Basic biographical information:
- Name: Brieanna Elizabeth Chillious
- Office they are seeking: TUSD Governing Board
- Age:
- City of residence: Tucson
- Occupation: Children’s Librarian
- Education: Masters of Science in Information and Library Science
- Previous elected office: None
- Other relevant qualifications: I am an active professional member of the Arizona Library Association as well as the American Library Association, particularly within the ALSC (Association of Library Services to Children) and AASL (American Association of School Librarians). I am also a proud AmeriCorps alum having served as a community service member, having worked with innovative community entities like Make Way for Books and the Pima County Public Library as their Early Childhood Education Coordinator. I have also worked and volunteered in primary and secondary schools with school-aged children prior to my former employment with TUSD in Tucson, Arizona, as tutor and high school book club facilitator with a trauma-informed approach. I am community-centric and am always finding creative ways to build up and present innovative solutions to existing problems.
1. What do you see as the most important issue to address and how would you address it?
The utmost important issue and top priority to address in the district right now is tackling the salary shortage that is affecting many of our educators and staff in the district right now. I would also like to creatively come up with a solution to retain and keep our brightest and most talented educators in the district (i.e., lucrative bonus incentives to retain and keep our employees). I feel it is crucial to actually listen and work with our TUSD educators as they are on the educational pathway of our students. I want to ensure that our teachers are heard and are supported, in addition being provided accommodations in their line of work. This should be true for both inside AND outside of the classroom, while keeping in mind of creating meaningful work-life balance for ALL of the district’s employees (this, of course, includes the substitute teachers).
2. Why should voters choose you, rather than other candidates?
Because I was a former TUSD employee who was (and still is) passionate about the well-being and the state of education for the students in the district. Specifically, I worked at CE Rose PreK-8 elementary school within the district as its former School Library Assistant. In hindsight, I wish things could have been better that could have allowed me to stay and actually establish a career as an Elementary School Librarian/ Library Media Specialist that my kids needed and now, that is not the case. As a former district employee, I now have the foresight, as well as perspective, needed in creating top solutions to key issues and other existing deficits present in the district that our employees are currently facing (this includes our teachers, school administrators, staff, parents/caregivers of our students, the students themselves, and of course, our substitute teachers).
Had the district did what it was supposed to do, I would be not running, therefore, I am and now have the unprecedented opportunity in voicing the actual issues faced by many of our employees. I am someone who worked in a school and can actually understand the deeper nuisances of these issues. I am also doing this for the students across the district (particularly, for my kids at CE Rose Elementary, as I did not want to leave them). These are my reasons (amongst many others) why I am running and fighting for a spot on the School Governing Board and why I believe voters should choose me over any other candidate, currently running.
3. Could you please provide a list of the people and organizations that have endorsed you?
No person and organization has endorsed this candidate.
Watch Now: Brieanna Chillious running for TUSD Governing Board chats with the Arizona Daily Star
