Former schools chief Hoffman takes ASU job focusing on special ed
Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman has taken a position within Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, focusing on how special education systems meet the needs of students and communities, according to the college.
“I’ve visited schools in all 15 counties across Arizona and have seen firsthand the challenges facing educators and leaders to best meet the needs of students with disabilities, especially in rural areas where it is most difficult to recruit and retain qualified staff,” Hoffman said in a statement.
In her new role as executive director for innovation and special education initiatives, Hoffman will “bring together faculty, students and others to generate ideas that can shape the future of education,” according to the college. Special education positions remain among the hardest to fill in Arizona schools, and schools have struggled with underfunding for special education services for years.
“We want to meet the needs of the educators who serve these learners by further strengthening our significant research capabilities in this field and by tying that research to practice as effectively as possible,” said Carole Basile, dean of the college, in a statement. “By advancing new ideas, we can develop new curricula and tools for educators.”
Hoffman was elected as Arizona schools chief on the unprecedented energy of the #RedForEd teacher walkouts and led schools through the tumult and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, she taught at a preschool and worked as a speechlanguage pathologist. Hoffman earned a master’s degree in speech, language and hearing sciences from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in Japanese from the University of Oregon, according to the Arizona Board of Regents.
During her time in office, Hoffman highlighted student mental health needs stemming from the upheaval of the pandemic and how to prioritize those needs alongside academics. She advocated for more money for school counselors and student mental health services.
She also delivered the first “State of Special Education” address to the Legislature in 2021. She spoke about efforts to expand internet access for students and shift certification rules to allow teachers certified in a particular subject to add a special education certification. She also talked about using federal relief funds to help compensate for learning lost by special education students because of pandemicrelated school closures.
In 2022, Hoffman lost her second run for superintendent by a narrow margin to Tom Horne. In his first weeks in office, Horne has taken the Arizona Department of Education in a drastically different direction. He has moved to restrict teacher training on social and emotional learning, limit access to funding for counselors and social workers and hired a former police leader to oversee school safety. This is his third term as superintendent.