Arizona Democrats debate ESA program, teachers in schools chief primary

Arizona’s two Democratic candidates for superintendent of public instruction faced off to discuss everything from vouchers to dual language programs.  

Teresa Leyba Ruiz and Brett Newby are vying for the seat in the primary elections. The winner of that election will face one of the two Republican candidates: current Superintendent Tom Horne or Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee.  

Newby has worked as a behavioral analyst and professor, according to his campaign. He received a master's degree in special education. His campaign has hinged on issues like downsizing the state's controversial Empowerment Scholarship Program, retaining teachers and hiring more school counselors.

Ruiz attended Roosevelt Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District as a child before earning her doctorate from Arizona State University. She worked as a teacher at the middle and high school level before becoming president of Glendale Community College.

Like Newby, her campaign has also focused on the ESA program. She has also focused on advocating for more funding for public schools and supporting both rural and urban school districts. Ruiz has also spoken publicly about the teacher retention crisis as part of her campaign.

Candidates discuss ESA reform

Ruiz cited a report released on May 12 by the Arizona Auditor General’s Office, which she said “lifted the veil” on the mismanagement of public dollars. There should be public accountability for public dollars, she said.  

“I understand that families want options. And families should have those choices, but not at the expense of public education,” Ruiz said.  

Ruiz cited her experience as former president of Glendale Community College, saying she knows how to handle multimillion dollar budgets.  

The ESA program has been particularly controversial in recent months, with reports showing that dollars from the program have been used to buy things like lingerie and diamond rings. The May 12 report from the auditor general’s office called some of ADE’s claims about the lack of fraud “misleading.”  

Newby also stressed the importance of accountability within the program and said he would immediately implement policies to audit the program and send violations to the Attorney General’s Office.  

Both Ruiz and Newby agreed that open enrollment is working well for Arizona’s public school students. They both also addressed the lack of assessments that are required for private schools, and by extension students benefiting from ESA dollars.  

While the superintendent can’t dictate the law, Ruiz said she would welcome conversations with larger private networks and invite them to take the same state assessment as public school students.  

Newby said he would work with state legislators to put in further guardrails for ESA students that would require them to take the same state assessments as public schools. 

What can be done about the teacher shortage?

Both Newby and Ruiz agreed that teacher pay and access to resources play a part in the teacher shortage.

With schools closing across the state, Newby said he has a plan to get those properties tuned into teacher housing, particularly in rural communities. If schools in those communities close, students may have to travel great lengths to get to the next-closest school, Newby said.  

Newby said teachers also don’t have all the tools and resources that they need. When budgets get cut at schools, the first things that go are often support staff or other things teachers need, he said.  

“It’s a full gamut of things that need to happen, but we need to start with fully, equitably funding our public schools,” Newby said.  

Ruiz emphasized the need to save taxpayer dollars. The Empowerment Hotline, which was implemented by Horne for people who want to report lessons that allegedly use critical race theory or emotional support curriculum, would come down immediately, Ruiz said. That alone can save hundreds of thousands of dollars that can be repurposed to teachers, she said.  

While Newby said he wanted to make the process of getting certified for teaching more accessible, Ruiz emphasized a need to not “lower the bar” for Arizona’s teachers.  

Horne has also said that the lack of support for student discipline is a reason why some teachers are leaving the profession. Newby said the state can do a better job in providing training to teachers for putting behavioral plans in place, while Ruiz said the superintendent shouldn't be dictating what schools are doing for discipline. Ruiz said she would listen to the needs of the schools and would accommodate if that included additional training.

Ruiz and Newby talk DEI, dual language programs

Ruiz and Newby also touched upon topics that have been controversial throughout Horne’s term: DEI and dual language programs. 

Ruiz and Newby both support the implementation of dual language programs in Arizona. Students in dual language programs are more ready to be competitive in a global economy and can benefit both English language learners and native English speakers who are learning another language, she said.  

Newby said there was a need to make more school resources bilingual. When children bring home documents or resources to their families, they aren’t always available in a second language, which makes it harder for them to support their students, Newby said.  

The two candidates also said they both support DEI initiatives, with Ruiz referencing the spat on X.com between Horne and Yee. 

Arizona students struggling with literacy, math

Both Newby and Ruiz agreed that Arizona should fund full-day kindergarten, with the state currently only funding half-days.

But fixing the teacher shortage in Arizona can help with the low literacy and math proficiency rates, she said. Consistency in the classroom, as opposed to the "revolving door" of substitute teachers can help raise those rates and graduation rates, Ruiz said.

Newby, who works with early learners as a behavioral analyst, said the state needs to invest more in high-risk schools, where a lot of those families work full-time and some might not speak English, he said.