The Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected state executive position in the

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

state government. The superintendent oversees the state of Arizona's public school system and directs the state's Department of Education. The state superintendent's powers are mostly administrative, with little influence over

education policy Education policy consists of the principles and policy decisions that influence the field of education, as well as the collection of laws and rules that govern the operation of education systems. Education governance may be shared between the local ...

.Yana Kunichoff
Arizona superintendent candidates have promised a lot. What can they deliver?
''Arizona Republic'' (November 3, 2022). While the superintendent oversees

teacher certification A certified teacher (also known as registered teacher, licensed teacher, or professional teacher based on jurisdiction) is an educator who has earned credentials from an authoritative source, such as a government's regulatory authority, an educ ...

and administers state policy, other officials and boards exert control over most substantive aspects of education in the state. For example, school funding formulas and appropriations are set by law (as determined by the

Arizona Legislature The Arizona State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. Composed of 90 legislators, the s ...

and

governor of Arizona A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

, or by voters in ballot questions). The State Board of Education sets curricular and academic standards. The superintendent serves ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...

'' as one member of the State Board of Education and State Board for Charter Schools, but the other board members are appointed by the governor to staggered terms. Thus, the extent of the state superintendent's influence over state education policy largely depends on his or her ability to persuade the governor, the state boards, and the Legislature. As of 2017, Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction is the lowest paid state education administrator in the United States, being paid $85,000 compared to the national average of $174,000. The current superintendent is

Tom Horne Thomas Charles Horne (born March 28, 1945) is an American politician, attorney, businessman, and activist who has served as the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction since 2023 and previously from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican P ...

. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is fourth (behind the Secretary of State,

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

, and

Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

, respectively) in the line of succession to the office of

Governor of Arizona A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

. The Superintendent of Public Education is an

ex officio member An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term ''ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by ri ...

of the

Arizona Board of Regents The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is the governing body of Arizona's public university system. It provides policy guidance to Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona. History In 1885, the territori ...

which oversees public universities in the state.Arizona Board of Regents, Board Members

Superintendents

References

External links

Official Website

The Historical Role of Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction
{{Arizona statewide elected officials Government of Arizona Public education in Arizona