Four candidates with divergent viewpoints are vying for two seats on the Tucson Unified School District governing board.
A two-term incumbent on the five-member board, Adelita Grijalva wants to continue to focus on dropout prevention. (Incumbent Bruce Burke is not running for re-election.) The director of Pima County’s teen court, Grijalva, 38, is a TUSD parent and would like to see early-childhood-education programs expanded.
A Tucson Department of Transportation employee, 52-year old Michael Hicks is a product of TUSD schools as well as a parent of a district student.
“I’m one of those who complain about many aspects of TUSD,” Hicks explains, “and want to make it the best district it can be.”
Miguel Ortega Jr., 43, is an aide to City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich. Back in the 1990s, he says, he worked as a substitute teacher in TUSD. “The district lacks proper leadership to focus on advocacy and needs to change the way it does things,” Ortega suggests.
Attorney Armand Salese, 68, was involved years ago with two major lawsuits against TUSD. “I learned you can’t change the district through litigation,” Salese says, “(so I’m running) in hopes of inducing them to make changes which will be good for education.”
Salese thinks the TUSD board plays too much politics; he also says that the effectiveness of teachers and district administrators needs to be evaluated more.
Despite efforts to reverse the trend, TUSD continues to lose students. Its daily attendance has dropped by almost 15 percent since 2006, to a current total of about 50,000.
“The district needs to wake up and ask: Why?” Hicks says, adding that TUSD needs a plan to reverse the decline.
Hicks believes the district should build a rapport with Republican state legislators. “You have to deal with them, since they handle the purse strings,” he says.
When it comes to declining enrollment, Ortega comments: “Parents are tired of the district’s inconsistencies and don’t know what to expect.” Plus, the district has a lack of fiscal accountability and isn’t “a good ambassador” for those programs that do work well, he says.
Salese believes that “parents aren’t stupid,” and that those parents understand that TUSD schools aren’t performing. “You just can’t say you’re doing the job,” he says.
Grijalva points out that many students leave the district to attend outside middle schools and then return. She also says: “I support each school community identifying what they want (for their school).”
Lower attendance and declining budget dollars have resulted in TUSD closing nine schools this year. Based on financial realities, a decision on whether to shut down more schools will be made in the next few months.
Ortega questions the process that the TUSD board recently used in closing Richey Elementary School. He also says that if future closures are needed, the district should follow “a consistent, inclusive process which isn’t politicized.”
For his part, Salese says of additional school closures: “They may be inevitable.”
While Grijalva acknowledges the district must be prepared to close more schools, she also lashes out at the state government for cuts to education funding.
“We have to do more at the state level,” she says, “so they understand what those cuts do. I think it’s a veiled attempt to destroy public education.”
Hicks believes it is important for the district to consider what it does with the closed schools. He says leasing may be wiser than selling the buildings, since they might be needed again if the district can be “re-energized.”
The Arizona Office of the Auditor General annually puts out a report card on school districts in Arizona. Its latest shows that in the last five years, spending in the classroom by TUSD fell from 55 to 53.5 percent of its total budget. In comparison, the current statewide average is 57 percent.
“Those figures are atrocious,” Salese says of TUSD classroom spending. “They show that the district’s emphasis is not on students, but on the adults. They’re a reflection of poor management.”
Grijalva says part of the problem is how the state defines “classroom expenditures.” She adds that the TUSD board continues to look for ways to streamline district administration.
Hicks believes the district is top-heavy with administrators; meanwhile, teachers are paying for school supplies out of their own pockets. “We need to focus more on the classroom,” he comments.
Ortega says of cuts to education spending: “People think things have gone way too far. We need to build on the momentum of Proposition 100 (the temporary state sales-tax increase approved in May).”
Grijalva, who indicates that every TUSD employee group has endorsed her, asks for votes: “I have a passion for education and providing a quality education for each child. … I’m motivated to have TUSD continue to improve.”
Hicks says he’d bring common sense to the district and would not be a rubberstamp for TUSD administrators. Plus, he adds: “I will be accountable and reachable to parents and taxpayers.”
Ortega asks for support by saying: “I’ll be a visible, independent advocate for working families. I’ll govern the way I’ve campaigned.”
Ortega points out the role he’s taken in calling—apparently unsuccessfully—for the school board not to hire a superintendent until the new members are seated in January.
Of his candidacy, Salese says: “I’m not a politician trying to get another job. I’m interested only in the kids.
“I figure I can lend some experience and expertise to the board,” Salese continues. “Plus, I can let the public know what’s going on in TUSD.”
This article appears in Oct 7-13, 2010.
After listening to the forum on TUSD’s website, Miguel Ortega clearly proved himself to be the slickest politician of the group and the most adept at evading a truthful answer if it might cause him to reveal his true position. He consistently deflected questions often by answering what he wanted to talk about. He was particularly evasive when asked about RAZA studies fulfilling History and English requirements. Everyone is talking about the fact that he is distancing himself in PR only from his Raza studies buddies but still has his cheerleading flak blogger/pseudo journalist the “Three Sonorans” posting his press releases as if they were breaking news.
I attended the entire forum, and I disagree with the previous post. Among other things, I did not think that Ortega was generally evasive — nor were any of the other candidates. Indeed, he was often eloquent and articulate. The audio tape of the event is posted at the TUSD website.
I do think that the candidates’ past and present connections to TUSD are relevant information for a Board race. This article mentions Mr. Salese’s participation in two lawsuits against TUSD (and I think that at least one of those was connected to desegregation issues), but it says nothing about Hicks’s connection to the district: he is a parent of a TUSD student, and he and his wife were volunteers at Dunham elementary school for several years, through the site council and PTA.
The article mentions Mr. Ortega’s service as a substitute teacher in TUSD, but it does not mention his long and passionate advocacy for the Mexican American (Raza) Studies program and his service on the Community Advisory Board for that program.
Taken together, these facts show that all three challengers have long-standing connections to TUSD. They have all demonstrated, in different ways, their passion and commitment to improving education in TUSD. In this respect, the public has a strong field to choose from.
Mark, I agree that connections to and experience with the district are important factors when considering school board members, but more relevant is the type and quality of that experience. Some might consider the experience of these candidates to be the very reason for a no vote.
Adelita Grijalva has had many years of experience with TUSD and it is that experience which eliminates her from serious consideration. After all these years on the Board, she still does not understand some of the more basic aspects of public school governance. The other night at the forum she bragged that her daughter was placed in a classroom that had a 6:1 ratio, while the rest of TUSD students were being displaced and packed into crowded classrooms as she voted to shutter their schools.
Armand Salese’s experience on the other hand makes him the ideal school board member. He understands the desegregation order, and the district’s willingness to ignore the failure of the programs that came about as a result. He knows better than anyone what the intent of the ruling was, what it prescribed, and that the magnet/first choice school solution was not a solution for students but for administrators. You might even get someone to vote with you every once in awhile. The 4-1 and 3-2 Board votes against students and for administration must end. You have to be as tired of them as we are.
I also attended the entire forum. alwaysparanoid has it right. Ms. Grijalva does not show her years of experience on the board have taught her much about how to make TUSD a better district. Her solution for getting the thousands of students who have left TUSD to come back is “better marketing.” How about providing a better education for ALL students? That does not appear to be on her agenda.
As far as Mr. Ortega and responding to questions is concerned…he didn’t. He gave the audience a lot of warm fuzzies, but had no grasp of the issues. I didn’t even need all the fingers of one hand to count the direct answers he provided to questions.
Mr. Salese knew his stuff. He and Mr. Hicks were the two candidates that focused their answers on what needs to happen to improve education for students in TUSD classrooms.
If we want more of the same from TUSD we’ll vote for Grijalva and Ortega. If we want TUSD to change its focus from protecting administrators and special interests to helping students learn we’ll vote for Salese and Hicks.
Alwaysparanoid: I am endorsing no one in this race. I hope and expect to have an excellent working relationship with whoever is elected.
Mark, I have no doubt that you will be able and willing to work with anyone the voters choose. You have proven that to date.
Marty, I didn’t address Ortega because no one takes him seriously as a candidate for the school board. Many believe that this exercise is a test balloon for the City Council. It is well known that he is gaining a little name recognition for the future. He is on his way to town hall and at least one other candidate alluded to that at the forum.
I also attended this meeting. I am surprised that no one brought up the matter of $1.6 MILLION OF STOLEN PROPERTY THAT DISAPPEARED FROM TUSD SCHOOLS UNDER ADELITA GRIJALVA’S PRESIDENCY IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Ms. Grijalva has been on the board so many years and TUSD has just gotten worse and worse. It is truly time for a change! That leaves the other 3. Although Raza (race) Studies (and yes “Raza” is the correct & primary word for “race”!) teaches “hate” and “revolution” (have you noticed that no one ever talks about what teaching materials are being taught in Raza Studies), Ortega still says he would use Raza Studies to teach American History! He is out of the picture for me, also with little Adela. That leaves Michael & Armand who both gave excellent answers to the questions. Mr. Hicks has a child in TUSD and is involved. He also has life & business experience which would be a big plus for managing TUSD’s money which has been managed terribly in all this time if not stolen (one school had hundreds of thousands of $ stolen under Adelita’s presidency I do believe); Mr. Salese is an attorney and knows the issues plaguing TUSD. He also appears to have something very unusual these days; it’s called “common sense”! He would also be a big plus. What we need is a private & “independent” (not of the same ethnic group & unbiased) “auditor” to read the books and teaching materials; then a committee (also independent and unbiased) to adjudge the problem with the public being allowed to present evidence and their side of the matter! That would provide the information and evidence that is needed!