Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne criticized a local school board member's remarks about Arizona Christian University's "biblically informed values" that resulted in the school board's dissolution of a student teaching internship contract with the university.

"Any negative reference to someone’s religion is profoundly immoral," Horne tweeted in response to a Fox News report on the school board's actions.

According to a report in the PHX Reporter, "The Washington Elementary School District (WESD) has voted to end a student teaching internship contract with Arizona Christian University (ACU) over concerns of the university’s 'biblically informed values.'"

That contract had been in place since 2018, and the purpose of the agreement is to secure students of Arizona Christian University to participate in Student Teaching Internships at schools within the District," according to the school board's meeting agenda from February 23, 2022.

The effort to end the contract with ACU was led by school district governing board member Tamillia Valenzuela who, during that February 23rd meeting, said she "has some very concerns (sic) regarding looking at this particular institution."

“When I go to Arizona Christian University's Web site…. you can go on their Web site, like the first page, ‘that above all else, it is to influence people to be biblically minded,” Valenzuela continued. “How does that hold space for people of other faiths? How does that hold space for our members of the LGBT community? How does that hold space for people who think differently and do not have the same beliefs?” 

“At some point, we need to get real with ourselves and take a look at who we're making legal contracts with and the message that that is sending to our community,” she added. “Because that makes me feel I could not be safe in this school district that makes other queer kids who are already facing attack from our lawmakers that they could not be safe in this community.” 

Valenzuela was elected in November 2022 as an at-large member of the WESD governing board, receiving 34.9% of the vote. 

According to her bio on the school district Web site, Valenzuela “is a bilingual, disabled, neurodivergent Queer Black Latina” who “loves a good hot wing (but only with the right ranch) and things that sparkle.” 

In that same bio, she uses the pronouns “(she, her(s), ella)” after her name, and recently published a Facebook photo praising the fact that each member of the WESD board now “has their pronouns at the dais” in the governing board meeting room. 

Valenzuela also wears “mouse ears” during the governing board meetings. 

Horne's tweet in response to the news report about Valenzuela's remarks continued, "As a Jewish person, I will quote a Jewish proverb: 'He who wishes to receive respect must give respect.' Every human being must be treated with equal dignity."

Horne (R) was elected to serve as the Arizona Superintendent of Education in November 2022. He defeated incumbent Kathy Hoffman (D), winning 50 percent to Hoffman’s 49 percent. 

This is Horne’s second stint as Superintendent of Education, having also served in the position from 2003 to 2011. He also served as Arizona Attorney General from 2011-2015, and in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1996-2001, chairing the Academic Accountability Committee and served as vice-chair of the Education Committee. 

Horne graduated Magna cum laude from Harvard College and with honors from Harvard Law School. His wife of 47 years, Martha, died in 2019, and they had five children together.