There are five candidates running for three available seats on the Mesa Public Schools governing board in the November 5 election. Incumbent Courtney Davis, Joshua Chilton, Lacy Chaffee, Sharon Benson, and Ed Steele have all thrown their hat into the race.
Early voting for the general election will begin on Oct. 9 with Oct. 25 being the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot, and Nov. 1 being the last day to vote early in-person.
The Mesa Independent emailed the board candidates five questions each on what they would do to help the district. Here are their responses.
Courtney Davis
MPS Board Member Courtney Davis.
(Mesa Public Schools)
What sets you apart from your fellow candidates in this race?
What sets me apart is my current experience on the governing board, where I have spent the last year learning, listening, and gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities our district faces. This time has given me valuable insights into the inner workings of our schools and the pressing issues that need to be addressed. I have used this experience to engage with our community, parents, and educators to ensure I’m making informed, thoughtful decisions.
In addition to my board experience, I have spent the last 16 years serving in schools, not just as a parent in my children’s schools but also by helping other parents and teachers establish booster clubs and PTOs. I am passionate about encouraging parental involvement and supporting school communities, as I believe this is essential for student success. My commitment to fostering parent-teacher collaboration sets the foundation for stronger schools.
What is the most pressing issue facing the district right now, and what would you do to address it?
The most pressing issue facing the district right now is the impact of declining enrollment and budget constraints on the quality of education and the resources available to students and teachers. As enrollment decreases, funding from state and local sources diminishes, which puts pressure on the district to maintain quality programs, retain teachers, and provide adequate support for students.
To address this, I would focus on a few key strategies. First, I would advocate for creative solutions to optimize resources, such as partnering with local businesses and community organizations to supplement district programs and create new opportunities for students. This includes expanding internship programs, career readiness initiatives, and work-based learning to ensure that students are getting real-world experience while still in school.
I would also work to improve community engagement to better communicate the value of Mesa Public Schools and attract families to the district. This involves not only promoting the district’s strengths but also listening to the concerns of parents and the community to make improvements where needed. By building stronger relationships with the community and highlighting the diverse programs and support the district offers, we can help stabilize enrollment.
How can MPS stay competitive with other districts in the valley?
To stay competitive with other districts in the Valley, Mesa Public Schools must focus on offering high-quality, innovative programs that meet the needs of students and families while building strong community engagement. One way to do this is by expanding career and technical education programs, dual enrollment opportunities, and early college pathways, ensuring students are prepared for both college and the workforce. Additionally, MPS can position itself as a leader in special education by offering comprehensive support services for students with diverse learning needs, attracting families who value the district’s commitment to all students. Incorporating advanced technology and STEM programs into classrooms will also keep MPS on the cutting edge, ensuring students are equipped with the skills needed for a rapidly evolving job market. Retaining and attracting high-quality teachers by providing professional development, competitive compensation, and a supportive work environment will further strengthen the district’s ability to deliver exceptional education. Lastly, boosting community engagement and communication by showcasing student successes and fostering transparent relationships with families will help MPS build a positive reputation. These strategies will ensure that MPS remains competitive and continues to provide an innovative, well-rounded educational experience for all students.
How do you think MPS should improve student proficiency in core subject areas such as ELA, math and science?
Early intervention programs are crucial in identifying struggling students and providing targeted support, such as tutoring and small group instruction, especially in elementary school, to build a solid foundation in these core areas. MPS should also prioritize data-driven instruction, enabling teachers to use performance data to tailor their lessons and adjust to each student’s needs. Equipping teachers with ongoing professional development in effective instructional strategies is essential, ensuring they are well-prepared to implement evidence-based methods that improve learning outcomes in the classroom. Additionally, engaging parents and the community can enhance student learning through workshops, mentorship programs, and resources that support learning at home.
How would you increase parental involvement and community engagement in the district?
To increase parental involvement and community engagement in the district, I would focus on creating accessible and meaningful opportunities for parents and community members to actively participate. This starts with establishing consistent and transparent communication, using multiple platforms like newsletters, emails, and social media to keep families informed and engaged. Offering flexible volunteering opportunities is also essential, allowing parents to contribute in ways that fit their schedules, whether during or outside school hours, and even through virtual participation. Additionally, launching parent engagement programs that provide workshops on topics such as supporting academic success or navigating the college process can empower families to be more involved in their children’s education. To further strengthen engagement, I would involve parents in school and district decision-making through advisory councils, giving them a voice in shaping policies and programs. Building community partnerships with local businesses and organizations can also bring additional resources, mentorships, and sponsorships to schools, enhancing the overall student experience. Finally, recognizing and celebrating the contributions of parents and community members through events like volunteer appreciation nights can foster a deeper sense of connection and encourage ongoing participation.
Lacy Chaffee
MPS Board Candidate Lacy Chaffee.
(Linkedin)
What sets you apart from your fellow candidates in this race?
As the mother of five children enrolled in the district, I am intimately familiar with the daily experiences of our students and the challenges that both they and their families face. This drives my commitment to ensuring that every child receives the best possibleeducation.
I spent three years as a classroom teacher where I experienced both the challenges and rewards of teaching. This helps me to advocate effectively for policies and practices that support teaching excellence and enhance student learning.
In my current position at ASU, I help students connect to college programs. I see first hand the skills students need to be successful as well as the concerns students have about paying for college, finding a career, and being financially stable.
My time as a volunteer in schools has allowed me to work closely with teachers, staff, students, and parents. This experience has given me a clear perspective on the strengths and areas for growth within our schools. My volunteer work has also helped me build strong relationships within the school community, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas and feedback are valued. I believe in approaching challenges with a practical, solutions-oriented mindset. I am dedicated to identifying and implementing strategies that address real needs in our schools.
I will bring all these perspectives to my role as a governing board member. When it comes to education in Mesa, I know the work involved, and I won’t shy away from tough decisions. As an elected school board member, I will foster an environment of respect where parents, administrators, and educators work together to create the best outcomes for our kids.
What is the most pressing issue facing the district right now, and what would you do to address it?
As I have met with parents and staff throughout Mesa, one concern that is consistently raised is disruptive behavior in the classroom. Our district, like many districts throughout the nation, has been plagued by safety threats this year. We need an effective system of discipline to provide safe learning environments, improve academic success, prepare students for the real world, and create a positive school climate. As a school board member, I would recommend that the district use evidence-based interventions to ensure each student is receiving the academic and behavioral support they need.
Districts that have adopted this approach to early intervention have seen a significant improvement in student outcomes, both academically and behaviorally. Arizona — and Mesa Public Schools — is very behind on implementing this. Some critical benefits include addressing the full range of a child’s needs, emphasizing early identification and intervention for students, making data-informed decisions, providing positive support, and improving collaborations between parents and educators. This system is cost-effective because we can train aides to help better meet the needs of each student through targeted instruction and intervention as well as use our current system of Synergy for tracking. I would also recommend district-wide training once a month to make sure our staff understand the why and how of meeting the needs of our students.
How can MPS stay competitive with other districts in the Valley?
We need to raise the bar for our district. Our families and our students deserve better. As the largest district in the state, other districts follow our lead. It’s time to take that role seriously. MPS serves a very diverse population. We are not using the resources that are available to help meet the needs of those students. We can position MPS as a leader in supporting students by building partnerships with leading educational institutions and community outreach programs. We can attract and keep qualified staff in our district by providing much-needed mentorship and creating positive work environments. We can use proven strategies and data to target the behavioral and academic needs of our students. And we can build collaboration and improve communication between parents and schools. We all need to work together and bring solutions to the table to provide the best educational opportunities for our students.
How do you think MPS should improve student proficiency in core subject areas such as ELA, math and science?
Every student deserves to graduate with the skills needed to be successful, no matter what path they choose. It is the job of Mesa Public Schools to prepare them with the academic abilities they need to succeed in today’s world. MPS needs research-based, proven instruction that emphasizes a high level of academic rigor, not just the latest educational fad. We need to keep expert, qualified staff in Mesa Public Schools and provide them with the support they need to be excellent in their classrooms.
Unlike local charter and private schools, Mesa Public Schools accepts every student and strives to meet them where they are. For struggling students, I recommend that the district use early intervention and data-driven instruction to tailor instruction to each student’s needs and pace. We also need to expand our community partnerships, inviting trained volunteers to come and assist in classrooms. I would encourage and help the district expand programs such as the AARP Experience Corps, which trains adults over the age of 50 as literacy tutors for second and third grade students. This tutoring program has been proven to improve reading scores as well as behavioral concerns with students.
How would you increase parental involvement and community engagement in the district?
As a school board member, I will advocate for parental involvement and community engagement on our school campuses. We know that parent engagement is the number one indicator of student success. We need schools to be a place where parents and teachers can collaborate together to support students. As a school board member, I would increase parental involvement by connecting with parents where they are — at the band concerts, the football games, the school carnivals. I would make myself available to answer the questions and concerns of the community. I would also like to see more community events on campuses where students share what and how they are learning and parents can learn more about how to help their students succeed. This builds a feeling of teamwork between parents and teachers, and it helps parents to better understand how to support their students.
We need to be utilizing the resources within our community to strengthen our schools and support our students. We also need to partner with businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide support that directly benefits student outcomes, such as academic interventionists and classroom support staff. As a school board member, I would work to encourage, advocate for, and build these partnerships so that our district can have the resources it needs for our students.
Joshua Chilton
MPS board candidate Josh Chilton.
(Linkedin)
What sets you apart from your fellow candidates in this race?
The biggest difference between myself and my fellow candidates is that I have direct experience serving schools and teachers in a support role. As the community outreach coordinator for the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s Office since 2018, I have met with teachers, families and leaders in all 58 local school districts in the county. Hearing their concerns, I’ve led projects to promote teacher retention, career readiness for students, and to provide donated materials to classrooms.
For example, I’ve currently partnered with a local electric vehicle company to launch 25 new EV Innovator Clubs for students in Grades 5-12. Members are building electric go-karts while learning about electrical safety and the engineering design process. Plus, the clubs are being primarily funded by community donors. It’s experience like this — building community partnerships to support students — that differentiates me from other candidates. As a member of the Mesa School Board, I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of our students.
What is the most pressing issue facing the district right now, and what would you do to address it?
As the parent of an MPS student, I’ve found the district’s greatest challenge to be the erosion of trust between it and its stakeholders — including families, teachers, and community members. Much of it can be traced to the perceived lack of communication when district decisions are made. I’ve heard from parents who have felt caught offguard by district decisions such as program closures and policy implementation. Even if they ultimately agree with the reasons behind the decision, parents who don’t feel like they were included in the process lose trust in leadership.
District decisions are often communicated via email or online newsletter. However, based on personal experience as a marketing professional, a typical open rate for such a message is about 20%. That means 80% of parents are not receiving the information first-hand. We must work to improve our communications strategy, including follow-up messaging to accounts that did not open the original email if it contained important information. Having worked in marketing for 20+ years, I can work with the district to ensure this gets done. If we can reestablish trust, we can retain and attract more families to Mesa Public Schools.
How can MPS stay competitive with other districts in the Valley?
Both education and the workforce have changed greatly in recent years. Families now have many choices for their children’s education, and they are seeking options that will best prepare them for life after high school. While “reading, writing and ‘rithmatic” will always be essential, students also need to learn workplace skills like creative problem solving, collaboration and customer service. That’s where MPS can provide student experiences that other schools and districts cannot. MPS already has quality programs such as Mesa Distance Learning, the Franklin Academies, IB, CTE programs, and exceptional clubs and athletics. As a board member, I will work to ensure these programs are distributed evenly across the district, and to create new opportunities to spark student interests and skills for life after graduation. By concentrating on career readiness, and creatively partnering with local businesses, we can create unique student opportunities in Mesa that can’t be found anywhere else.
How do you think MPS should improve proficiency in core subject areas such as ELA, math and science?
Improvement in these areas can’t be reached by simply “teaching harder.” It’s important to understand that every student is an individual, with their own situations and challenges. Putting more stress on a student who suffers from test anxiety — like my daughter who is in sixth grade — won’t provide positive results. A one-size-fits-all solution will never work. Instead, teachers must be given the time, training and resources to tailor instruction to each student as much as possible. They are the ones who can recognize when and why a student is struggling, and they are the ones in the best positions to respond in partnership with parents. However, we must reduce unnecessary or redundant workloads that teachers have in order to free them to serve students effectively. As a board member, I will instruct to district to develop a strategy to reduce teacher workloads and concentrate more on classroom instruction.
How would you increase parental involvement and community engagement in the district?
It’s no secret that schools in some west Mesa communities have consistently underperformed schools in east Mesa, specifically in low-income neighborhoods. Families face unique challenges here that can negatively impact their children’s education, such as language barriers, lack of transportation, or economic hardships. For example, if a parent works until 4 a.m. and relies on their oldest child to wake up the rest of the family for school, those students are understandably at a disadvantage. As a district, we must talk with families and other members of these communities — not about them — to identify these unique challenges and develop solutions to address them. Only through collaboration and understanding can we increase parental involvement, and recruit others from within the community to support our students. Having experience in community outreach, I am excited at the opportunity to lead these efforts as a member of the Mesa School Board.
Sharon Benson
MPS Board Candidate Sharon Benson
(Sharon Benson for Mesa)
What sets you apart from your fellow candidates in this race?
My background has developed a multifaceted set of skills that will be beneficial to my role on the board. I have a master’s in elementary education with a gifted endorsement, 20-plus years teaching experience (15 full time, 6 substituting). My husband and I have run a small family business since 1999, and I have experience in the banking field.
I have been a stakeholder in MPS for the entire length of time I’ve lived in Arizona. I am a graduate of a Mesa school, three of my children are Mesa graduates, and I have a granddaughter who currently attends a Mesa school so I have strong ties that make me highly invested in getting Mesa Schools back to a semblance of its glory days.
I have a history supporting education in a variety of capacities; PTO president, Cheer Booster mom, classroom helper, supplies provider, etc., and my husband and I are often found to be providing needed items for Mesa students when we become aware of a need.
What is the most pressing issue facing the district right now, and what would you do to address it?
Mesa is experiencing significant declining enrollment (10,000-plus in the past decade) which is due to two things I believe; an erosion of trust between parents and the district, and poor student achievement. Declining enrollment has a direct effect on the district budget, so I see all these things intertwined.
As a member of the board, I would work with district leadership and my fellow board members, to ensure that all staff are properly aware of the parental rights law, ARS 1-602, and that they are expected to abide by that law in all areas. Parents must believe the district is dealing with them with full transparency in all situations. As for the lack of student achievement, I would like to see our best and most effective teachers working with the populations who are struggling the most. I would like to see smaller class sizes, especially in the primary grades, so that the teacher to student ratio is lower, and small groups can be managed effectively.
How can MPS stay competitive with other districts in the Valley?
In order to attract teachers, there really isn’t any greater draw than salary. Mesa Schools currently has the highest beginning salary for teachers of any East Valley district. I wouldn’t change that. I would look to increase pay and benefits for our support staff however, as I think that our teachers can’t do their job well without quality support personnel.
To keep quality teachers and other support staff is another matter. The central issue that has been shared with me, as to why people leave the profession, regardless of the role they play in education, is the lack of support from the administrative level. Teachers and support staff alike believe that negative student behavior is not handled in such a way that negative behaviors are reduced or eliminated. Educators are then left to deal with disruptive students which limits time spent learning for every other student who wants to learn. I therefore would improve this component so that students are held accountable for negative behavior choices, the learning environment experiences minimal disruption, and teachers and staff are supported.
How do you think MPS should improve student proficiency in core subject areas such as ELA, math and science?
In order to improve, I would employ a few common sense approaches:
Take a look at our successful schools. What are those campuses doing that has made them successful? How might that be replicated on different campuses?
Employ quality resources that are known to develop academic foundations necessary for additional learning.
Demand thinking skills development instruction beginning in the earliest years to ensure our students are capable of individual thought.
Eliminate social emotional learning from our curriculum as I believe there is no evidence to support the claim that SEL improves academic achievement.
How would you increase parental involvement and community engagement in the district?
Parental involvement is critical to a student’s success. I would like to see our Community Education Department provide quality parent classes so that our parents are provided with tools in their toolbox to best help their children.
At the school level, I would like to see classroom teachers asking for parental involvement that takes into account a parent’s ability to help. Is it in the classroom? Grading at home? Cutting out items? Ensuring a welcoming environment on our campuses that encourages involvement is also needed.
Community engagement can be increased by respecting diverse views, and open communication. Our stakeholders must believe we are transparent with them as well, and that we value and are responsive to input. Leveraging our Community Partnerships department to increase and/or improve those partnerships will also enable MPS to engage our community.
Ed Steele
MPS Board Candidate Ed Steele.
Facebook
What sets you apart from your fellow candidates in this race?
I have a lifetime of education, skills and experience to bring to the job to help identify problems and implement solutions. I graduated from college with a degree in electrical engineering where I learned to solve complex problems. I worked for many years as a process engineer and quality assurance engineer. With this experience, I learned how to look at complex processes, identify deficiencies and implement strategies to optimize the process to achieve high quality results. For over 13 years, I owned and operated a successful manufacturing business. I developed the ability to manage people, money and resources to deliver outstanding results. I will bring all of these skills to the board to help improve student outcomes. In addition, I am a retired empty-nester. I do not have a full-time job or children at home to compete with my time commitment to work with district leadership and staff. This will allow me to quickly learn about the district needs and deficiencies which will enable me to quickly start making meaningful improvements to district operations.
What is the most pressing issue facing the district right now, and what would you do to address it?
Low academic proficiency is the top issue in the district. This issue is the result of numerous underlying causes. My plan to address this issues has several components:
Study high-performing schools within the district and around the state and identify the differences between them and our poorly performing schools.
To the greatest degree possible, replicate the effective strategies of these high performing schools.
Better selection and distribution of effective curriculum materials. Spalding Phonics and Saxon Math have proven to be highly effective learning materials, and these need to be available across the district. Currently only a few select schools have these.
Over the past 20 years, the percentage of the budget allocated to “instruction” has fallen from 63% to 54%. This is a no-brainer. More money needs to be allocated to instruction. I will not vote to approve any budgets that do not start to reverse this trend.
The discipline matrix at MPS has proven to be ineffective resulting in too much classroom/learning disruption. The discipline matrix needs to be focused on restoring order to the classrooms as quickly as possible.
Create an environment that allows teachers to do what they do best, teach. A recent ASU study found that on average, teachers need to maintain 174 competencies. That’s way too burdensome.
How can MPS stay competitive with other districts in the valley?
Sadly, MPS is not competitive with other districts. For instance, Chandler, our next-door neighbor and the second-largest district in the state consistently performs 10% to 15% higher on state assessment tests. Mesa needs to reclaims it’s place as a top performing district, something that hasn’t happened in over 2 decades. As the largest district in the state, MPS has access to the most resources for learning and has the advantage of economies of scale for administrative tasks. These advantages need to be fully exploited. District leadership needs to be given aggressive performance goals and then be held accountable for achieving them. The district goals over the past several years are stunningly modest. And even so, the district still fails to meet them. And the result is always the same, “here’s the next shiny object in education”. Nearly zero accountability. This will change under the proper leadership.
How do you think MPS should improve student proficiency in core subject areas such as ELA, math and science?
Much of this is addressed above. We need more effective curriculum materials, better training/professional development for teachers, an environment where teachers are less burdened and better supported by leadership, allocation of budget needs to focus on instruction, maintain order in classrooms, hold leadership accountable.
How would you increase parental involvement and community engagement in the district?
This is an important part of my plan. When parents are involved, student outcomes improve. Using my engineering background, I will analyze and identify the barriers to parental involvement then we can implement meaningful improvements. One of the areas I see as a barrier is education of the parents in the importance of their involvement. The district has resources available in its Community Education department which could be better utilized to achieve this goal. Parents are stretched time wise in the current economic environment. The district needs to identify ways to accommodate busy schedules. Again, this is where my analytical skills will be invaluable. Adult involvement doesn’t have to be just parents. Mesa has a dynamic elderly population that could be tapped to provide additional support in the way of tutoring/mentoring.
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