track record on this front is equally appalling. As a former state legislator, he infamously spearheaded the ban on Ethnic Studies curricula in the Tucson Unified School District - a racist and colonial assault on the educational empowerment of Hispanic, Indigenous, and other marginalized students.
His dismissive attitude toward the unique needs of Navajo students, whom he pejoratively described as being "wrongly categorized as English language learners," lays bare his disdain for the diversity and cultural heritage of Arizona's communities.
Compounding these concerns is Horne and Winn's enthusiastic endorsement of the militarization of schools through the deployment of armed police officers on every campus.
"If somebody goes in and I'm paying for the police officers, I'm just asking the schools to ask for them," Horne proclaimed, revealing a fundamental disregard for the well-documented harms of over-policing in educational settings. This NRA-backed talking point ignores the disproportionate criminalization of students of color under such regimes, further entrenching the school-to-prison pipeline.
Equally troubling is the duo's cavalier attitude toward the chronic underfunding and devaluation of Arizona's teaching profession. Horne's admission that the state is "losing more teachers than are coming into the classroom" is a damning indictment of his own leadership and the systemic neglect of educators. Rather than take responsibility and propose substantive solutions, he simply asserted that teachers "must be paid more" - a hollow platitude that fails to address the root causes of this crisis.
At its core, the "Winn Tucson" broadcast represents a microcosm of the broader assault on public education, civil rights, and the well-being of marginalized communities in Arizona. Horne and Winn's views are not merely out of touch - they are actively harmful, perpetuating patterns of discrimination, militarization, and systemic disinvestment that threaten the futures of countless young people.
As a progressive publication committed to truth, justice, and the empowerment of all, the Three Sonorans calls on the people of Arizona to reject this dangerous agenda and demand leaders who will prioritize the needs and dignity of students, educators, and communities over narrow ideological interests.
The stakes have never been higher, and the time for action is now.
👯 People Mentioned
Tom Horne - Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
"I throw a party to celebrate" the potential elimination of the Department of Education
"If somebody goes in and I'm paying for the police officers, I'm just asking the schools to ask for them"
Regarding Navajo students being wrongly categorized as English learners: "You can imagine how the Navajos felt about that"
Kathleen Winn - Conservative radio host and commentator
Introduced Horne as her "very special friend"
Suggested "recycling" school administrators instead of prioritizing teacher pay
Arizona Teachers Union President
Reportedly said the union would have to be "the union thugs that we're supposed to be"
Shelly Boggs - Maricopa County Superintendent of Public Instruction
Winn and Horne expressed optimism about Boggs' appointment, believing she would appoint "academically oriented people" to school board vacancies
Preston Lord - A student who was reportedly attacked and murdered by peers
The discussion of this tragic incident highlighted concerns about student safety and violence in schools
🧐 Propaganda AI-nalysis
🚩 Propagandistic Techniques in the "Winn Tucson" Radio Show
Throughout the discussion on the "Winn Tucson" radio program, both Kathleen Winn and Tom Horne employed several manipulative rhetorical tactics that are hallmarks of propaganda.
One such technique was the use of fearmongering and the promotion of conspiracy theories. Horne's claim that "guns-free school" policies make campuses "sitting ducks" is a classic NRA talking point designed to sow panic and justify the militarization of schools. This false narrative ignores the well-documented harms of over-policing in educational settings, especially for students of color.
The duo also engaged in scapegoating, placing the blame for Arizona's educational woes squarely on the shoulders of the federal Department of Education. Horne's disdain for "irrational decisions" made by these "out-of-touch bureaucrats" is a transparent attempt to deflect responsibility away from his own failings as the state's top education official.
Winn and Horne further demonstrated a propensity for cherry-picking data and anecdotes to support their ideological agenda. Horne's selective recounting of the Navajo student language policy issue is a prime example, as he failed to acknowledge the broader context of supporting multilingual learners.
Perhaps most worryingly, both hosts displayed a fundamental disregard for objective reality and evidence-based policymaking. Horne's cavalier dismissal of concerns raised by the teachers' union, as well as his simplistic assertion that teachers simply "must be paid more," reveal a concerning detachment from the nuanced challenges facing Arizona's education system.
Taken together, these propagandistic techniques serve to undermine public trust, sow division, and advance a regressive political agenda that prioritizes ideology over the wellbeing of students and educators. As members of the public, it is crucial that we remain vigilant and critically analyze the narratives being promoted through platforms like the "Winn Tucson" radio show.
Cripes! What a scary situation.