Ted Rodriguez appointed to Sunnyside governing board

Ted Rodriguez, a former chief building inspector for the town of Sahuarita, was appointed to the Sunnyside Unified School District governing board earlier this month. He replaced Lisette Nunez, who submitted her resignation in early September.

Rodriguez was one of two candidates who applied for the open seat and were interviewed by the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office for consideration.

“We search for dedicated leaders who put students first and exude genuine care for their community,” said County Schools Superintendent Dustin Williams. “Mr. Rodriguez’s experience and his passion for education gave me the confidence he was the candidate for the job.”

Rodriguez worked for Sahuarita for nearly 19 years and retired in February, according to his application. He has lived within the Sunnyside district since 1972, and added that his kids and grandchildren have attended its schools.

Over the years, he stated, he has been involved with the schools as a soccer coach, member of booster clubs and appointed member of the district’s Bond Advisory Committee.

He said community members, administrators and teachers have encouraged him to run for SUSD governing board member, but he was previously unable to seek a position on the board because his wife was employed by the district.

Rodriguez said his son is currently a teacher at Sunnyside High School and he has two grandchildren attending schools in the district, but he no longer has a conflict of interest impeding him from serving on the board.

In his application, he highlighted teacher retention and school safety as some of his top priorities if appointed.

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“Attracting good teachers and keeping them is essential to the stability of our school system,” he wrote.

Rodriguez’s term ends in 2024. He joins board members Consuelo Hernandez, Matthew Taylor, Eva Carrillo Dong and Beki Quintero. After an uncontested race for two open seats, Hernandez was reappointed to her seat and former board member Roberto Jaramillo was appointed to replace Quintero, effective in January 2023.

Healthy schools

Calabasas School in the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District was among 406 schools nationwide that were named America’s Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

The school received recognition in four of nine categories, including: enriching health education, bolstering physical education and activity, strengthening social-emotional health and learning and supporting school health services.

“Our campus has been working hard practicing healthy routines for some time,” said Calabasas Principal Bethany Patterson. “Though the pandemic made it challenging, we continued conveying health and fitness in diverse modes.”

Some of those efforts include ongoing training for teachers and staff on social and emotional learning, as well as the creation of the student-led Cougar Advocates for Student Health (C.A.S.H.) Club, which creates opportunities for physical activity and supports students’ mental and emotional needs.