Grand Canyon Times

Arizona State Senator Anthony Kern (R-27) took to the floor of the State Senate today to call “on the Washington Elementary School District Board to reinstate its partnership with Arizona Christian University, or otherwise resign.”

"We have a shortage of teachers in the state ... and instead of addressing that, this board is discriminating against our future teachers because of the college they're attending and their religious beliefs,” the Arizona Senate Republican Caucus tweeted of Kern’s speech on March 6th.

Accompanying that tweet was a video of Sen. Kern speaking from the floor of the Arizona State Senate, calling on the governing board of the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) to reinstate its student internship contract with Arizona Christian University (ACU).

Kern was referring to the Washington Elementary School District governing board’s recent vote, as the PHX Reporter reports, “to end a student teaching internship contract with Arizona Christian University over concerns of the university’s ‘biblically informed values.’”

As the NW Valley Times reported on March 5, Kern called for the “immediate resignation” of Tamillia Valenzuela, the WESD board member who had made the motion, which was supported unanimously by the board, to end the contract with ACU.

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 WESD board's meeting agenda from February 23, 2022. 

The district’s Business Services Department had recommend renewing the contract. Valenzuela’, however, voiced her concerns at the February 23 meeting that 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,” she 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,” Valenzuela 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.” 

Founded in 1960, ACU is a four year, private, non-profit university located in Glendale, Arizona. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the university has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1992. U.S. News and World Report ranks ACU as the #11 regional college in the Western United States, and the #13 “best value schools” in the United States.

Following the vote to end the contract with ACU, Valenzuela posted on her Facebook page, “I am so happy to announce that our board unanimously decided to no longer continue the partnership with Arizona Christian University. Thank you to our community members who made their voices heard!” 

Responding to the Arizona Senate Republican Caucus’ tweet, Kern tweeted, “Reinstate Arizona Christian University or Resign @WESDschools Board Members.”

Headquartered in Glendale, AZ, the Washington Elementary School District encompasses north central Phoenix and east Glendale. According to the district’s Web site, It is the largest elementary school district in Arizona, with 33 schools. The district’s mission is to “student achievement, preparing all students to become responsible, successful contributors to our diverse society.”