A fascinating story from Brahm Resnick on a robocall that went out using the voice of Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal to remind parents of the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and how they can be used to pay for private schools. Because of course he doesn’t, Huppenthal fails to see an issue being the guy who oversees the state’s public education system and meanwhile shilling for funds to be pulled from that system to send students to private schools.

As you might imagine, some within the public school community see things otherwise, as does Huppenthal’s likely opponent in his forthcoming campaign to be re-elected:

Post by David Garcia.

This article appears in Feb 6-12, 2014.

The editor of the Tucson Weekly. I have no idea how I got here.

16 replies on “State Superintendent John Huppenthal Suggests You Take Your Kids to Private School”

  2. He was an idiot, proven before he was elected by a high school interviewer, yet he was still elected. PLEASE, PLEASE, people of AZ, start paying attention to those you elect into these offices.
    I can only say that if Huppenthal thinks it’s a good idea?? It’s NOT a good thing for the students of AZ.

  3. Huppenthal says, “Hey, I’m the Superintendent of Public Instruction, not public schools.” Let’s make sure that in November he no longer is Superintendent of anything.

  4. Please keep in mind that Huppenthal never spent a minute as a student in public school. He attended St. John’s and Salpointe. He was raised to NOT believe in the value of public schools. His agenda is to get rid of them or to change them to conform to HIS values. He is NOT committed to public education in a secular sense.

  6. As Pima Mujer points out, interesting that Huppenthal states “I am the Superintendent of Public Instruction, not public schools” when his very Facebook account states, “John Huppenthal has oversight responsibility for Arizona’s public school system.” This is akin to a principal saying, choose another school because ours is failing. If the system is failing, doesn’t that responsibility rest with you Mr. Huppenthal? Thank you for highlighting your own incapacity to lead.

  7. So how many of the people who made the above listed comments would send your kids to Sunnyside High School etc.
    Huppenthal is a tool as well as stupid but the state of public education is a mess.

  8. I attended Pueblo and Cholla High schools. My brother attended Pueblo and has a PhD from Michigan State University. I graduated with highest honors from the U of A and am a published author. Public schools served both of us quite well, as they did our friends of all ethnicities. Huppenthal is a far-right Catholic on a mission from God. He has no business as Superintendent of Public Instruction.

  10. Hey, you all need an English lesson. Huppenthal said emphatically that he is the Superintendent of Public Instruction and that he defines public to include all students. What’s wrong with that? In that capacity he has oversight responsiblity for Public Schools.

  11. Lets look at 100% Education Vouchers for every child in Arizona.

    The voucher would go to the child via their parents for home, private
    or public schooling.

    Vouchers will honor two rights: (1) the right of education/training for
    each child; and, (2) The prior-right(and responsibility) of parents to
    educate and train their child as the parent sees fit for their child.

    Let try Education Vouchers…They work…Home Private, Public schooling
    can work.

  13. Fraser00 says, “Huppenthal is a tool as well as stupid but the state of public education is a mess.”

    There is no state of public education in this country. Under our constitution each state still determines the quality of education students in that state will get. Not surprisingly, some states do a great job. In Minnesota and Massachusetts the students score as high on international tests as students anywhere in the world. In some other states…like Mississippi and South Carolina…students score only slightly ahead of students in third world countries. In Arizona, students score somewhere in the middle of the states…near the top of the bottom half. Considering the poor level of funding for public schools and anti-public education rhetoric that gets a lot of play in the state government the results are a tribute to the hard work of Arizona teachers.

  14. Huppenthal didn’t say take your child to private school school, he said “if your school isn’t working, take them to a private school.” There is a difference.

  15. Public schools aren’t working at all for a good solid 30% of students. All of your ideas have been tried and failed. Huppenthal is doing what works in America – competition.

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