Strong Public Schools = Strong Communities

I believe that strong communities have strong public schools, and I'm committed to ensuring that our budget and curriculum are focused on giving all students opportunities to thrive. Our public schools should be the number one academic option in the neighborhood and an institution that our community can be proud of. Parents have the right to direct their children's education and are the ultimate decision-makers of which school is best for them. I will fight to improve students’ educational experience, so parents want to choose SUSD.

We can't have strong schools unless we support and reward quality teachers. Many teachers are overwhelmed with unnecessary, laborious tasks while being forced to teach curriculums they don't believe in. We must restore traditional academics and ensure teachers have the support they need, which directly impacts the quality of our students' education. Welcoming parents back into the classroom to lend a helping hand our teachers is so desperately needed.

We must pay our teachers a better wage. The current board has failed our teachers. Funding made available for salary increases for teachers historically has been directed to administration, social media marketing, consultants, and an increase in administrative overhead, even as our student enrollment declines.

The Arizona legislature approved the most significant yearly increase in K-12 education the last eight years (with an additional $1 billion in year-over-year spending, total K-12 spending for this year is $8.45 billion). Governor Ducey directly called on school board members to ensure these funds are directed to teachers – adding property tax and federal funding the total budget is $14.88 billion. I commit to using my vote on the school board to prioritize funding for teachers' compensation and putting money into the classroom.