Local opinion: Why should you care about CFSD school board election?
"School boards are powerful. They can make or break the quality of a school district, a fact well understood by those looking to exploit them for personal gain," writes CFSD parent Randi Levin in today's Arizona Daily Star. "To whom would you entrust this responsibility? The other group of candidates running for CFSD school board makes false claims about our schools. They invented the fiction that our district is failing. They then repeated and amplified this deceptive scare tactic as a centerpiece of their campaign."
Randi goes on to say, "As parents, we want the best for our kids. As CFSD residents, we want our community to thrive. To do that, we need a school board that sets forward-thinking policies to prepare our kids for the 21st century, not backward-looking ideas. We need Amy Bhola, Amy Krauss, and Gina Mehmert."
Read the full article below.
Why should you care about Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) school board election on Nov 8?
If you are a district voter who believes in public education, you must vote. The success of our high achieving community depends on it. Anti-public education candidates supported by extreme political organizations are attempting to hijack our beloved schools. Please don’t let this happen. This traditionally nonpartisan, sleepy down-ballot race is just as critical as the others on Nov. 8.
Two groups of three candidates are running. I am proudly voting for the pro-public education group “Thrive for CFSD” – Amy Bhola, Amy Krauss, and Gina Mehmert. I’ve lived in CFSD for 18 years. My 2 children have continuously attended district schools for the last 9. Our experiences have been outstanding because of the district’s experienced teachers and rich array of programming.
School boards are powerful. They can make or break the quality of a school district, a fact well understood by those looking to exploit them for personal gain. They are a handful of elected volunteers in charge of multi-million-dollar budgets for thousands of children. It is not only a power to exploit, but a responsibility to respect. Thousands of children of all races, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, abilities, and genders are affected by their policies. They must adhere to state laws and a professional code of ethics.
To whom would you entrust this responsibility? The other group of candidates running for CFSD school board makes false claims about our schools. They invented the fiction that our district is failing. They then repeated and amplified this deceptive scare tactic as a centerpiece of their campaign.
In fact, CFSD schools are excelling. Many different measures of school performance show this. CFSD has been the #1 Best School District in Arizona for years. Graduation rates remain strong at 97.5%. The high school’s percentage of National Merit Semifinalists exceeds the national rate.
I believe the opponents are anti-public education and if elected, could destroy our high achieving schools. Alarmingly, the opposing candidate said in the October Desert Leaf that he and his running mates “could have difficulty supporting” the position that policy relating to public education should be free of religious bias. Even more concerning, they are endorsed by “Purple for Parents” (P4P), an extreme political movement whose agitators opposed a nonpartisan drive for increased public-school funding and teacher pay. P4P began from a Facebook group which shared “racist memes and violent fantasies…and later, had members win political positions across Arizona.”
Why should you care? Especially if you don’t currently have kids in public schools?
Quality schools directly affect the success of a community. Ask yourself the following when deciding for whom to vote:
Do they believe in public education?
Do they believe every child deserves an outstanding education?
Do they focus on personal grievances or set a positive vision for the good of all?
Can they work well with others to accomplish important tasks?
Do they understand that the board oversees and provides accountability, it does not micro-manage day-to-day operations?
Will they attract and retain qualified teachers, not burden teachers with aggressive new regulations?
As parents, we want the best for our kids. As CFSD residents, we want our community to thrive. To do that, we need a school board that sets forward-thinking policies to prepare our kids for the 21st century, not backward-looking ideas. We need Amy Bhola, Amy Krauss, and Gina Mehmert – candidates with integrity who answer YES to all these questions.