8/13/26 Action Alert: Tell PUSD Board to STOP Whitewashing History

We’re calling upon residents of the Peoria Unified School District to speak up before or at the PUSD Board meeting this Thursday.

PUSD is considering curriculum changes that deserve serious public scrutiny. Recently, the district instructed educators to remove several works from middle-school instruction, including Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, and Guadalupe García McCall’s Summer of the Mariposas.

Now, as the district is considering the Land of Hope curriculum from Hillsdale College, we have to ask:

Why don’t members of the PUSD board want children to learn accurate US history?

The PUSD community deserves better. 

Studies show that when students’ educational experiences are diverse and include multiple perspectives—both academic and interpersonal outcomes improve. The children of PUSD deserve rich, diverse curriculum that celebrates the American experience through many lenses. PUSD teachers need to be trusted, and had the board listened to them back in November when they approved the policy, they wouldn’t be in this position now.

Public schools should teach students how to think—not what to think.

A strong education doesn’t protect students from disagreement. It teaches them how to think through disagreement.

Please take action by attending this Thursday’s meeting and/or contacting the PUSD governing board, Interim Superintendent Visintainer, and board admin assistant. You can address any or all of the above points. 

 

Meeting details:

Peoria Unified School District

6330 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona 85306

Doors open at 6:00 PM (get there early)

 

Contact the Governing Board:

Jeff Tobey jtobey@pusd11.net

Janelle Bowles jbowles@pusd11.net

Melissa Ewing meewing@pusd11.net

Becky Proudfit rproudfit@pusd11.net

Heather Rooks hrooks@pusd11.net

Interim Superintendent Visintainer: tvisintainer@pusd11.net

Board Admin Asst: ndonner@pusd11.net

To view the agenda, click here, then click on the green “Agendas” button. Under “Meetings,” select “Regular Board Meeting with Executive Session August 13 2026” then “View the Agenda.” See “Items for Approval” 12.2.

6/16/26: Tell Governor Hobbs to VETO SB1741 and SB1573

4/19/26 Action Alert

4/19/26

Keep up the pressure! Bills are still being heard in the AZ Legislature this week; please take a few minutes to tell your elected officials to OPPOSE bills that violate the constitutionally required wall between church and state.

Contact your representatives and ask them to OPPOSE:

  • SB1214: Regulates the use of stem cell and birth tissue therapies, classifying violations as a Class 5 felony.
  • SB1011: Requires infant deaths to be reported to CDC (which AZ already does) and requires vaccination records to be reviewed by Medical Examiners in SIDS cases (which is also already done.) This is likely to be the first step in creating a state database linking childhood vaccines to SIDS, meant to discourage vaccination.

Contact your senator to OPPOSE:

  • HCM2001: Designates Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organization, which would limit who could work for and/or donate to. Religious discrimination. 
  • HCM2002: Designates Council on American Islamic relations as terrorist organization, which would limit who could work for and/or donate to. Religious discrimination.
  • HCR2013: This resolution designates June 2026 as “Celebrate Life Month.” Attempt to codify fetal personhood by formally declaring that human life possesses “inherent dignity from conception” and asserting a legislative responsibility to affirm the “sanctity of life” and assign legal protection to “preborn children.”
  • HB2248: Prevents schools, employers, businesses, and government agencies from using basic health and safety requirements. It goes far beyond vaccines and could interfere with common-sense protections that help prevent the spread of illness, putting classrooms, workplaces, and vulnerable people at greater risk.
  • HB4117
  • HB4117: Prohibits protesting that would “disturb religious services.” An introduced amendment broadens this law; could be used to prevent peaceful, legal protests; allow LE to attack protesters, etc.

 

4/12/26 Action Alert

4/12/26

Don’t let up the pressure! Please take a few moments to contact your elected officials and tell them to OPPOSE bills that violate the constitutionally required wall between church and state. These bills will be heard on April 13.

Contact your representatives to OPPOSE:

  • SB1013: Bans public schools from implementing hiring policies based on factors other than “merit” (who decides what “merit” means? You know who!) An attack on diversity, equity and inclusion that would allow for discrimination, including based on religious belief or lack thereof.
  • SB1741: Forces school districts to allow religious groups to pull students from class for religious instruction. Would expose students to indoctrination.
  • HB2133: Inspired by the white Christian nationalist blueprint Project 2025, would require written consent from anyone who’s digitally depicted in.a cartoon or AI video. Codifies censorship in the name of“protecting children.” Purposefully vague, broad language will be used to target LGBTQiA+ content and chill speech.

Contact your senator to OPPOSE:

  • HB2043: Would make abortion a felony by adding “unborn child” to definition of homicide. Grants legal rights to fetuses, laying the groundwork to restrict IVF, contraception, etc. through fetal personhood.
  • HB2060: Prohibits public educational institutions, including universities, from “encouraging or facilitating” abortions,  includes sharing of resources, referrals, or assistance related to abortion services. Reminder: abortion is legal in Arizona.
  • HB2086: Bans mask and vaccine requirements for schools, government entities, and even private businesses.
  • HB2144: Legalizes court-ordered child support to the date of a positive pregnancy test, codifying fetal personhood.
  • HB2184: Attempt to codify fetal personhood. Would allow for death certificates to be issued for embryos and fetuses before 20 weeks of gestation (before the point at which a fetus can survive outside the uterus). Replaces the term “fetus” with “unborn child,” requires doctors to tell anyone having an abortion that they may transfer the “bodily remains” to a funeral home.
  • HB2411: Attempt to prevent “coerced abortion” by giving drugs that result in abortion without the patient’s consent. Will be used to harass and criminalize medical providers.
  • HB2830: “Fetal and prenatal development” will be taught in school with anti-abortion bias; not defined as sex education so parents cannot opt out.

Action Alert 2/16/26

2/16/26

The deadlines to introduce bills in the AZ State Legislature have passed, and bills must be heard in their respective houses by the end of this week. You won’t be surprised to learn that AZ’s Christian nationalist legislators saved the worst for last.

Over 4k bills have been introduced this session, setting a new record for performative awfulness, cruelty, magical thinking, and conspiratorial tin-foil-hat nonsense. We’re tracking 60+ that have a chance of advancing.

Here’s a list of bills that will be heard this week, along with links to RTS and the appropriate committee members.

Please take time this week to sign into RTS to OPPOSE bills that violate church:state separation and infringe upon Arizonans’ rights, and reach out to the lawmakers on the hearing committees to share your thoughts.

Other actions to take this week:

2/3/26 No Hate In Phoenix Union High School District

2/3/26

Extremism Doesn’t Belong in Phoenix Union

Jeremiah Cota, appointed in June to the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, was recently photographed attending a political event tied to a group that has documented connections to white supremacists and neo-Nazi ideology.

This is not what we stand for in Phoenix Union: We pride ourselves on being a diverse, welcoming, and innovative school district. Our schools are schools of opportunity that welcome, love, and inspire all students. 

We are asking community members to speak out, show up, and demand accountability.

Sign  the petition.

 

Share on Social Media

Post why you believe Jeremiah Cota should resign. 

  • Share the petition
  • Include a graphic or video (coming soon)
  • Tag friends who care about public education

Speak at the School Board Meeting

Public comment is one of the most effective accountability tools we have.

 

Next School Board Meeting 

Thursday, February 5 @ 6 pm

4502 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85012

You do not need to be an expert, you just need to explain why this matters to you.

 

Write a Letter to the Editor

Local media pays attention when community members speak up.

  • 150–200 words is plenty
  • Focus on student safety, trust, and values
  • Be clear and respectful, but firm

 

Talking Points You Can Use When Speaking at the PUHSD Meeting or Writing a Letter to the Editor

 

 

 

Stand Up for Senator Ortiz and the First Amendment

September 3, 2025

Defend Free Speech and Stand with Senator Analise Ortiz

In recent days, Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz has come under fire for exercising her right to free speech on social media. Her posts, which criticized ICE, have sparked outrage from extremist groups who are now attempting to silence her voice.

Let’s be clear: Senator Ortiz is a secular star and a champion for justice. She has stood with communities across Arizona, advocating for policies that protect our freedoms and dignity. And now, extremists, many of whom shout the loudest about “free speech” when it benefits them, are working overtime to limit hers.

The Bigger Picture: Religious Extremism and Xenophobia

What we are seeing is part of a larger pattern. Religious extremists in Arizona have fueled an agenda that conflates their narrow worldview with public policy. That agenda often manifests in xenophobic rhetoric and punitive immigration enforcement. Now, when a courageous public servant speaks truth to power, these same voices attempt to censor her.

This is not about partisanship. This is about principle. Free speech is not reserved for the powerful; it belongs to all of us, including those who challenge injustice.

Why We Must Speak Up

If extremists succeed in silencing Senator Ortiz, it sends a dangerous message to every community leader, activist, and everyday Arizonan who dares to speak out. We cannot allow this chilling effect to take hold.

Senator Ortiz has shown up for our most marginalized and vulnerable communities and citizens time and again, including advocating for:

  • Free school meals
  • Affordable housing and tenant protections
  • Services for families in need
  • Protections for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities
  • Consumer protections
  • Mental healthcare
  • Election integrity and voter access

Senator Ortiz has consistently stood up for working people in Arizona, those who face daily struggles to make ends meet, who deserve fair wages, affordable housing, and dignity in their workplaces. She has fought to keep and expand access to quality health services in Maryvale, ensuring that families in one of the most underserved areas of Phoenix are not left behind. She has championed young people striving for a better future, pushing for investments in education, opportunity, and pathways to success.

Again and again, Senator Ortiz has been a voice for those who are too often ignored or silenced. Now it is our turn to raise our voices for her.

What You Can Do

We need our community to rally in support of Senator Ortiz. Here’s how you can help:

Make calls and send emails: Contact your elected officials to express your support for Senator Ortiz’s right to free speech. Share your concern about attempts to censor her voice.  Find your legislators here. 

Spread the word: Post on social media, talk to your networks, and remind others that free speech is for everyone…not just for extremists.

Our Commitment

At Secular AZ, we are committed to defending democracy and protecting the rights of all Arizonans to speak freely, without fear of intimidation from religious or political extremists. Senator Ortiz embodies that courage, and she deserves our support.

The same amendment in the United States Constitution that protects freedom of (and from) religion also protects free speech, because you can’t have one without the other. Together, we can send a clear message: Arizona stands with leaders who speak truth, and we will not allow extremists to silence them.

In solidarity,

Iain Hamp

Secular AZ Board Chair

 

Tell Deer Valley Unified School District: Don’t Adopt a Hateful Religious Curriculum

August 26, 2025

Tell Deer Valley Unified School District: Don’t Allow a Hate-Filled Religious Curriculum in DVUSD Schools

It’s time to take action in your community: If you can, show up at tonight’s Deer Valley Unified School Board meeting. If you can’t be there in person, speak up by contacting DVUSD board members.

A few months ago, we discussed the push to evangelize our public schools with the Secular Education Association. They discussed how the Christian organization Lifewise is attempting to bring evangelical cultist indoctrination to minors across the country. Reports from schools Lifewise has infiltrated show that bigotry against non-Christian, non-white, and LGBTQIA+ students is par for the course.

Now, this organization is bringing its hate-fueled curriculum to the Deer Valley Unified School District. The administrators of the DVUSD Lifewise Facebook page are offering for people to “sponsor” a student (at $30 a pop) to receive religious indoctrination instruction during school hours. We explain the situation in detail here.

If you can, show up to tonight’s school board meeting. Get there early, fill up seats, and (if you can) speak at the meeting and let the DVUSD board know your position on Lifewise in our schools.

Meeting details: 

Deer Valley Unified School District

20402 N. 15th Ave, Phoenix, Arizona

Doors open at 6:45 PM (get there early)

If you cannot attend in-person, contact the Governing Board/Superintendent and let them know your thoughts:

  • Steve Bottfeld: steve.bottfeld@dvusd.org
  • Paul Carver, Jr.: paul.carver@dvusd.org
  • Kimberly Fisher: kim.fisher@dvusd.org
  • Dr. Karen Pack: karen.pack@dvusd.org
  • Stephanie Simacek: stephanie.simacek@dvusd.org
  • Superintendent Dr. Curtis Finch: superintendent@dvusd.org

 

Action Alert: PUSD Board Meeting 8/14/25

Tell Peoria Unified School District: Don’t Adopt Harmful Policies to Placate Religious Extremists

It’s time to take action in your community: If you can, show up at tonight’s Peoria Unified School Board meeting. If you can’t be there in person, speak up by contacting PUSD board members.

Why? Board President Heather Rooks, perhaps best known for reading religious scripture at past board meetings, is introducing an agenda item to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies over trumped-up concerns about critical race theory (which is not taught in Arizona’s public elementary, middle or high schools). This policy will harm students — especially those who are already marginalized and underserved.

Click here to read agenda item 8.5. 

In addition, Rooks is introducing an agenda item that will mandate that any behavioral tracking of students is hand-written or via email. This removes a very important tool from educators’ toolbox: communication. At a time when teachers do so much with so little while facing vitriol from evangelical extremists in their community, why would anyone want to make their jobs harder, when all they want to do is help children and connect them to the resources they need?

Click here to read agenda item 8.3. 

We’ve also learned that there’ll be a discussion of board members sitting in on Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings with staff. Apparently, Rooks has taken it upon herself to do so.

This is highly irregular and a big conflict of interest. Every family should have the same opportunity for advocacy for their children, not just the ones with political connections. A board member’s job is to set policy and oversee the district, not to micromanage every aspect of a public school district (kind of like why presidents have never been involved in the Kennedy Honors). It may also invite litigation since IEPs are protected by federal and state laws. AND if that IEP becomes part of a legal dispute, the board member is compromised and would need to recuse themselves from voting on how to resolve it.

What you can do:

Show up for tonight’s school board meeting. Get there early, fill up the seats with supporters of reason, and speak up in support of DEI policies which have been found to eliminate barriers, provide support structures for students, foster a welcoming environment for all, and boost academic performance and engagement.

 

Meeting details:

Peoria Unified School District

6330 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona 85306

Doors open at 6:00 PM (get there early)

 

If you can, speak at the meeting and let the PUSD board know your position on anti-DEI, student behavior tracking, and board members sitting in on IEP meetings. If you cannot attend in-person, contact the Governing Board and let them know your thoughts:

Want to get more involved? Join the Peoria United Parent Council (PUPC). This district-wide parent group has been organized to offer parents opportunities to be influential voices in the decisions that affect our children’s education.

Click here to learn more or contact PUPC at peoriaupcmail@gmail.com.

 

In Solidarity,

Jeanne Casteen

Secular AZ

 

To view the entire agenda, click here, then click on the green “Agendas” button. Under “Meetings,” select “Regular Board Meeting” then “View the Agenda.

 

https://secularaz.salsalabs.org/pusdalert

Action Alert: 6/24/25

June 24, 2025

Let’s just sum it up quickly: the Arizona Legislature is a hot mess.

With just days to go before the June 30 deadline — and a government shutdown — the GOP-controlled legislature is still wasting everyone’s time engaging in infighting. In a nutshell, the Republicans in the Senate (kind of) worked with Dems and the Governor to pass a budget and declared sine die, the Republicans in the House didn’t work with anyone and passed their own budget, no-one likes the stop-gap continuation budget, and everyone is mad about all of it.

Meanwhile, our state’s already-last-in-the-nation public education system circles the tank to the tune of $3 billion, thanks to Doug Ducey’s tax cuts and handouts to universal vouchers. Making matters worse, the leg failed to pass Prop 123 (in large part because Repubs tried to tie teacher pay to voucher expansion), further increasing budget woes. Because no bill is ever dead until the budget is signed, be ready to contact your representatives.

Masked federal agents are taking immigrants as they leave court hearings. Those who are less at risk of being targeted by ICE are needed to stand up and offer protection to our neighbors. Borderlands Resource Initiative and Puente offer rapid response trainings on how to help. More info and trainings here.

As you’re likely aware, religious extremists have been making a concerted, organized effort to take over school boards in order to push a Christian nationalist agenda. The Stand for Children Fellowship teaches you how to organize, engage with school boards, and push back effectively. Click here to learn more and apply.  

Action Alert 6/16/25

June 16, 2025

Hi Secular Fam,

Because the religious extremists in our legislature can’t stand the thought of women having rights, we’re hearing that the AZGOP is attempting to move HCR2058, which attacks the Arizona Abortion Access Act (you know, the one voters overwhelmingly passed in 2024), into Appropriations… and because it’s a resolution, the Governor can’t veto it. Please contact your senator and representatives and the members of the Appropriations Committee and tell them to oppose this resolution and stand up for reproductive rights as the voters have already demanded:

Masked federal agents are taking immigrants as they leave court hearings. Those who are less at risk of being targeted by ICE are needed to stand up and offer protection to our neighbors. Borderlands Resource Initiative and Puente offer rapid response trainings on how to help. More info and trainings here.

As you’re likely aware, religious extremists have been making a concerted, organized effort to take over school boards in order to push a Christian nationalist agenda. The Stand for Children Fellowship teaches you how to organize, engage with school boards, and push back effectively. Click here to learn more and apply.  

Action Alert: 6/8/25

June 8, 2025

The illustrious GOP-controlled legislature is still arguing about budgets, or so we hear. They’re supposed to come back into session on June 16, so now is the time to contact your senator and representatives and tell them to support a budget that prioritizes public education over handouts to the wealthy.

On June 14, NO KINGS demonstrations are scheduled around Arizona and the nation. There are more than 30 rallies around our state, so there’s very likely one near your city or town; check out the map. Be prepared, stay safe, and get out there to take a stand against authoritarianism and fascism. Here are some non-violent demonstration safety and training resources and a helpful guide to protesters’ rights.

Masked federal agents are taking immigrants as they leave court hearings. Those who are less at risk of being targeted by ICE are needed to stand up and offer protection to our neighbors. Borderlands Resource Initiative and Puente offer rapid response trainings on how to help. Multiple trainings are scheduled; the next one is on June 11 at 6pm in Phoenix. More info and RSVP here. 

As you’re likely aware, religious extremists have been making a concerted, organized effort to take over school boards in order to push a Christian nationalist agenda. The Stand for Children Fellowship teaches you how to organize, engage with school boards, and push back effectively. Click here to learn more and apply.