Chandler school board picks survey method for superintendent search

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

If the steps taken so far in the Chandler Unified Governing Board’s search for a new district superintendent are any indication, each turn in the process is likely going to involve a long, acrimonious discussion and a close vote.

The board voted, 3-2, to go with a “modified Google format” for its upcoming stakeholder engagement survey in the superintendent process search. Board members Kurt Rohrs and Ryan Heap, both preferring what hired search firm Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates calls a comprehensive, research-based survey, cast votes against the measure at the Oct. 22 meeting.

A major snag in the process seemed to be that HYA & Associates representatives — two of whom attended the board meeting via teleconference, confirmed they have ability to do the comprehensive questions in English and Spanish, but any other languages, including Mandarin, would cost CUSD $400 to translate it.

The modified Google option can apparently handle all 64 of the district’s home-spoken languages at no extra charge.

Board President Patti Serrano said she feels it would be more transparent to attempt to get superintendent feedback from “a minimum” of all 64 of those home-language families. Vice President Barb Mozdzen agreed the modified Google format was the better approach; not all board members agreed.

“The Google survey says it takes 5 to 10 minutes for 17 kind of broad-based questions,” board member Kurt Rohrs said. “The HYA survey is 10 to 15 minutes for 31 very specific questions. I understand parents don’t have a lot of time, but I think they have five more minutes for this. I don’t want to unnecessarily restrict the amount of public input we have on this. This is a rare opportunity to really study our district and get a lot of valuable feedback.”

Mozdzen said the Google format might end up being the only point of contact some families have with the district throughout the superintendent search, with in-person forums or focus groups unlikely to be held in more than a handful of different languages.

Board member Claudia Mendoza agreed with Mozdzen and Serrano’s quantity message: Getting input from the most types of CUSD families on the search is the priority.

One of the representatives stated getting at least 10% of district enrollment in responses, or about 3,900, in Chandler’s case, is a participation goal.

Rohrs made a motion to approve the HYA comprehensive questions at the start of the discussion. It was never seconded, and about 45 minutes later, Heap moved to approve the HYA survey questions, adding translation of CUSD’s next top-five home languages after English and Spanish. Rohrs seconded Heap’s motion.

Serrano pointed out that even with those five languages added, the survey still wouldn’t reach about 1,000 households. The motion failed, 3-2, with Serrano, Mozdzen and Mendoza voting against it.

The final vote was taken more than an hour after the choice was first presented, at the start of the fifth and final hour of the board’s marathon study session and regular-meeting evening.

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as those meet our  Civility Guidelines.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.