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Arizona school official on hot seat over Ethnic Studies

Published Jul 1, 2011 7:48 PM

Arizona State Superintendent of Schools John Huppenthal held a press conference June 15 where he announced that the popular Tucson Ethnic Studies Program violated state law HB2281. He said the city’s Unified School District would have its budget reduced by 10 percent unless it complied with the law within 60 days. The penalty amounts to close to $15 million and would disable the TUSD.

The very next day Huppenthal’s office released the results of a state-commissioned audit of the Tucson Ethnic Studies Program. The independent audit, ordered by Huppenthal and conducted by a company that he chose, found that the program did not violate state law in any way.

In fact, the audit contradicted every statement made by Huppenthal at the press conference and concluded on page 50: “No observable evidence was present to suggest that any classroom within Tucson Unified School District is in direct violation of the law, A.R.S. 15-112(A). In most cases, quite the opposite is true.” (The audit is available online at scribd.com; search for “TUSD ethnic studies audit.”)

Huppenthal now claims that the $110,000 audit by Cambium Learning and National Academic Educational Partners is “limited in its usefulness.” (Arizona Daily Star, June 17)

The audit report is dated May 2, which means that Huppenthal’s office sat on the report for more than a month before releasing it. His dismissal of the audit findings makes it absolutely clear that the attack against Ethnic Studies is racist, politically motivated and has nothing to do with education.

These audit findings give a boost to the struggle to support Ethnic Studies. The Defend Ethnic Studies movement, led by the youth group UNIDOS and consisting of students, teachers, parents and community supporters, has been demanding that the Ethnic Studies Program be left as is and that the local Tucson School Board actively defend the program.

In response to the failure of the board to respond to the community, UNIDOS youth courageously pre-empted a board meeting on April 26, preventing the introduction of a plan by board member Dr. Mark Stegeman to relegate Ethnic Studies classes to electives.

The student action had an effect. On June 17 the TUSD board voted to appeal Huppenthal’s decision, with Stegeman casting the only “no” vote.

McCain fans flames of racism

Arizona’s militarist, anti-immigrant U.S. Sen. John McCain held a press conference June 18 to make the absurd claim that the wildfires which have damaged much of southern Arizona were started by undocumented border crossers. This unsubstantiated statement received wide media coverage. It has not only distracted attention from Huppenthal but has also whipped up anti-immigrant hostility.

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever, who allows the racist Minutemen to roam the U.S.-Mexico border, backed up McCain, as did Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl and the notorious racist Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The U.S. Fire Service, however, has stated that there is absolutely no evidence to back McCain’s claim.

While McCain’s racist statements are peddled as truth by the corporate media and attempts are made to take the spotlight off criminals like John Huppenthal, those dedicated to saving the Ethnic Studies Program and defending the right to learn your own history from the point of view of the oppressed have vowed to continue fighting. From the courts to the school boards to the streets, activists are demanding, “Hands off Ethnic Studies.”