Seven candidates are running for three seats on the Tucson Unified School Districtโs Governing Board. Incumbents Kristel Foster, Mark Stegeman and Cam Juarez face challengers Betts Putnam-Hidalgo, Lori Riegel, Brett Rustand and Rachael Sedgwick.
The candidates shared their takes on key education issues:
TUSDโS biggest challenge
Foster: What we have that other districts do not is our reputation, and the board drives that conversation. We can help the district or we can rip it apart.
Juarez: Managing the complexities of being under a federal desegregation order and finding ways to support programming when the associated funding is no longer available.
Putnam-Hidalgo: Failure to use resources better โ both human and financial.
Riegel: Dropping enrollment.
Rustand: The Governing Board itself is the single biggest impediment to bringing about the change needed.
Sedgwick: The fact that student achievement has not gone up and in some cases it has gone down.
Stegeman: Rebuilding enrollment.
Testing
Foster: Opposes standardized testing. Supports teacher-designed benchmark testing and alternative ways of measuring achievement.
Juarez: Opposes standardized testing but supports assessing students with locally designed tools.
Putnam-Hidalgo: Remove as many standardized tests as possible and allow teachers to assess kids on a shared rubric that they design.
Riegel: Standardized testing takes too much time away from instructional time, harming students and teachers.
Rustand: Reduce the amount of testing where possible; excessive testing impacts studentsโ ability to learn and teachersโ ability to teach.
Sedgwick: Does not believe test scores should be the be-all and end-all. She would get involved and give input when it is sought on test development and cut-scores.
Stegeman: I have persuaded the district to reduce standardized testing, but I do not believe it should be eliminated. It is one tool for holding school districts accountable and ensuring students are learning.
T
eacher retention
Foster: Continued support for increased compensation, continued advocacy for professional learning communities, work with the Tucson Education Association to ensure teachersโ voices are heard.
Juarez: Continued support for teacher pay raises, appropriate training and the use of professional learning communities.
Putnam-Hidalgo: Improve working conditions while giving raises, give teachers more liberty and time to collaborate with colleagues to design relevant professional development, train parent volunteers to assist in the classroom with conflict resolution.
Riegel: Conduct exit interviews to find out why teachers are leaving, engage community to build support for teachers, give what was promised in Prop. 123 funds would help, too.
Rustand: Increase pay, provide effective professional development, give teachers the authority to discipline students and maintain control over classrooms, strengthen mentoring program for new teachers.
Sedgwick: Collaborate with the University of Arizona, ensure exit surveys are conducted to understand why teachers are leaving, survey teachers on working conditions, reallocate funding to increase salaries and classroom funds.
Stegeman: I would redirect funds from central administration toward teacher compensation, increase flexibility in teacher compensation and support teachers in protecting staff and student safety and a productive educational environment.
Academic achievement
Foster: TUSD has established good teaching practices and a curriculum guide to ensure state standards are followed; now the work must continue to assess what students know to inform instruction and make it relevant.
Juarez: Address the needs of all students in a culturally relevant way; continue to increase advanced learning opportunities like dual language, dual enrollment; cater to the whole child; ensure a safe environment.
Putnam-Hidalgo: Let teachers teach, the more we have to teach to the test, it doesnโt help kids become creative thinkers; diversify reading and instructional materials to make learning relevant.
Riegel: Increase classroom spending so TUSD is more on par with other school districts; make sure every student has a teacher instead of a long-term sub; make sure every student has a textbook to take home; address out-of-school factors like hunger, environment, family stability, health, dental.
Rustand: Make it a board priority so it can emanate through policy; need quantifiable metrics for students, schools and the district as a whole; monitor metrics and adjust accordingly; support teachers to improve recruitment and retention.
Sedgwick: Help the superintendent focus on very specific goals and clearly explain what schools need to do to meet their responsibilities.
Stegeman: Revise the strategic plan to focus on academic achievement, invest more resources in early grades, continue to update curriculum and professional development.
Classroom funding
Foster: Continue to ask how the money being spent directly affects the classroom and ensure the community understands that.
Juarez: Work with the Legislature to ensure they follow through on their duty to fund public education, build public confidence and pursue a bond election to improve the learning environment.
Putnam-Hidalgo: Dial back on dollars to administration with a focus on bonuses and incentive packages, use reserve funds on teachers and classroom needs, expand on collaborations with community organizations.
Riegel: Look at where the money is going, move away from giving astronomical salary increases when changes are made in the superintendentโs Cabinet.
Rustand: Identify school needs and start budgeting at sites, working way up to central rather than budgeting from the top down; cut administrative costs where possible.
Sedgwick: Lower fixed costs and administrative costs to allocate more to classrooms.
Stegeman: Conduct anonymous surveys of principals and other employees and use those results, combined with previous efficiency audits and external review, to overhaul and streamline central administration.
