2 candidates participate in Apache Junction superintendent forum

By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

Two candidates are vying for Apache Junction Unified School District’s open superintendent’s seat — a job that could be on an interim basis or permanent.

The two candidates are: Erika Copeland, an employee of the Queen Creek Unified School District and Dr. George Martin, from the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

Copeland, assistant superintendent at QCUSD, and Martin, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instructional services at ASDB, answered questions at a May 11 superintendent candidates forum at the Apache Junction Performing Arts Center. The candidates also made opening and closing statements.

The interim superintendent or superintendent job became available after a severance agreement for then-Superintendent Heather Wallace was approved at an April 10 meeting of the AJUSD Governing Board that did not include public comment, discussion or debate.

The salary starts at $160,000 for a superintendent, according to an AJUSD job posting.

On May 11, the school board agreed to move forward with searching for a district leader on either an interim or a permanent basis; no reason was given for the decision.

Copeland has more than 25 years of experience including as teacher, principal, executive director and assistant superintendent, according to a document given out at the forum.

She received a master’s degree in education in 2001 from Northern Arizona University and is working on a doctorate in education leadership from NAU with an expected graduation of May 2024, it states.

Martin has worked in education for more than 22 years including as a department chair, dean of student affairs, executive director of education, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction and statewide programs, according to the document given out at the forum.

He has a bachelor’s degree in biology with an emphasis in teacher’s education, a master’s degree in educational administration with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership, it states.

Candidates forum

The district had asked on Facebook @AJUSD43 for questions to be submitted. Six questions used were from the Apache Junction Education Association, AJUSD staff, the city of Apache Junction, the Apache Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of the community and an eighth-grade student, said Bill Hazell, human resources director for the district, who emceed the candidates forum.

Video of Erika Copeland at the forum in Apache Junction

Video of Dr. George Martin at the forum in Apache Junction

About 50 parents, staff, and Apache Junction and Gold Canyon residents attended the forum.

Danielle Anforth — who attended AJUSD schools for first- through 12-grade and graduated — was most impressed by Martin, she said.

“From what I heard it was Dr. Martin. I really liked his statement ‘we’re building people,’ recognizing that they are individuals and that there’s more to it than just strictly math, science, social studies. You need to have well-rounded (students) — you’re building people, you need to have that ability to communicate and understand what kids are going through,” she said.

Gold Canyon resident Roberto Reveles said he most liked what Copeland had to say at the forum.

“I was very impressed with the first candidate. She was very clear in expressing her experience, her academic training and her optimistic outlook on public education and how to get the best outcomes for the students. I think she is very impressive,” he said.

Question from a student

The question posed to the candidates from the eighth-grade student was: “How do you plan to prepare us — the students — for real life?”

Students can use a personalized action plan for a career, Copeland said.

“I’m very passionate about helping students figure out what are they good at, what excites them, where they think they might want to head in their future career and providing lots of opportunities to make sure they get on the path to achieve that,” she said. “Some students want to go to college, some may want to go to trade schools, some are going to go directly into the workforce.”

Martin said the district needs to do what is in the best interest of its students.

“So I’m not a status-quo person. I’m also not a person who wants to come in and turn everything upside down. The culture is the beautiful part of the school, of a community, of a campus, of a district. That’s what we have to improve upon and grow,” he said.

Question from resident

The question posed to the candidates from a community member pertained to programs and educational policies to improve the quality of instruction that they have implemented at another school district.

Martin recommended setting up partnerships with area businesses.

“As a teacher I was used to knocking on doors of businesses and begging for help, begging for supplies,” he said. “(W)e’ve created partnerships with construction companies because we had a group of kids who did not want to go work for their family business and they didn’t know what else they wanted to do so we created apprenticeship programs.”

Copeland recommended using a professional learning community.

“That’s really a framework where teachers are collaborating and working together in teams. They’re looking at data and having instructional dialogue together,” she said. “(I)t’s certainly a system or structure that I have found successful improving students’ achievements.”

AJUSD has three elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. The district is from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.