States

Ariz. Schools Chief Sparks Outcry with Comment on Labor Leader

February 23, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

It sounds like Arizona’s schools chief needs to brush up on some recent American history, namely that of the farm labor movement.

Tom Horne, the superintendent of public instruction who is running now for state attorney general, recently referred to Dolores Huerta, the farm labor organizer and long-time political and social activist, as the “former girlfriend” of Cesar Chavez. Chavez, the late labor leader, founded, with Huerta, the union that became the United Farm Workers. Ms. Huerta is married to Mr. Chavez’s brother, Richard Chavez.

Horne’s blunder, uttered during an appearance before a legislative committee last week, rankled Democrats and social activists across his state, but the schools chief has brushed off the criticism. Horne made his comment during testimony in favor of a bill to ban courses in public schools that promote hatred of another race or the overthrow of the U.S. government.

The genesis of that measure stems largely from an appearance Huerta made at a high school in Tucson nearly four years ago. According to press accounts, Huerta told students that “Republicans hate Latinos.” Horne, a Republican, later dispatched one of his top deputies, a member of the GOP who grew up in a Spanish-speaking, immigrant home, to the school to counter Huerta’s remarks.

During her speech, students in the schools Raza Studies program turned their backs, raised their fists, and then walked out of the assembly. That episode spurred Horne to push for bans (unsuccessfully, so far) on ethnic studies courses in four Tucson-area high schools and for replacement of school board members who support such courses.

A version of this news article first appeared in the State EdWatch blog.

Events

English-Language Learners Webinar AI and English Learners: What Teachers Need to Know
Explore the role of AI in multilingual education and its potential limitations.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Mathematics Webinar
Pave the Path to Excellence in Math
Empower your students' math journey with Sue O'Connell, author of “Math in Practice” and “Navigating Numeracy.”
Content provided by hand2mind
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Combatting Teacher Shortages: Strategies for Classroom Balance and Learning Success
Learn from leaders in education as they share insights and strategies to support teachers and students.
Content provided by DreamBox Learning

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States Is Cursive Making a Comeback in California? Bill Could Revitalize Traditional Writing Skills
California elementary and middle school students could soon see a renewed commitment to teaching cursive writing.
Maya Miller, The Sacramento Bee
2 min read
Close crop of an elementary school, black girl in class focused on writing in a book.
iStock/Getty
States Florida's Edicts on Schools Keep Changing, and Local Districts Are Confused
District leaders say frustration is mounting as they try to enforce new education laws regarding gender issues, sex, library books, and race.
Jeffrey S. Solochek, Tampa Bay Times
7 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Miami.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Miami.
Marta Lavandier/AP
States What's With All the Education News Out of Florida? A Recap of Education Policy Decisions
Since 2022, the Florida department of education has generated a flurry of headlines around controversial policy decisions.
6 min read
Concept image of hand grabbing book from library shelf with an outline of the state of Florida overtop of image.
Conceptual: Liz Yap/Education Week; iStock/Getty/DigitalVision Vectors
States Massachusetts Joins Short List of States Providing Free School Meals to All
States are stepping in where federal COVID-relief aid dropped off.
4 min read
Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood eat lunch on Sept. 4, 2013.
Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood eat lunch on Sept. 4, 2013.
Steven Senne/AP