In the November election there are nine candidates vying for three seats on the Peoria Unified School District governing board.

The three seats are currently held by Monica Ceja Martinez, Judy Doane and David Sandoval.

Mr. Sandoval is seeking re-election, while Ms. Ceja Martinez and Ms. Doane have chosen not to run.

The candidates are: Linda Busam, Kacie Franklin, Rebecca Hill, Kirk Hobbs, Mr. Sandoval, Davita Solter, William Sorensen, Devon Updegraff-Day and CJ Williams.

The Peoria Indpenenedent will feature each candidate leading up to the election.

Get to know Mr. Sandoval here.

Age: 53

Career and education: Owner of a marketing and advertising firm, educated at Arizona State University

Years as an Arizona resident: 53 Years

Family: Married with two children

What do you think is the most important thing to consider regarding instruction during the pandemic?

Maintaining student engagement and their mental wellness along with their family’s is important. Our teachers, staff and site administrators continue to innovate in how they teach remotely, always implementing engagement tactics that are relevant to their students learning styles. The building and growing of healthy relationships with their students and families continue to be a priority with a steadfast commitment to ensuring student success.

Caring for the mental wellness of our students and their families is critical. And, we must ensure the same for our teachers, staff, site admin and district leadership. It has been said that a teacher’s teaching environment equates to a student’s learning environment, and if our teachers and staff are not supported in a way that allows them to thrive and work at their natural best, we are doing a disservice to the 37,000-plus students we serve.

What ideas do you have to support PUSD schools in maintaining programs during a budget-strapped pandemic?

During these trying times we must innovate and do our best to virtualize as many programs that we can in the virtual learning environment. PUSD has moved forward with a bond and override ballot measure. Its recommendations consider not only the needs of the district, but also influences a high propensity to lessen the economic exposure to the communities that it serves. If we don’t pass an override measure in November, our current funding levels will begin to sunset and put our students, teachers, staff and our district in an adverse position. A thriving school district influences a thriving community, and in order to secure a future that all will thrive in, it is imperative that we continue to invest in the education of our most valuable assets, our youth.

How will you identify and advocate for the resources needed to ensure healthy and safe schools during the pandemic?

Taking an inclusive approach that allows for diverse lenses to have a voice at the table will influence a plan that is well-informed. Cares Act funding has made it possible for districts to purchase PPE, which are needed to ensure healthy and safe schools as the Peoria Unified School District further expands on its face-to-face learning environment.

While following the knowledge base of the CDC, Maricopa County Department of Public Health and Arizona Department of Health Services is a must. Morals and ethics must have a weighted voice in how the district implements its plans to further open its schools.

What will you do to see that schools do not become overcrowded and how will you try to alleviate those schools that are already at capacity?

Our overcrowding is not a symptom of variances, it is a symptom of growth. Ever since I was elected in 2016, we have needed a bond approval to address the growth in the northern sector of Peoria. While the district will have a bond measure on the ballot, it only addresses the critical needs and the purchase of land for a school. It is imperative that we continue to invest in our youth by developing world-class facilities that accommodate Peoria’s growth and the outcome of the facilities utilization study and process.

How will you deal with inequities and other systemic barriers that keep low-income students and students of color from thriving? How will you strive for equity in the school system?

We must lead with courage, compassion and empathy. It is important for our teachers, staff and site leadership to be given the opportunity to establish healthy relationships with their students, in order to see a shift in behavior and better understand the need. This means classroom sizes that are manageable, especially for our Title I schools and consistent cultural competency training.

It is a cultural shift across the district, one that will influence our hiring practices and how we appropriate our dollars and resources with intentionality and equity across all of our sites. Leveraging quantitative and qualitative data will ensure that our marginalized stakeholders are put in a position to be successful.

I am proud that PUSD has begun to implement a diversity and inclusion task force that will have a voice at the table across all verticals. I will continue to challenge the district to have a full understanding of the diversity that exists amongst its student population and implement policies that influence inclusion.

With the pandemic affecting the social and emotional well-being of students, how do you plan to support wrap-around services for children?

It takes a village to educate a child and as we navigate through these times of uncertainty, it has never been more important to work together across all stakeholders to ensure the academic and social and emotional success of our youth. As a district, we have taken advantage of grant dollars to add additional social workers to our team. This has put Peoria Unified in a position to implement robust social and emotional learning protocols that will influence a student population that is in a healthy mindset to thrive in a virtual learning environment.

We must be proactive in serving our most vulnerable students during this time — our McKinney Vento (homeless), foster and low SES youth. Maintaining a frequent and constant connection with our most vulnerable students is mission critical to understanding their needs from an IT, food, toiletries and clothing perspective, ensuring that their most basic needs are met.

What ideas do you have for addressing teacher retention in the district?

As I was walking and collecting signatures for my reelection campaign, I had great conversations with teachers who stated, while salary is important, it is the feeling of respect and the inclusion of their voice that makes them feel that they are a part of an organization that has their best interest top-of-mind.

Ultimately, I want to influence trusting work environments where the vast majority of our teachers are inspired to come to work every day, feel valued and are driven to work at their natural best.

We have made progress in increasing new teacher salaries leading into the 2020-21 academic year. I will continue to push for world-class benefit packages and compensation models that influence livable wages for all of our teachers.