Jen and Friends - A Podcast

Anna Van Hoek | Higley School Board Member

• Jen Barber - West Valley Families • Season 3 • Episode 9

🎙️ New Episode of “Jen & Friends” — Now Streaming! 

This week on Jen & Friends, we shine the spotlight on a conservative voice making waves in Arizona’s public education system: Anna Van Hoek, a Higley Unified School District Governing Board Member. 

In this candid conversation, Van Hoek opens up about why she got involved in public service, the realities of being a minority voice on her school board, and why she believes 2026 is a critical year for parents and community members to step up and run. 

She doesn’t hold back — from questioning rising administrative costs and SEL spending to sounding the alarm over teacher shortages, state testing mandates, and an ever-growing backlog of educator misconduct cases. 

Van Hoek also voices her concern over book review processes, parental consent, and what she sees as the erosion of trust between parents and public schools. 

đź’¬ “Every decision we make as a board should come down to one thing: Does this improve student achievement? Politics shouldn’t have a seat at the table.” — Anna Van Hoek 

If you're a parent, educator, or taxpayer wanting a deeper understanding of what’s happening in Arizona schools — from transparency fights to funding debates, book battles to boardroom frustrations — this episode is for you.

#jenandfriends #wvf

Please send news tips to jen@news2jb.com.

People on this episode