Letter to the editor: ‘A’ rating is not failing

"I was baffled to see Bill Gideon claiming CFSD is losing academic standing — especially when every CFSD school received an “A” rating from the Arizona Department of Education this week," writes CFSD parent Janni Simner in today's Arizona Daily Star. "Only a handful of districts have ever received such a high across-the-board ranking." Read the full letter below.

‘A’ rating is not failing

Re: the Oct. 30 article “School boards should be nonpartisan.”

As a fourth grader in the Catalina Foothills School District, my daughter reads fluently in two languages. She’s mastering math with a depth of understanding I couldn’t have imagined at her age. She’s even studying robotics and computer programming — and has been since kindergarten.

We chose CFSD for their high-quality academics and haven’t been disappointed.

So I was baffled to see Bill Gideon claiming CFSD is losing academic standing — especially when every CFSD school received an “A” rating from the Arizona Department of Education this week. Only a handful of districts have ever received such a high across-the-board ranking.

As a classroom volunteer, I’ve never seen the focus on “ideological issues” Mr. Gideon seems so concerned about. I have seen quality learning at a level rare in our state.

Thrive4CFSD candidates Amy Krauss, Amy Bhola and Gina Mehmert are committed to maintaining this excellence. For the sake of active learners like my daughter, I urge CFSD residents to elect them to our school board.

Janni Simner

Midtown