Howard Fischer PHOENIX — The state's top schools official said Thursday a hotline he set up two months ago has resulted in credible tips about what he calls"critical race theory'' unacceptably being taught in Arizona classrooms.
People are also reading… Horne conceded at a Thursday news conference he called about the hotline that even if he could prove validity to complaints that a school district has what he believes is unacceptable racially tinged curricula, he lacks the power to do anything about it. That ability exists within individual school boards, which are locally elected.
Horne said state law gives parents the right to review all books, teaching materials and supplemental lessons available to students. And all parents are free to lobby school board members about what they should and should not approve for classrooms. "This all started during COVID when parents could see what the students were being taught because it was online,'' Horne said."And many parents were shocked at what they saw, especially critical race theory kinds of things that were being taught to the students.''
All that would allow him to do is recommend that the state Board of Education suspend or revoke the person's teaching license.