The Arizona State Board of Education has voted to begin removing diversity, equity and inclusion language from key teaching policies, a step state leaders say is necessary to protect hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.
The unanimous decision, made this week, authorizes a review and revision of two guiding documents for educators: the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards and the Structured English Immersion Endorsement Course Frameworks. State officials estimate Arizona could risk as much as $866 million in federal education funding if it fails to comply with a January 2025 executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing states to eliminate DEI language from government-supported programs.
While the Board sets education policy, implementation falls to the Arizona Department of Education, which has been tasked with overseeing the revision process. The vote was initially scheduled for late October but delayed as board members sought more clarity on how the changes would be carried out.
According to ADE Associate Superintendent of Educator Leadership Sid Bailey, the professional teaching standards serve as optional guidance for evaluating classroom instruction but are mandatory benchmarks for teacher preparation programs across the state. A working group — expected to include teachers, administrators, parents and other education stakeholders — will be formed in January and begin meeting in February.
The panel is expected to provide monthly progress reports to the board, with a draft revision targeted for completion by September 2026.
“Our goal is to clearly define what DEI-related language means in this context and determine what, if anything, needs to be revised or removed to meet federal direction,” Bailey said during the meeting. “That’s the scope of this work.”
The same process will apply to the state’s English language learning guidelines, which are used to train educators working with multilingual students.
Not everyone supports the move. Ahead of the vote, Arizona Education Association President Marisol Garcia urged board members to reject the proposal, warning that repeatedly reopening standards to reflect political shifts could undermine educational quality.
She cautioned in a letter that the decision could trigger “a race to the bottom,” where policy changes are driven by changing administrations rather than student needs.
State education leaders, however, maintain that the review is narrowly focused on compliance and does not predetermine how classrooms will operate day to day. More information on Arizona’s education policies and governance can be found through the Arizona Department of Education’s official website at azed.gov.
