Arizona Protests Begin Ahead Of Ethnic Studies Ruling

In a few weeks Arizona Schools Superintendent John Huppenthal will issue a ruling on whether or not Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican-American Studies program is in violation of state law. Recently we wrote about a student protest in Tucson that took over the school district boardroom to protest another move to try to undo the program, making the entire curriculum electives as opposed to core courses.

What’s at stake is millions of dollars in funding for the school district if found to be in violation of the anti-ethnic studies state law.

Trying to find mainstream coverage of this potential ruling is difficult, luckily the Tucson Citizen’s Three Sonorans are on the job. For example, Three Sonorans reported that Huppenthal ran ads plain stating “I Will Stop La Raza,” last year, leaving little question as to what his ruling will be on the matter. Three Sonorans reported that the investigation that generated the findings upon which Huppenthal will issue a ruling were a joke, for example:

…the audit has been a joke. They skipped over reviewing the curriculum and when they did go into the MAS classrooms they were more interested in taking pictures of the posters on the wall. Expect lots of Che Guevara is a communist and communism is being taught reports coming out of that audit, nevermind what is actually being taught.

In response, pro-education supporters will be holding daily protests across from Huppenthal’s office, again Three Sonorans reported:

With the state audit of Ethnic Studies turned in, it is now up to state superintendent John Huppenthal to issue his findings within the next 10 days.

Thus, the protests will move to the Arizona Department of Education, right across the park from the State Capitol, to let John Huppenthal, who ran ads last year saying “I will Stop La Raza” that his continued attack on our students and teachers is not acceptable.

It’s important to remember that, while Mexican American studies is being axed, European history can stay — the very definition of targeting. We’ll try to keep you updated here at News Taco on the outcome of Huppenthal’s decision.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD