Arizona's top education official is pressing the state's schools to verify that they're teaching about the Holocaust as required by law, setting a two-week deadline for them to respond. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is demanding public school districts and charter schools to demonstrate they are in line with a 2021 statute mandating education about the Holocaust and other genocides. The urgency seems propelled by a recent surge in antisemitic sentiments, which Horne believes education can effectively combat.
"During the past three months we have learned all-too-well how many people are ignorant about the realities of the Holocaust and other genocides of history," Horne said in a statement obtained by KTAR News. His comments followed reports of students facing intimidation because of their ethnicity and instances of what Horne describes as "pro-Hamas and anti-American propaganda" in schools. According to the law, ARS section 15–701.02, at least one instructional period on the subject is required in middle school and once again in high school.
Notably, Horne's push for stringent adherence to the Holocaust education mandate comes after incidents including a controversial event at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale that was criticized for supporting Palestine. The event, according to Horne, left Jewish students feeling unsafe and was deemed "anti-American and antisemitic." This incident and others like it have spurred the new educational directive. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, Horne stated, "Expressions of hatred like this are unacceptable in an educational setting and a powerful way to combat this scourge is with learning."
The Arizona Department of Education has been tasked to closely scrutinize compliance, with schools expected to report by Jan. 24. They are required to detail the time spent on the topic, and the instructional resources utilized. The department provides support and resources for educators to effectively deliver this crucial subject matter. "Students would not be vulnerable to antisemitic propaganda if they had received proper Holocaust instruction," Horne added in the statement. He emphasized the state's commitment to ensuring that the mandates are rigorously followed and appreciated the law's role in safeguarding against prejudice and misinformation.
