Bilingualism at Stake: The Battle for School Boards in Arizona
Carla Urquidi, candidate for the Creighton Elementary School District Board, adjusts the "Vote Yes" sign on her lawn. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
In this Southern border state, where 45% of the student body is Latino, the battle for representation in key education positions takes a central role in the upcoming elections.
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Carla Urquidi is a woman of strong character. Her words carry determination when it comes to defending the rights of her children in Arizona’s schools. She takes pride in her Mexican heritage and in the fact that her great-grandfather, Tiburcio Fernández, was a friend and ally of iconic revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata.
“I come from a Zapatista family, where we say that a united people can change things,” Urquidi mentions in an interview. She named her eldest son Emiliano in honor of the peasant leader.
She emigrated with her family from Rancho Las Parritas in Chihuahua, Mexico, just before her fourth birthday. Now, at 32, she is determined to ensure that her two children do not experience what she lived through as a child in Arizona.
“I was in school when the vote to eliminate bilingual education took place. When they started to introduce it, I was in third or fourth grade,” she says.
Carla Urquidi proudly shares photographs of her great-grandfather, a Zapatista, in adulthood and a version from his youth alongside Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa, the latter when they sat in Mexico’s presidential chair in 1914. With these images, Urquidi honors her family’s rich history and they inspire her commitment to instill values of resilience and activism in her children. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
The policy change she refers to occurred in the year 2000: Arizona voters approved Proposition 203 and, in doing so, abolished bilingual education. According to the law, which is still in effect, students who come from homes where Spanish is spoken as a first or second language must take an English proficiency test to determine their fluency in the language. Those who do not pass are isolated for four hours each day to learn the local dominant language. The model is known as “structured English immersion.” In 2019, the state Legislature once again amended the model’s statutes and the state Senate approved a change in hours, reducing them from four to two hours a day, but this is left up to the discretion of each school district.
Even though 45% of students in Arizona are of Latino descent, the state’s current Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, is opposed to bilingual classes and defends segregation. In some cases, the superintendent himself has taken the battle to the courts to put an end to bilingual programs.
In March, for example, Horne sued the Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix, for having a 50-50 dual language model: 50% of instruction in Spanish and 50% in English. At the time, he argued the model violated Proposition 203. The district, located in Maricopa County, is home to more than 5,000 students, the overwhelming majority of whom are of Latino descent (83.9%).
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper ruled that Horne did not have the legal authority to sue school districts for offering bilingual programs. After the defeat, Horne warned that he would continue his battle and proceeded to file a second lawsuit on behalf of Patricia Pellett, the mother of a child enrolled in the Unified School District in Scottsdale, about 10 miles away from Creighton and one of the richest in the state, with a student body that is predominantly white. The attorney representing Pallet in the case is Carmen Chenal Horne — Superintendent Horne’s wife.
The Creighton Academy, located north east of Phoenix, is part of the Creighton Elementary School District. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
That’s precisely why, motivated to defend bilingualism in Creighton’s school district and fight Horne’s politics, Urquidi is running for a seat on the Creighton Elementary School Governing Board on November 5th.
“What (Horne) is doing is racist. It’s discrimination against our culture and the people who live in this district, because it’s the community that needs this program the most. Because there are actually language barriers here; it’s not a privilege,” Urquidi says in an angry tone.
The battle for representation on school boards plays a fundamental role in the upcoming elections, says Liliana Hutcheson, organizing director of the ALL In EdAction campaign. “Members of the board of directors have only one employee, the superintendent, but at the same time, they’re the ones who approve absolutely everything: the hiring of teachers, staff, the district’s funds,” she notes. “These are the most important because they affect all of the education students receive.”
“It’s a matter of ensuring solid leadership that will advocate for equitable education and a responsible budget that supports all students,” notes Heidi Vega, director of communications for the Arizona School Boards Association.
Across the state, there has been an emergence of young candidates who, like Urquidi, seek to counterbalance those who espouse the ideas promoted by Horne, who declared last year that it is important for him to promote more candidates who are aligned with his policies. “My obsession in 2024 is to get conservatives elected to our school boards,” he said during an event organized by Moms for Liberty, which engages in activities against student inclusion and has been deemed a far-right organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Carla Urquidi champions the importance of education and civic engagement, ensuring that her family's history fuels their future. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
The state has more than 237 school districts, each one governed by a school board, and only 17% of school board members are Latino; the rest are non-Latino white individuals.
In addition to Urquidi, three other candidates seek seats on the governing board: Nicole Marquez, who is also of Latino descent, Heather Ayres and Tristan Jones, all of whom self-identify as non-partisan.
Were she to win a seat on the school board, Urquidi says she will defend dual education and better address the needs of students with disabilities. “Bilingual education programs not only help students become fluent in multiple languages; they also improve their cognitive abilities and academic performance,” Vega explains.
Carla Urquidi, Nicole Marquez and Heather Ayres join forces on a candidate virtual flyer. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
Horne has been incisive with his extreme policies since he first assumed the role of superintendent in 2003, a position to which he was re-elected in 2006 and held until 2011. He vowed to put an end to bilingual education and eradicate critical race theory (a model that provides historical context to explain racial inequities in the U.S.), which he has called “a bunch of nonsense.” He was again elected to the role in 2022 and, to date, he has continued using the same rhetoric against bilingual education.
To win votes, Urquidi has focused on going door-to-door and seeking support from parents in Latino communities.
Latinas forge a path to the board of directors
Urquidi is continuing the work done by Sophia Carrillo, 37, who has been president of the Creighton Elementary School District Board since 2022. As the only Latina on the district's school board, she has become a role model for Urquidi and for other women in Arizona.
As a head of household with two children, Isaac and Grecia, who are 15 and 8 respectively, Carrillo felt the need to immerse herself fully in education policies, in an effort to level the playing field in a space where white parents are in the majority and make decisions that affect her children.
Sophia Carrillo, president of the Creighton Elementary School District board, advocates for increased representation and equitable education for all students in Phoenix. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
“When they were in elementary school, I was a very involved parent”, she recalls. “I started going to meetings and saw only Americans. There was no (Latino) representation.”
Although a third of the state’s population and 45% of students in Arizona are of Latino descent, their representation in education is minimal: only 18% of certified teachers and 19% of administrators.
The gap fueled Carrillo.
“The information about the school system was very difficult to understand,” she says. “While there were people who could help make it more accessible, they didn’t do so.”
In 2020, Carrillo joined the Creighton Elementary School Board, driven by her own experiences. Born in Glendale, California, she grew up between Mexicali, Baja California, and Calexico, California. Her family moved to Arizona in 1996. “I felt the change immediately,” she recalls, explaining that Black and Latino children were not allowed to wear their home country's soccer jerseys. Often, they were told that no more than three students could walk together, as they would be considered a gang.
Sophia Carrillo proudly displays a Mexican flag on the driver's side of her car, showing her heritage and commitment to advocating for the Latino community in Arizona. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
Aware of the cultural disconnect between education systems and Latino families, Carrillo founded Copper State Education, a nonprofit that trains Latinos through workshops and counseling on school leadership, finance classes and legislative updates, all so that they can make their way onto school boards. “So that they truly understand the work they need to go and make the system work for their students and their community,” she explains.
Data from the MAPA 2023-2024 report published by ALL InEducation shows that nearly half of students in prekindergarten through 12th grade are Latino and yet, only 17% state education board members are Latino. This inequity shows the challenge Carrillo faces, especially when standing up to figures like Horne.
“It’s not just about racism; he’s trying to destroy public education, and he’s starting with the school where there are children of color, Latino children,” Carrillo notes.
In another school district, Roosevelt in Maricopa County, where there are more than 7,300 students and 81.1% of them are Latino, the ALL In EdAction campaign encourages parents to go out and seek the vote to support candidates for school boards who represent the values of their communities. There, the superintendent is Dani Portillo, a native of Honduras. And Alexis Aguirre is currently the only Latina on the board of the directors. The movement has thrown its support behind two candidates of Latino descent with the hope that they will win their upcoming races: Victoria Castro Corral and James Gonzalez, as well as Michael Butts, who is African American.
Sophia Carrillo's license plate reads "Yo Voto,” accompanied by a sticker that says, "Tomorrow We Vote.” Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
From single mother to candidate
Candidate Carla Urquidi does not consider herself fully bilingual. She recalls that, especially in history classes, “I understood the words, but I did not understand the content.” In her opinion, the gap has not narrowed over the years. She sees it reflected in the lack of classes on Mexican American history being offered today. “My son is in sixth grade and, to date, he has not come home with any information that teaches (that history),” she says with disapproval.
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Her experience became even more challenging when her eldest son faced bullying at school. She says some classmates harassed him because of his Latino identity and a disability that limits his physical movement. “He began struggling with anxiety. I tried to address the issue through the administration, but in a school that is largely American, in addition to most of the staff, I was ignored. I had to resort to laws and paperwork, motivated by a mother’s fury,” she explains. Emiliano is 11, but Urquidi also worries about her other son, three-year-old Teo, who has speech delay and hearing challenges.
Urquidi recalls that there were days when Emiliano begged her not to send him to school. One day, she says, his teacher forced him to write a letter apologizing to the students who bullied him. “He would cry because the teacher didn’t listen to him. My argument was with the assistant principal and the principal, all American. It was very difficult because, as a single mother, they would look at me like, ‘we’re going to wear her out, she’s going to leave, transfer the boy.’”
Carla Urquidi assists her eldest son, Emiliano, with his history homework while her youngest, Teo, is entertained with a puzzle. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
But Urquidi did not desist. She prepared, sought advice, availed herself of laws that protect students and succeeded in having the students who were harassing Emiliano transferred to another class.
“If I, who was able to advocate for my son, felt so powerless (and) had a lump in my throat every morning watching him fear going to school, I can’t even imagine migrant mothers who don’t speak English,” she says.
Arizonans will also vote on Proposition 133 during the upcoming elections. Although this proposition doesn’t specifically involve school boards, which are non-partisan, the arguments in the 2024 General Election publicity pamphlet (page 46) produced by the Office of the Secretary of State of Arizona say the measure could result in them becoming partisan.
Carla Urquidi's sons study and color at their kitchen table. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
Political analyst Carmen Cornejo underscores the circumstances under which Urquidi is operating. To her, Superintendent Horne has created an environment in which extreme voices have infiltrated school boards. “He has always opposed linguistic and cultural expression in the Hispanic community,” she says.
Cornejo has been an activist and has supported young immigrant leaders in the creation of the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition, an organization that has played a crucial role in lawsuits against the state’s anti-immigrant laws.
Ben Monterroso, co-founder of Poder Latinx, an organization that promotes the Latino vote to achieve political change, says that education is one of the most important issues, although it is often ignored in elections. “We’ve seen that hundreds of people determine for thousands of students who their leaders are on this board of directors. We must change that,” he says. Monterroso insists that it’s the school boards that determine what type of education children receive. “I would prefer having a Latino who understands our culture and needs,” he says.
Election signs, including a "Vote Yes (for) Creighton Schools," at the intersection of 32nd St. and East Campbell Avenue in Phoenix. Photo by Genesis Alvarado for palabra
Urquidi is determined to motivate other people in her community to participate in the electoral process. “Given what we are experiencing with Horne, we want to make sure that people understand how important their vote is. People like us in these positions inspire new generations. It all starts with planting the seed and from there, the fruit grows,” she says during an interview in a Phoenix cafe, with Carrillo by her side.
“You carry it in your veins, warrior blood,” Carrillo tells her.
“I come from a Zapatista family,” Urquidi responds.
Both burst out laughing.
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Beatriz Limón is a freelance journalist with extensive experience in the field of communications. During her career, she was a correspondent in Arizona and New York for the international news agency EFE, as well as for The Arizona Republic, where she contributed to the Latino publication La Voz. She earned a B.A. in communication sciences from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and a master’s in history. She has received fellowships from the Solutions Journalism Network and the Education Writers Association. She is a professional photographer, a columnist for the newspaper El Imparcial and contributes to outlets such as Arizona Luminaria, palabra and Factchequeado. @BetyLimon16
Genesis Alvarado graduated from Arizona State University in May 2022 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Formerly the photo editor for The Arizona Western Voice, a photojournalist for Cronkite News on the Arizona Public Broadcasting System (AZ PBS) and a news anchor featured on Univision, Alvarado is now a photography teacher at San Luis High School while continuing to work as a freelance photojournalist. This dual role allows Alvarado to bring real-world experience and current industry knowledge to the classroom, providing students with a dynamic education that bridges the gap between the classroom and the ever-evolving photography industry. @genesisdelalvarado
Wendy Selene Pérez is a Mexican journalist living in Texas. She has worked as a local reporter, data journalist, and chronicler for two decades in her country, Argentina, and the United States. Her work mainly focuses on issues of social justice, forced disappearance, clandestine graves, and accountability. She has contributed to El País, Animal Político, Letras Libres, and The Texas Tribune, among other outlets. She is a freelance editor for palabra. She is a two-time winner of the National Journalism Award in Mexico. @wendyselene
Nathalie Alonso is a Cuban American journalist based in Queens, New York, where she was born and raised. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic, Outside, Refinery29, AFAR, and TIME for Kids. She is also the author of several books for children, including “Hispanic Star: Sonia Sotomayor” and “Hispanic Star: Ellen Ochoa” (Roaring Book Press, 2023); “Old Clothes for Dinner?!” (Barefoot Books, 2024); and “Call Me Roberto!” (Calkins Creek, 2024). She is on the faculty for the Highlights Foundation. Since 2006, Nathalie has worked as an editorial producer, translator and reporter for LasMayores.com, the official Spanish language website of Major League Baseball. She received a B.A. in American studies from Columbia University. Learn more about her work at NathalieAlonso.com. @Nathalie_Writes