Amy Bhola, a member of the Catalina Foothills governing board died last month, and the effort to fill her seat has started.
“Reflecting on (Amy) Bhola’s remarkable tenure, we witness the embodiment of dedication and passion,” Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams said in a news release. “Rest peacefully, Amy, your influence will live on through the students and educators in CFSD and all of Pima County.”
The term for Bhola’s immediate successor will last through the end of the calendar year. The position will be on the November ballot as a two-year term.
Bhola was elected to the district’s governing board in 2014. For 11 years, Bhola taught math and science. She was also active at Catalina Foothills schools as a volunteer and was on the CFSD Foundation Board of Directors.
“Her teaching background provided an insider’s perspective on the challenges and rewards of the work. She was a vocal champion of public education and the professionals who make it their life’s work,” Mary Kamerzell, the district’s superintendent, said in a prepared statement. “I will really miss her.”
Candidates who would like to be considered for the vacancy must submit an affidavit of qualification and candidate appointment questionnaire to the Pima County School Superintendent by 5 p.m. May 10. Go to http://www.schools.pima.gov/elections for an application packet.
Completed packets can be hand-delivered to Williams’ office at 200 N. Stone Ave. or emailed to matthew.stamp@pima.gov.
3 students win $529 apiece
Three Southern Arizona students are winners in the AZ529 statewide Dream, Draw, Win Art Contest.
They are: Teo Parsons of Sam Hughes Elementary in Tucson; Ximena Mendoza of Mary L. Welty Elementary in Santa Cruz County; and Crystal Cutaia from Town and Country Elementary in Cochise County. They each received $529 towards their own AZ529 accounts from more than 600 entries statewide.
The Arizona State Treasurer’s Office and the AZ529 Advisory Committee invited elementary students across the state to share their dream jobs and how they planned to achieve them through artwork.
State Treasurer Kimberly Yee honored the 15 winners at the state capitol.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton teacher feted
Shannon Crawford of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School was named 2024 Arizona Teacher of the Year by Teachers of Tomorrow, a national alternative teacher certification program.
The state winners are automatically entered as finalists for the national Teacher of the Year competition, which is determined by a public vote.
The 2024 national winner is awarded $5,000 and will be announced during Teacher Appreciation Week in May.
“This is what makes me return to the classroom everyday, seeing students not only grow academically, but seeing them succeed socially as well,” Crawford said in a news release.
Book giveaway to fight learning loss
United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona has launched its annual partnership with local elementary schools to mitigate summer learning loss.
From April 12 through May 16, the program will provide every kindergartner through second grader in 17 Title 1 Schools (about 2,200 students) with 12 free and high-quality books to read over the summer.
The program, which is on schedule to provide more than 26,400 books this summer, is funded in part by Freeport-McMoRan, along with proceeds from United Way’s Business Breakfast event co-hosted earlier this year by Women United.
The organization estimates more than 100 community volunteers will pitch in.
Participating elementary schools are: Holoway and Prince in Amphi; San Simon on the Tohono O’odham Nation; Laguna and Walter Douglas in Flowing Wells; Roadrunner in Marana; Sopori in Sahuarita; Drexel and Los Ninos in Sunnyside; C.E. Rose, Lynn Urquides, Maldonado, Manzo, Myers-Ganoung, Oyama and Grijalva in TUSD; and Ajo’s elementary school.
Undocumented youths can apply to program
Scholarships A-Z, a Tucson based immigrant youth-led organization that supports undocumented students in accepting applicants for its summer program.
The Undocumented Youth Empowerment Initiative seeks to increase resources available to undocumented youths for career paths after high school. The Immigrant Scholarship Hustle (ISH) seeks to provide post-secondary education coaching and support.
This year, a series of programs are set for July 15-19.
Applications close May 19. Go to http://tucne.ws/1pse to apply.
