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Guest Commentary

Vaules: Scottsdale Unified success beyond COVID

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For over 125 years, the Scottsdale public schools have provided outstanding public education to the families of Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix.

I am proud to be a graduate of our district as well as a proud parent of a district student. I recently attended my reunion for Arcadia High School where over 100 classmates gathered to celebrate and remember our friends, teachers and the excellent education we received. My district pride now focuses on the recent announcement of the Arizona Department of Education letter grades. In this report, 14 Scottsdale Unified schools maintained their A ratings.

At the same time, Arcadia and Echo Canyon improved their B grades to an A, and Yavapai Elementary leaped from a D to an A grade. District improvements are well above that of Scottsdale’s peer districts, with 27 of the 30 Scottsdale schools earning A or B rating.

Also, Scottsdale Unified is the only district with two high schools in the top 10 in the state. We should all thank Dr. Menzel and the educational professionals of the Scottsdale Unified School District for this outstanding achievement and the continued recovery from the educational losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These successes show that our district’s leadership and academic growth are strong. Yet, if you listen to three of the five people running for the Scottsdale Unified Governing Board, you’d think these successes are untrue. Their narratives about dire problems with the Scottsdale Unified School District have proven again to be blatant fear-mongering by this new news.

Please understand electing Carney, Keck or Werner would bring this academic achievement to an end. These candidates want to tear down the Scottsdale District so that their private for-profit education cronies can scoop up district land and charge and profit for the neighborhood schools we already own.

Scottsdale Unified’s positive momentum can continue depending on what the voters choose to do on Nov. 8.

We all benefit from good schools. Our property values increase, with some studies showing they increase as much as 15% in communities that support their schools. You needn’t have children enrolled to receive the benefits of strong public schools.

Good schools attract more than families; they attract good employers who can pay good salaries. Everything about a quality educational infrastructure benefits our economy.

Education is an investment, not an expense, and there is proof our continued investment in Scottsdale Public Schools is paying off. With the recent academic achievements our education professionals have delivered, it is now up to the voters to ensure this success continues. The SUSD and our community can continue to grow and thrive with a “Yes” vote to approve the Scottsdale DAA Override.

Finally, don’t risk this investment on candidates who have openly been hostile to the district, the governing board, Dr. Menzel and our teachers. Mary Gaudio and I support the Scottsdale district and override and promise to help build on the district’s recent wins and protect our neighborhood schools.