Peña Leads Lawmakers Backing SPI Horne’s Anti-DEI Moves

The fight over DEI in Arizona’s teacher standards just escalated — with Rep. Michele Peña and other lawmakers joining Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne in calling for an end to DEI in education.

On Monday, Horne announced he has the full support of eight Arizona state lawmakers, urging the Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) to begin the formal rulemaking process to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) language from the state’s teaching standards. The issue comes before the Board again on December 8, 2025, after it delayed action in November.

Rep. Michele Peña (R-23), who spearheaded the letter, has emerged as one of the Legislature’s most consistently vocal opponents of DEI language in Arizona’s education standards. Other signatories included Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-25), Rep. David Marshall (R-7), Rep. Leo Biasiucci (R-30), Rep. Lisa Fink (R-27), Rep. James Taylor (R-29), Sen. Tim Dunn (R-25), and Sen. Hildy Angius (R-30).

In his statement, SPI Horne thanked Peña and the group for drawing a hard line, stating, “I am very thankful to the eight lawmakers who sent a letter calling on the Board to start the process to revise Arizona’s teaching standards and remove DEI language,” Horne said. “This is essential not just because DEI language improperly emphasizes race over individual merit, but it threatens $866 million in federal education funds under the President’s recent Executive Order.”

And he didn’t hold back on the substance, adding, “Removing DEI terms from state teaching standards is the right thing to do. We must rid race-based ideology from the classroom and ensure teachers spend their time teaching math, science, language, history, and the arts.”

Horne also urged the Board not to delay, saying, “The support of these legislators is especially helpful to convey the importance and urgency of this task, and I urge my fellow board members not to further delay this process.”

The lawmakers’ joint letter is blunt and accusatory, warning that DEI-aligned language in the Structured English Immersion (SEI) framework is not just outside the law but also exposes Arizona to federal consequences.

The group states, “Our office has heard from numerous constituents who expected SEI coursework to reflect neutral, research-based English language acquisition. Instead, they are reporting university courses loaded with ideological, divisive, and race-based content.”

They accuse higher-ed institutions of exploiting SEI frameworks, writing, “Material that has no place in SEI is being slipped in under the protection of the current framework. Institutions are exploiting vague and permissive language to push political agendas into teacher preparation. This is a breach of public trust.”

The lawmakers also cite President Trump’s previous Executive Order restricting federal funds for DEI programming, adding, “Maintaining the existing SEI Endorsement Course Framework as-is exposes Arizona to unnecessary and entirely avoidable risk. It must be corrected.”

Peña and the group directly challenge the Board’s hesitation, stating, “The hesitation on the part of the Board is deeply concerning and gives the appearance of a delay tactic designed to slow or obstruct needed reforms.”

The lawmakers instruct the Board to move — now. “We expect the Board not to delay corrective action or hide behind process barriers that were never required when these controversial provisions were inserted.”

The letter also addressed the standard, claiming, “Arizona’s standards must be academically focused, legally compliant, and free from political manipulation.”

The combined message of Horne, Peña, and the GOP signatories is straightforward:

1. Arizona’s SEI standards were never meant to include DEI or race-based ideology.
2. Universities and teacher-prep programs exploited vague language to insert political content.
3. Federal funding — $866 million — could be jeopardized if DEI language is left in place.
4. The Board’s delay is unacceptable.

The December 8, 2025, SBE meeting will now become a referendum on whether the Board leans toward immediate rulemaking, backed by Horne and Peña, or a study committee that would require further delay, a move lawmakers frame as politically motivated.

The meeting’s agenda will determine whether the rulemaking process begins. If approved, ADE will immediately draft revisions to remove DEI language from the SEI endorsement framework. If delayed again, expect an intensifying public fight and more pressure from lawmakers.

The lawmakers made their positions unmistakable, writing, “Our students, teachers, and districts deserve a framework grounded in objective, research-based instruction, not ideological experimentation.”

To underscore how important this fight is, Horne recorded a video laying out exactly why the Board needs to act. You can view the video here.