By Carine Werner, candidate for Scottsdale Unified School District governing board | Guest Commentary
My American story begins at age 11, as I arrived on a tarmac to Neil Diamond’s “America” playing over the loudspeakers. Three weeks later I walked into a public-school classroom and stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. I knew then I was in the greatest country on Earth.
Today, I am a proud American small business owner and Scottsdale public-school mom of three. To serve my community on the Scottsdale school board, I have taken leave from the company I founded with my husband to advocate for Scottsdale students and families.
With three children, eight years apart, I have witnessed a significant decline in the academic quality of our schools. My youngest child came home telling us that he did not need to reflect our family values. I ask, what American wants our education system to divide children from their families?
To earn your support to become the next member of the Scottsdale Unified Governing Board, I commit the following to you:
Put our students and academic achievement first.
Empower parents and give our community a voice.
Support our quality teachers-putting more money back in the classroom.
Build a culture of trust — ensuring transparency and accountability.
Restore traditional education, focusing on academics, not politics, and return to developing students’ interests, not identities.
Put students and academic achievement first:
With less than half of SUSD 10th graders proficient in math and ELA, a strategy to improve academic scores must be clearly stated, aggressive, and measurable. When I am on the board, I will prioritize academic achievement programs that are aggressive and measurable.
Empower parents and give our community a voice:
Research has shown that parental involvement in a child’s education positively impacts academic success. I commit that when I am on the board, I will listen and ensure parents feel welcome in the classroom. I will support full transparency of all school clubs and classes so that parents can make informed decisions.
Equal opportunity:
Every family should have the resources and information to help their child thrive in a desired career, be it college and university, trade schools, or on-the-job training.
Support for our teachers:
Money is available for increases to teacher pay. Sadly, our school board has not awarded designated funding to teachers, choosing instead to funnel money to administrative overhead while begging the community for more money for teachers. I will always work to ensure our teachers have fair compensation and the resources they need to remain laser-focused on our students’ academic success.
Ensure student safety:
The legislature has approved $50 million in ongoing funding for school safety. When I am elected to the board, I will work to ensure that every campus is fully staffed with dedicated school resource officers.
Return to fiscal responsibility:
Growing misalignment between administration and parents’ values have contributed to declining enrollment. Funding follows the student, so as parents choose other educational options the district’s financial position worsens. I will be a dedicated defender of fiscal responsibility, ensuring that your tax dollars produce maximum results.
Public schools are the heart of America.
Please vote for Carine Werner for Scottsdale School Board on Nov. 8 so that we can restore excellence to the heart of Scottsdale public schools.
