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Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne will hold a press conference today to say why he thinks Tucson's largest school district should "abolish its Ethnic Studies Department."

Tucson Unified School District officials say the press conference will be nothing more than a rehash of Horne's personal politics. And they've called their own press conference for a half-hour earlier than Horne's to say so.

"Tom Horne is using his office as the state superintendent of public instruction, using taxpayer dollars, to promote his own political agenda," TUSD Governing Board member Adelita Grijalva said. "I see it as nothing more than a campaign stunt."

Horne has denied any political ambition behind his inquiries into the Ethnic Studies Department but earlier said he plans to run for office, though he hasn't specified which, when his term as superintendent expires in 2010.

He dismissed TUSD officials and said their comments were typical of proponents of identity politics who try to intimidate critics by questioning their motives instead of acknowledging the merits of their argument.

"Attacking my motives will not intimidate me," Horne said.

He would not reveal what new information, if any, he would disclose this morning.

This isn't the first time Horne has raised questions about the Ethnic Studies Department.

In November, he filed a public-records request with the district, asking for information on funding, training and curriculum. One month later, Horne quietly concluded his inquiry and conceded that he had no power to change what is taught in Tucson schools.

Horne's November inquiry was admittedly not a question of academics or education, but of "values." He said then that he was concerned about what he called "ethnic chauvinism," which he described as "teaching people to make their primary personal identity the ethnic group they were born into, rather than identifying as an individual in terms of character and ability."

While TUSD's Ethnic Studies Department has four disciplines with a focus on African-American, Asian-American, Native American and Latino studies, Horne has specifically targeted the department's Mexican-American/Raza Studies program.

A 2006-07 cohort comparison of six schools found Raza Studies' students outscored their peers in reading, writing and math as measured by the AIMS test — Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards.

Grijalva said the press conference and effort put into it are a waste of state resources.

"With all the important things his office could be doing, it's disappointing this is what he is focusing on," she said.

While Horne's concern about ethnic studies is largely rhetorical, said Augustine Romero, director of the Ethnic Studies Program, the words nonetheless carry weight.

"All of this rhetoric and political propaganda is being spun on lies," he said. "Now Tom Horne is taking these lies, putting them out there and playing on the passion and fear of the public for a political game."

Meanwhile, he added, students are hurt because Horne's accusations undermine their academic achievement and personal improvement. Romero noted that TUSD students have invited Horne to Ethnic Studies classes, but he has yet to attend.

On StarNet: Read TUSD's press release about Tom Horne's actions at www.azstarnet.com.