Stander: Why I support Christine Marsh for State Senate

I have lived in Paradise Valley and LD28 for 35 years.

We moved to Paradise Valley specifically so our children could attend three great public schools: Cherokee, Cocopah, and Chaparral.

Fortuitously, our girls received excellent educations. Additionally, we have enjoyed wonderful neighbors, great police protection, and the democratic process that is our Town Council.

Though our community continues to please me, I cannot say the same about our state government, our public school system, and the deliberate unresponsiveness of our State Legislature to address the issues of overcrowding and funding in our schools.

I support Christine Marsh for State Senate because she cares about our schools, about our kids, and about solving problems. I was not the least bit surprised when she was named 2016 Teacher of the Year, because I witnessed the impact she had on both my daughters.

She taught more than English. She taught her students to be critical thinkers, strong communicators and problem solvers. She encouraged them to speak out, to be tenacious and follow their passions. Every day, during the Save Our Schools campaign, this single mom would teach all day, then head to the Capitol to lobby for better funding, better buildings, better materials, and better education for all the students in Arizona’s public schools.

I asked myself where she found the energy to do so much. Then I remembered, Christine was a college athlete. She had disciplined herself to make sacrifices, manage her time efficiently, balance schoolwork and athletics, compete tirelessly, and be a team player.

At our March 3 LD28 meeting, at the outset of our current COVID-19 crisis, she didn’t ask her constituents for money to fund her campaign, instead she asked us to pay close attention to our children because of how confused and frightened her middle school students were. She implored us to be patient with kids, to listen to their concerns and to be reassuring and honest with them.

I support Christine Marsh because the principles she teaches are the principles she embodies. I support Christine Marsh for State Senate because she listens, because honesty is important to her, because she cares about the citizens of Arizona, and cares about improving our public schools, because she cares about the children of our great state, and because she’s an astute critical thinker who works tirelessly to be part of the solution.

Editor's Note: Susan Stander is a resident of Paradise Valley.