Kyrene School District is looking to implement social and emotional learning across its elementary schools, a move that follows the district’s ongoing efforts to integrate it into the curricula even as it becomes a divisive topic among school leaders.
During an Aug. 18 governing board meeting, Tempe-based Kyrene School District approved the formal process of adopting the new curriculum after an initial committee evaluation. The approval launches a 60-day period for staff and families to provide feedback on the committee’s selected materials to the governing board, which will ultimately decide whether to approve the curriculum.
Social-emotional learning has become a topic of contention within schools after the U.S. Department of Education under
the Trump administration sought to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. A 2025 letter from the department’s Office for Civil Rights said some schools attempted to hide racially discriminatory policies under “social-emotional learning”.
According to Nicole Ashton, a spokesperson for the district, the move follows governing board policy that prohibits curriculum that promotes resentment toward a race or class of people. Social and emotional learning, according to the district, provides skills that are necessary for becoming a good student and citizen. It can also prevent risky behaviors like drug use, bullying and dropping out.
The policy was later challenged in court by multiple organizations, including the National Education Association. A federal judge issued an injunction in April 2025, which barred the department from enforcing the policy for members of the education union and entities that work with them.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has previously criticized the practice, saying it hinders teachers from doing their job.
Several teachers “have complained to me that they want to teach their subjects bell to bell, but can’t because under social-emotional learning they have to play what they describe as 'dumb games' during class time,” Horne said in a statement.
But Horne’s tenure as Arizona's top education official comes to an end this year. His office declined further comments on social-emotional learning curriculum, with a spokesperson saying Horne is "trying to respect the next holder of this office."
The state superintendent is tasked with distributing funds to public schools and overseeing compliance with education policies. Those policies are enacted by lawmakers and the State Board of Education, which the superintendent holds a permanent seat in. The State Board also chooses the minimum course of study needed for graduation, but school districts still choose their own curricula.
In 2025, Horne threatened to withhold $1.5 million in federal funding from Kyrene School District for considering a 'Staff Social and Emotional Wellness Policy'. His office claimed it violated the Trump administration's order to remove diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from schools.
What does Arizona's next school chief think about social-emotional learning?
Republican Kimberly Yee, the current Arizona treasurer, defeated Horne in the GOP primary and will face off against Democrat candidate Teresa Leyba Ruiz in November.
The candidates have different stances on the curriculum.
Yee said social-emotional learning raises concern about personal data and student privacy.
“SEL programs undermine student success and opportunities in life that stem from a high-quality education. Let's focus on core subject areas. Parents all across our state have raised significant privacy concerns about the personal data of students and families exploitatively sourced through SEL programs,” Yee said in a statement.
She said that as superintendent, she would follow the law to ensure academic excellence for every student.
Ruiz told The Arizona Republic Yee's claims are unfounded and come from somebody who has never spent a day inside a classroom.
“It's easy to get tied up in the conspiracy theories and divisive issues rather than focusing on our students,” she said. “Conspiracy theorists, like my opponent, is just saying things to make people afraid.”
Ruiz said she has 35 years of experience as an educator. Much of her work has focused on building partnerships with industry leaders so students and community members can pursue higher education and careers.
Yee countered by noting her time as an advisor in state government in California and Arizona, touting her leadership as chair of the Senate Education Committee and highlighting the impact her current work as Arizona treasurer has on education funding.
Social-emotional learning, Ruiz said, is about relieving the mental health crisis students are facing.
“It's important to remember that in 2021, the bipartisan legislature supported and passed a bill to make sure that mental health is required in health education,” she said. “I'm a math teacher, and I know that students can't learn if they don't feel safe and supported and ready to learn,” she said.
Arizona law requires mental health to be included in health education, which includes social-emotional learning. A bill was introduced in 2026 that aimed to repeal the law. The bill eventually passed after significant revisions that excluded social-emotional learning before being vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Yee did not respond to a request for comment on whether social-emotional curriculum was allowed under current policy.
Kyrene may vote on new curriculum within the school year
The district’s evaluation committee was made up of 10 administrators, counselors and educators who narrowed down which vendors best met the district’s academic standards for the new curriculum. This included adherence to the five areas of social and emotional learning competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
The district also considered how the curriculum fits into its existing positive behavior intervention and supports program, which aims to improve learning by creating positive social and emotional outcomes. The curriculum also needed to be adaptable for different groups of students, such as English-language learners, special education students, gifted and talented students and students from different cultural backgrounds.
District staff and families will have until early December to provide feedback on the three recommended vendors: Character Strong, QuaverEd, and Project Wayfinder. According to Amy Gingell, the academic equity and excellence director for the district, Character Strong is already implemented in the district’s middle school.
Students under the curriculum also participate in schoolwide “character dares” activities. Kyrene del Pueblo, which serves students from sixth to eighth grade, participated in a character dare that asked students to build connections by introducing someone they knew to someone they didn’t yet know.
The district could purchase new materials for the curriculum as early as February 2027. According to Gingell, all teachers from kindergarten to fifth grade will be adopting the material with the goal of incorporating thirty minutes of social-emotional learning into their lessons each week.
“I want to thank the district for investing in the social-emotional curriculum. I know that that’s something we feel very strongly about and I’m glad we’re putting the resources behind it,” said district governing board member Kevin Walsh during the August meeting.
Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: School chief candidates split as Kyrene eyes social-emotional learning
