Superintendent-elect Ruiz lays out plans for improving the Arizona Department of Education

Teresa Leyba Ruiz, a Democrat, will take on the role of Arizona’s next superintendent of public instruction in January, and she has big plans for how to make sure the Arizona Department of Education fulfills the state’s needs.

Ruiz, who defeated Republican Kimberly Yee in the Nov. 3 general election, said she plans to add multiple councils and offices to the department to ensure all parts of the education community are represented.

“We want to create an office of rural and small schools so that we can make sure our rural communities feel seen and heard and there’s a direct pathway to get those needs met. We’re also going to recreate a student advisory council and a tribal advisory council,” she said during a press event Tuesday.

Ruiz said she also wants the department to be an AI hub for schools, offering guidance and experts to help schools navigate the growing technology.

Ruiz also stressed the need for transparency in education funding, saying financial records for schools receiving money from the Empowerment Scholarship Account, or ESA, program should be released, and that funding records for public and charter schools should also be available to taxpayers. She plans to create a portal for those records.

Her remarks come as the program, which allows families to use education tax dollars for private or home schools, has faced widespread allegations of fraud. Ruiz’s campaign ran on her desire to stop fraud and share where ESA money is spent.

Ruiz is set to meet with Superintendent Tom Horne on Friday as she prepares to step into his role. She said she wants to ask him what he’d like to see in the department after she takes over.

“We might have policy differences and disagreements; that’s okay. But I would like to know what’s top of mind for him. What project, what program does he have ongoing right now that he would like to see continue and why? This is an opportunity to learn from him. This is an individual who served in this role for 12 years,” she said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

Subscribe to the KTAR Eyes on Education newsletter to get our top education stories, exclusive guest interviews and more to your email inbox.

Related

Military Times ranks University of Arizona as best public US college for veteransWith Democrats in control, Teresa Leyba Ruiz sees an opening to put public schools firstDemocrat Teresa Leyba Ruiz defeats Republican Kimberly Yee in Arizona superintendent of public instruction raceDemocratic leaders call for changes to ESA program after taking control of LegislatureWhat’s on your ballot: Prop 320 would force certain schools to spend more in classroomsArizona’s public universities receive $4M grant to help returning students finish degrees