Weekly Policy Postcards

Postcards, Statements, and Calls to Action

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Weekly Policy Postcards

When Harm Moves Early, So Must We!

As we head into Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, it’s worth remembering that the struggles King named were not only about visible injustice. They were about systems that exhaust people through delay, bureaucracy, and the steady normalization of harm. That dynamic is very much at play right now. This has been a hard week for the trans community. Not because of a single decision, but because pressure is coming from multiple directions at once: legislatures, courts, sch

Jan 165 min read

A New Year, and the Lines Being Drawn

The start of a new year has not slowed the pace of attacks on queer and trans students. It has clarified them. Across the country and here in Arizona, the same ideas are advancing through different pathways at once: courts, legislatures, ballot measures, school boards, and culture-war pipelines aimed directly at schools. These are not disconnected moments. They are part of a coordinated effort to shift power away from students and educators and toward forced disclosure, surve

Jan 94 min read

When “Technical” Decisions Shape Real Classrooms

Arizona education policy shifted this week, not through a dramatic vote, but through process. At its December 8 meeting, the State Board of Education voted to reopen key teaching standards under the banner of federal compliance and funding risk. Board members emphasized caution and control. Educators and advocates raised alarms about uncertainty, legality, and who ultimately bears the impact. What comes next matters as much as the vote itself. Decisions will now move through

Dec 12, 20254 min read

The Push to Erase Equity Continues. So Do We.

Arizona’s education landscape keeps shifting, even when the attacks aren’t spelled out on the agenda. DEI isn’t up for a vote this month, but Superintendent Tom Horne continues pushing to dismantle the programs that make schools safer for queer and trans students. Local districts are seeing the same pressure play out in public comment, where anti-trans and anti-equity rhetoric is showing up in debates that have nothing to do with students’ rights. This moment calls for steady

Dec 5, 20253 min read

A Turbulent Week for Students, Policy and Public Oversight

This week brings major developments that directly shape the environment queer and trans students learn in. The shutdown of the US Department of Education slows the civil-rights and oversight functions students rely on when districts fail them. In Arizona, the State Board of Education is preparing to revisit a proposal that would remove DEI language from teaching standards, signaling another critical moment for public engagement. And across the country, reporting shows how att

Dec 2, 20253 min read

Honoring TDOR, Strengthening Community Power

This week reminds us why our work matters. Thursday was Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor the lives stolen by anti-trans violence and to reaffirm our commitment to building schools where every trans student is safe, seen, and supported. Across Arizona, coordinated attempts to undermine inclusive education continue to surface, but so does community strength. People are showing up early, speaking truth, and pushing back against misinformation. In this week’s update

Nov 22, 20253 min read

Trans Awareness Week: Action and Accountability in Arizona Schools

This Trans Awareness Week arrives at a moment when decisions in Arizona’s school boardrooms are shaping daily life for queer and trans students. From Peoria’s vote to remove DEI to coordinated efforts targeting trans inclusion in Amphitheater — and now school closures being proposed in Scottsdale — it’s clear that high-impact decisions are happening fast. To meet this moment with strength, we’re launching our weekly Civic Power Series . Each week we’ll share one essential pi

Nov 14, 20253 min read

Weekly Policy Postcard - 10/25/2025

Claiming Visibility, Defending Inclusion This week’s stories remind us that visibility has always been both a mirror and a battleground. Queer communities have fought to be seen—not for recognition alone, but to demand safety, dignity, and the freedom to live and learn without fear. That fight continues in our schools today. While we honor the generations who built the foundations of queer visibility, we’re also watching local decisions that threaten to roll back the progress

Oct 24, 20253 min read