Public Policy

Spend five minutes scrolling through political social media, and you’ll probably see someone called a fascist, a communist, a dictator, or even the next Hitler. Every election is framed as “the end of democracy.” Every controversial policy becomes “literal fascism.” Every political disagreement is treated like the beginning of a dictatorship. Political language online has become completely unserious. The problem isn’t that people criticize governments or political leaders—cr

Jennifer Eckstrom serves as President of the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, helping oversee policy decisions that affect thousands of students across Southern Arizona. A former Mayor of South Tucson, Eckstrom entered school governance during the COVID-19 pandemic after witnessing firsthand the challenges facing families, educators, and public officials. Since joining the board, she has become a prominent advocate for public schools, literacy initiatives, and

Tom Horne is Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction and a longtime figure in state education policy, having previously held the same office from 2003 to 2011 before returning in 2023. His approach to education has consistently centered on academic achievement, classroom structure, and expanding parental choice, while often drawing controversy over debates tied to curriculum, discipline, and student engagement in school governance. The interview below reflects his view