Grand Canyon Times

The Arizona Department of Education has labeled “disheartening” the Washington Elementary School Distric (WESD) board’s decision to terminate a student teacher contract with Arizona Christian University (ACU).

“It’s disheartening that this school board has decided to terminate this contract,” the Arizona Department of Education tweeted on March 7.

The tweet was in response to a column by Laurie Roberts in the Arizona Republic in which Roberts wrote, “The Washington Elementary school board will no longer accept student teachers from Arizona Christian University. It seems the university’s budding educators are simply too Christian.”

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 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. 

As the Grand Canyon Times reported on March 4, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne previously criticized Valenzuela’s remarks, tweeting that, “any negative reference to someone’s religion is profoundly immoral.”

His tweet 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."

Founded in 1960, Arizona Christian University 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.

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.”