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I am very concerned about the trajectory our country is heading. I believe that the root of much of the craziness going on has its roots in a rotten, corrupted public education system. I want to apply my education, skills and experience to Mesa Public Schools in order to restore quality education to the state's largest school district.

The top issue is low academic performance. Currently, the district-wide proficiency in English Language Arts and Math is 32%. It hasn't topped 50% in over a decade. To address this will require several tactics. 1. Set consistently high expectations on everyone, teachers, principals, leadership and students. 2. Set SMART goals for leadership and hold them accountable. 3. Analyze what higher performing schools are doing right, then replicate that across the district. 4. Be selective on curriculum and learning materials. I see too often where new programs, materials, etc are brought into the district with the phrases "evidence based" or "data-driven", yet they never produce any evidence or data. I'm an engineer by training will demand these things.

I would consider two things tied for my 2nd issue. Parental rights/involvement and fiscal responsibility. On the parental rights/involvement side, the district is actively hiding important things from parents. Most prominently, their child's gender dysphoria. I have spoken about this issue numerous times at board meetings over the last 3 years. All I get is a sharp denial from leadership. Yet, I have the receipts, as they say. I need to be on the board, along with at least one other reliably conservative voice (Sharon Benson) to join with current board member Rachel Walden. We will then have the majority and will be able to solve this problem immediately. Parental involvement is another key indicator of student success. I just spoke with 2 members of our district's Community Education department about diverting more money into programs to help parents be more engaged. They are very receptive, and in fact excited about the prospect. Once on the board, this will be a high priority. Then there's the fiscal responsibility issue. As an engineer and former business owner, this is an area I feel particularly well suited to address. Over a 7 year period, the district enrollment has dropped by over 10%, yet in the same time, district expenditures has grown 30%. Additionally, staffing levels from 2013 through 2024 show a disproportionate number of admin and specialist positions being added, while teacher and classified staff level remain unchanged. All while district enrollment has dropped. I will utilize my engineering analysis and business owner experience to reign in spending and eliminate overhead bloat.

I support school choice for a couple of reasons. Competition drives improvement. For too long, public schools have had a near monopoly on education and the lack of competition has driven efficiencies through the floor. Also, no parent should have their child stuck in a failing school with no practical alternatives.

The parents, 100%. Out district has encroached on this authority slowly over the past. Now it seems to be accelerating. This is a clear violation of Arizona state statutes, yet when I call the leadership out, they ignore and deny. As a board member, I will be a strong, unwavering voice for parental rights

No, this is silly. While I do believe that racism exists in isolated cases, and our nation has a dark history regarding to race, to call the entire nation racist, or suggest that systems or policies are inherently racist is patently false. Critical Race Theory is an attempt to divide people based on race and privilege. As a board member, I will work to eliminate these divisive ideologies from schools.

Thumbs down on all 3. "Sex Education" in schools should be limited to age appropriate education on the biological and health aspects of sex and nothing more. Everything else is a parent's right to instill in their child. DEI must DIE. This is just another way of creating more victims that the left needs to "rescue". Set high expectations, then help them achieve. Show that merit is the path forward. SEL also needs to go. Schools have veered off the path of academics and into the realm of mental health. Arizona has a big problem with this. We are fortunate to have a citizen advocate fighting in this area. He was recently able to remove the school district carve out for mental health workers to not be required to be licensed by the State Board of Behavioral Health. This is going to be a good starting point to push back. Still Mesa Schools has far too many counselors. 2.5x the state average on a per student basis as the state average. Once on the board, I will work with fellow board members to eliminate or repurpose these positions.

1. Set consistently high expectations on everyone, teachers, principals, leadership and students. 2. Set SMART goals for leadership and hold them accountable. 3. Analyze what higher performing schools are doing right, then replicate that across the district. 4. Be selective on curriculum and learning materials. I see too often where new programs, materials, etc are brought into the district with the phrases "evidence based" or "data-driven", yet they never produce any evidence or data. I'm an engineer by training will demand these things.

I have been addressing the board and superintendency on this issue for 3 years. Once on the board, I will push to eliminate the districts guidelines regarding allowing boys in the girl's locker room, showers and bathrooms as well as prohibit boys from playing in girls' sports, except where the sport is co-ed.

The courts have answered this question and I don't believe it will be an issue going forward. I would ignore any attempt to alter the definition of sex to include gender identity.

Rachel Walden, current MPS board member, and candidate for AZ Corporation Commission
Shelli Boggs, Republican Nominee for Maricopa County School Superintendent
Senator David Farnsworth, Arizona State Senator
Kevin Thompson, former Mesa City Councilman and current AZ Corporation Commissioner