Local Opinion: Clear choice for school board

Thirty mental health and medical providers authored and signed an open letter to the community published in today's Arizona Daily Star, stating their support of Amy Bhola, Amy Krauss, and Gina Mehmert for Catalina Foothills School District Governing Board. "They are the clear choice for the mental well-being and academic excellence of all students," they wrote. "We are united in our concern about the measures being proposed by the opposing group of candidates called btb.school, Bart Pemberton, Grace Jasin and Bill Morgan. They are wanting to limit access to information, restrict what can be taught and bring guns into the schools." The full article is included below.

Thrive4CFSD clear choice for school board

We stand together as psychologists, psychiatrists and medical providers in support of Amy Bhola, Amy Krauss and Gina Mehmert for Catalina Foothills School District 16 (CFSD16) Governance Board. Bhola and Krauss are incumbent board members. They, along with Mehmert, are known as Thrive4CFSD and are the clear choice for the mental well-being and academic excellence of all students. We are united in our concern about the measures being proposed by the opposing group of candidates called btb. school, Bart Pemberton, Grace Jasin and Bill Morgan. They are wanting to limit access to information, restrict what can be taught and bring guns into the schools. Bhola, Krauss and Mehmert support education that sees and respects differences among students. They know that students may be struggling with challenges and that providing information on mental health, sexual orientation and gender identity resources improves outcomes. As suicide is a leading cause of death in school aged children and is even higher for LGBTQIA+ individuals, listing resources is informed and compassionate. Removing resources, as Pemberton, Jasin and Morgan recommended, is not the solution to the problem.

Even though there is a psychologist (who predominantly works with adults) on the btb.school ticket, it is our opinion that their stance is not representative of mental health professionals and is not in line with the American Psychological Association. Nor is it consistent with developmentally appropriate recommendations for children.

The APA Ethics Code General Principle E says that, 'Psychologists are aware that special safeguards may be necessary to protect the rights and welfare of persons or communities' that are vulnerable, and they are aware of and respect differences, 'including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language and socioeconomic status, and consider these factors when working with members of such groups.' The Ethics Code further states that, 'Psychologists try to eliminate the effect on their work of biases based on those factors, and they do not knowingly participate in or condone activities of others based upon such prejudices.'

Bhola, Krauss and Mehmert's recommendations are consistent with the stance of APA and medical and educational organizations. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry states that 'all youth and families benefit from access to professional support and information about gender development.' While removing access to information and resources may seem harmless, the American Academy of Pediatrics says: 'The emotional and psychological trauma of rejection, whether by family, friends, society or lawmakers, can leave scars that never heal. When we fail to accept people for who they are, we pass painful judgements on them and create so much unnecessary emotional and psychological pain.'

Pemberton, Jasin and Morgan are proposing restricting what can be taught regarding human growth and development and history. They want to tell our students what they should think, rather than teaching them how to think. And the way they want them to think is not representative of mental health and medical professionals, and is not consistent with the values of Catalina Foothills and Tucson.

Rather than focusing on indoctrination of one perspective and creating a monolithic community, Bhola, Krauss, and Mehmert of Thrive4CFSD acknowledge the varied and diverse backgrounds, identities and cultures of our students.

Btb.school is proposing armed personnel in each school. Thrive4CFSD candidates are committed to the best safe practices and recognize that there are no simple answers, but school safety requires a multifaceted approach, as is recommended by the APA Services, the American Federation of Teachers, American School Counselor Association, Clinical Social Work Association, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association, National Parent Teacher Association, and the School Social Work Association of America.

Amy Bhola, Amy Krauss and Gina Mehmert of Thrive4CFSD are the experienced leaders who have helped CFSD be a top-rated school. With their leadership, CFSD can continue to provide a healthy and successful education environment for all students.

Authored by:

Necoe Otto-Parkinson has a Ph.D. in psychology, and Gustavo J. Perez, has a Ph.D. psychology and is a CFSD parent.

Additional List of authors who are Mental Health and Medical Providers:

Cecilia Adams, MD Pediatrics

Jenny Ajl, FNP, MPH Family Medicine

Shethal Bearelly, MD

Andy Bernstein, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist

Sally Boeve, MD Pediatric Psychiatrist

Marie Davila-Woolsey Ph.D.

Karen Floyd, DO Board Certified Psychiatrist

Marla Harris, FNP

Jess Hensel, MD Family Medicine

Marlon Jones, Ph.D. School Psychologist

Tracey Kurtzman, MD Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Ann B. Lettes, MD

Mayday Levine-Mata, PsyD Psychologist

Melissa Lyapustina, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC Family Nurse Practitioner

Shelley McGrew, DNP, CNM, APRN

Damian Parkinson, MD Board Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist

Whitney Pettijohn, DNP Family Nurse Practitioner

Ashley Price, MD

Susan A. Proebsting, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist

Alexandra S. Riley, DNP, RN, FNP-C

Marlene Rodriguez, MD, FAAP

Alissa Sadalla, MD, FAAP Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

Kathy W. Smith, MD Board Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist

Kim Tucker, MD

Kim Usher, MD

Steven Wang, MD

Helena Yip, MD

Mary Zimmerman, MD Pediatrician