LD10 2018 Races: Meet the Candidates

With yesterday’s deadline to file petitions behind us, our slate of candidates to represent our legislative district (LD10) is fully assembled. Let’s meet the candidates!

LD10 State Senator

Incumbent Sen. David Bradley (D) will face Marilyn Wiles (R) on the ballot in November to earn a fourth term representing our district.

A lifelong Arizonan, David is a Navy veteran who previously served eight years in the state House. He has worked in child welfare and mental health for 35 years, notably as CEO of La Paloma Family Services for 18 years before assuming his current role as chief development officer for La Frontera Arizona, Inc. David’s stated focus is on long-term planning for Arizona’s future growth, specifically in regards to education, healthcare, infrastructure and resource management.

Marilyn, wife of a decorated combat veteran, called Tucson home as a child prior to a career focused on fiscal management and operational efficiency in many aspects of federal government, and returned to Tucson in 2011 to establish a management consulting firm. Her stated focus is on reform, transparency, accountability, and performance

LD10 State Representative

LD10 will elect two state representatives in November. Incumbent Rep. Todd Clodfelter (R) is running unopposed in the Republican primary and will appear on the ballot in November. Todd has lived in Tucson since 1971 and is the owner of long-operating small business, Ace Graphics and 3D Teez. Todd’s stated focus is on quality education (including trade training), economic growth, and government efficiency.

There are four candidates who will face off in the Democratic primary on August 28. Two candidates will appear on the ballot in November.

Incumbent Rep. Kirsten Engel (D) is an environmental lawyer and a law professor at UofA, and has lived in Tucson since 2005. She is the mother of a current TUSD middle school student. Her stated focus is on K-12 and public post-secondary education, economic development, and environmental management.

Domingo DeGrazia is the youngest son of noted Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia. He holds a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering as well as a law degree, and his legal career has focused on trial and appellate representation of children and families involved in foster care matters. Domingo performs professionally as a classical Spanish guitarist. His stated focus is on child welfare, education, healthcare, and employment.

Nikki Lee is an Air Force Veteran who first moved to Tucson 14 years ago when she was assigned to David-Monthan, and is currently a software engineer with an agricultural technology company. She has three young children attending public schools in Tucson. Her stated focus is public education, healthcare, the renewable energy economy, and veterans’ issues.

Catherine Ripley is a retired Navy officer and was one of the first women admitted to the US Naval Academy. Her Naval career involved her in anti-submarine warfare, diplomatic positions in several international embassies, and overseeing the largest ROTC training program in the nation. After leaving the Navy eight years ago, Catherine relocated to Tucson to join Raytheon as an executive leader, from which she retired in 2015. Catherine’s stated focus is education, healthcare, human rights, economic development, and the environmental economy.

Any registered voter can vote in either party’s primary. The deadline to register is July 30; you can request an early ballot for either political party through the Pima County Recorder’s office or by clicking here. Not sure if you are in LD10? Here’s a map.

Tell Gov. Ducey You Support Real Funding for Education

Regardless of how you vote on Prop 123, please take a moment to contact Governor Ducey and let him know you demand REAL funding for public education in Arizona. Cut and paste the letter below, or write your own.

Governor Ducey

1700 West Washington St

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Ph: 602–542–4331

Tucson: 520-628-6580

Dear Governor Ducey,

Regardless of the outcome of Proposition 123, we still need to prioritize public education in this state. If Proposition 123 passes, it shows that voters are desperate to do anything to get

money back into our schools – even voting for a Proposition that takes money from future

generations. If Proposition 123 fails, it’s because most voters want a better deal to fund

public education and not rob from the future to pay for now or change our state’s constitution. Either way, we want to invest in public education to build a pipeline of workers to attract new businesses and grow our economy. Education should be seen as an investment, not as an expense.

It concerns me when I read State House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro (R-

Avondale) comment, “If the people of Arizona tell us no on 123 – what they are telling us

is – they don’t want more money to go to education,” said Montenegro. “And what they

want us to focus on are reforms.” Nothing could be further from the truth. If education

propositions are voted down, it’s because of all the “fine print” that are included with

them – not a blanket “I don’t want education funded” vote.

It seems like the elected officials “win” in any scenario with Prop 123 (passes – lawsuit

goes away and state’s constitution permanently changed to put more power into our

legislators’’ hands; fails – a signal to continue to make cuts to education and pass

voucher bills that current elected officials personally profit). Where are our children and

our children’s children in this debate? We need to invest in ALL of our children as a

foundation for the future economy of our state. It’s the only way. We will not grow the

economy of our state through tax cuts alone. And as you know, there have already been

several businesses pass on our state all together because this state has stopped

investing in public education (as seen by the mass exodus of quality teachers).

As a concerned voter, please support and invest in traditional public education regardless of the outcome of Proposition 123. Our children are worth it; let’s get behind funding their future and the future of this state.

Sincerely,

Prop 123 Forum – Sunday, May 1

Confused about Prop 123? So are we.

Please join us for a public forum on Prop 123
Sunday, May 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Desert Skies United Methodist Church
(Houghton & Ft. Lowell)
Special Guests Sen. David Bradley, Reps. Stefanie Mach and Bruce Wheeler
TVUSD Board President Peter Livingston

May 17 is the special election for two ballot propositions. Prop 123 is Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed solution to settle the public education inflation adjustment lawsuit, in which it was previously ruled that school funding should be immediately increased by $336 million to correctly adjust the current budget for inflation, and may ultimately be due more than $1.3 billion in cumulative funding required by law but not provided by the state budget from 2010-2014. Prop 123 proposes to settle the whole question via a constitutional amendment to increase school funding by $3.5 billion over the next ten years via the State Lands Trust. Several “triggers” are tied into the proposition which would permit the legislature to legally deny funding in the future. Prop 123 ultimately presents the fundamental question of how Arizona should properly fund our public schools, and arguments are flying on both sides.

Join us on Sunday, May 1 for a public forum with our LD10 Senator David Bradley and Reps. Stefanie Mach and Bruce Wheeler, and our TVUSD Board President Peter Livingston (additional panelists may be added as available). This is an essential opportunity to learn about what Prop 123 really means for the overall future of public education in our state, and how our schools figure into the mix. Please join us for this singular opportunity to dialogue with YOUR elected officials and get your questions answered before you cast your vote.

We welcome TVHS students, especially those newly registered to vote or soon to reach age 18, to join us and learn more about the legislative process and civic engagement!

ESA Expansion Moves Forward

Today the Senate Education Committee voted forward two bills to expand the Empowerment Savings Account program, which is private school vouchers masquerading under another name. One bill would expand ESA eligibility to all children living on Indian reservations; the other would make eligible all children who were declined open enrollment in the last year. Expanding this private school voucher program – at YOUR expense – would have drastically destabilizing impact on our public education system – which is, of course, exactly the point of expansion. Below is a great infographic explaining the flaws in the ESA program; we’ll be back with an update about action steps needed to voice your opposition. And be sure to join us at our Legislative Forum on Thursday, February 19 (7 pm, Real Life Church) to learn more about where all this is headed and how we will be affected.

via ASBA

2015 Legislative Session Forum

Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m.

Real Life Church (Houghton & Ft. Lowell)
Special Guests Sen. David Bradley
Reps. Stefanie Mach and Bruce Wheeler (LD-10)

With a new Governor and State Superintendent of Schools added to the usual mix of legislative agendas for public education, this legislative session (currently well underway) is critical for the future of our TVUSD schools. Join us next Thursday for a legislative forum with our LD10 legislators David Bradley, Bruce Wheeler, and Stefanie Mach. This is an essential opportunity to learn about the overall future of our state and how our schools figure into the mix. Our representatives will not only discuss legislation circling the legislature and on the way to Gov. Ducey’s desk, but just as importantly the new political dynamics in action with the changes in power and influence in Phoenix.

Topics that will be discussed include efforts to drastically confine, if not eliminate, local control; the future of the Arizona College and Career Readiness standards; implementation of new testing requirements; and significant proposed changes to the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship system that could pull huge amounts of money out of the general fund and redirect it to unaccountable private and charter schools. Please join us for this singular opportunity to dialogue with YOUR elected officials.

We welcome TVHS students, especially those newly registered to vote or soon to reach age 18, to join us and learn more about the legislative process and civic engagement!

WE WON!

WE WON!

             

And YOU made it happen!

If you are still sorting through last night’s election results, you may have missed the biggest news of the night: the TVUSD override passed by an overwhelming 18% margin!

THANK YOU to every single person who sent letters, made calls, posted a sign, painted their car windows, washed cars, handed out lemonade, held a rally sign, endorsed the campaign, asked questions, listened to answers, shared factual information with others, and most of all VOTED. This override passed because we as a community came together publicly in support of our schools. YOU are AWESOME!

THANK YOU for your ongoing commitment to our Tanque Verde schools and teachers! 

TODAY is the Day!

             
It’s Election Day, which means it’s go time!

Your polling place may have changed! If you do not know where you are to go vote, click here for an easy tool to find your polling place.

If you still have an early ballot, please deliver it in person to ANY polling place. Do not mail it!

And above all: start at the back! Prop 419 is the very last issue on your ballot.

As we all know this year’s election is crucial. Passage of the TVUSD override is essential to maintain our excelling schools and provide additional funding for urgently-needed and -deserved teacher raises, transportation fleet safety improvements, and enhancement of technology critical for 21st century learning. All this for an average tax increase of $2 to the average homeowner (~$326K home value).

The last two efforts to renew the expired 5% override failed by fewer than 300 votes. Every vote counts – please vote!

THANK YOU for your ongoing commitment to our Tanque Verde schools and teachers! 

Election Day Rallying!

As we all know this year’s election is crucial, with Prop 419, the TVUSD override, on the ballot as the very last question. Passage of the override is essential to maintain our excelling schools and provide additional funding for urgently-needed and -deserved teacher raises, transportation fleet safety improvements, and enhancement of technology critical for 21st century learning.

Please join us at one of our TVUSD schools to hold a sign reminding parents to VOTE, because every vote counts, and show our teachers that we STAND with them and support our schools.

The last two efforts to renew the override have failed by fewer than 300 votes. Every vote counts – please help us remind parent voters to get to the polls, and remind our teachers that we are in their corner!

WE WILL PROVIDE SIGNS. The location to stand will be on the easement (essentially the dirt edge of the street in front of the school entrance) at each property. In the case of EGJH please stand at the corner of Tanque Verde and Tanque Verde Loop as it seems to be the safest spot.

Click here for access to the signup form which will help us plan for sign distribution.

Thank you for your support of our kids, schools, and teachers!

Candidate Roundup: Superintendent of Schools

Two candidates are running for the usually under-the-radar position of State Superintendent of Schools: Diane Douglas (R) and David Garcia (D). The incumbent Superintendent, John Huppenthal, lost to Douglas in the Republican primary after information surfaced that he had posted numerous self-promoting remarks and inflammatory comments about ethnic groups under pseudonyms on various blogs using state resources. Diane Douglas is an accountant and  member of the Peoria school board. David Garcia is a former Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction and a professor of education at ASU. Garcia has been endorsed by the Arizona Republic and the Arizona Daily Star. Ms. Douglas has not received any endorsements from the general media or nonpartisan organizations to date.

The primary issue in the campaign for this position is “Common Core“. Ms. Douglas’ campaign is based on her opposition to “Common Core”, in Arizona known as the “Arizona Career and College Readiness Standards“. Ms. Douglas believes “Common Core” is a government takeover of education. Mr. Garcia supports the standards.

As education advocates, we have often made the observation that the “Common Core” standards are separable from the issues of curriculum (under current state law left to local districts to select, create, and improve – TVUSD has begun developing its own math textbooks at certain grade levels, for example) and the testing regime to evaluate student performance (left to states to select; Arizona has not yet adopted a test). Performance tracking has begun to raise alarms with many; some degree of performance tracking has been a part of every set of educational standards, but the point at which tracking becomes invasive in our new privacy-diminished culture should be of deep concern.

We also believe it is important to point out that the Arizona standards only apply to math and English language arts and literacy, whereas other states have adopted further standards in subjects like science and social studies, for which the applied curricula have in some cases been the subject of controversy. We encourage voters to learn more about the Arizona standards, the independent elements of “Common Core” (standards, curriculum, testing, performance tracking), and most importantly how they are impacting TVUSD in ascertaining where you stand on this hot-button topic.

Ms. Douglas appeared for only one debate with Mr. Garcia to which she was invited this campaign season. Video of this debate (a Clean Elections Campaign requirement) is posted below. Click here for a summary of the highlights.

http://video.pbs.org/viralplayer/2365332613

Candidate Roundup: The Governor’s Office

We’ve been focusing most of our energies on Prop 419, the TVUSD override, but don’t want you to forget that the outcome of races for many statewide offices will have a critical impact on education policy in Arizona. We’re going to be sharing links to policy positions, debates, and endorsements that affect statewide offices and our district of LD10 here as they become available.

Jan Brewer is term-limited out, so we will have a brand-new Governor this November, with the major party candidates being current state Treasurer Doug Ducey (R) and native Tucsonan and former Clinton adviser Fred DuVal (D). Ducey has been endorsed by the Arizona Republic, while DuVal has been endorsed by the Arizona Daily Star.

The candidates recently debated on education issues and a link to the summary of that debate can be found here, or you can watch the full debate below:

The Arizona Republic has created a really easy tool to sort through the candidates specific to your district and learn more about their stances on various issues. You can work through the list office-by-office, determine your choice of candidate, and at the end generate a list of your selections that you can take to the ballot box or use as a guide for your vote-by-mail ballot. Links to the AZ Republic endorsements are included.