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Vocal
supporters of each candidate far
outnumbered undecided voters when a
Kyrene school board member and the
challenger hoping to replace her in an
upcoming recall election faced off
Monday in a
candidate forum.
Both candidates stressed improved
communication and the selection of a new
superintendent as key issues facing the
district in coming months. During the
hour-long session sponsored by the
Pueblo Middle School and Paloma
Elementary School parent-teacher
associations, incumbent Rae Waters
repeatedly emphasized her seven years of
experience on the Kyrene Governing
Board, saying she has a long track
record of fighting for students and
advocating for education at the
district, state and federal levels.
"I see being on the governing board as a
supportive role for education and
educators," Waters told the gathering of
about 100 during an opening statement.
"I know how the state and federal
government work with respect to
education and I understand the funding
issues and state statues regarding
education."
Challenger Patrick McGill used his
opening statement to say that parents
had been "shut out" of the
decision-making process under Waters'
tenure and reminded the audience
throughout the discussion
that the March 14 vote is not part of a
regularly scheduled school board
election.
"Why are we really here tonight? We are
here tonight because this is a recall
election…because approximately 9,500
Kyrene parents and concerned citizens of
the Kyrene School District signed
petitions to have Rae Waters recalled,"
McGill said.
That recall movement began a year ago
when the Kyrene Governing Board voted to
adopt a restructured schedule for middle
school classes, which extended time in
math, science and social studies
classes, but reduced it in reading and
language arts classes.
Meeting times for elective classes like
fine arts and physical education were
reduced from daily to every other day,
and Spanish was changed from a required
course to an elective.
Recall organizers allege that Waters,
then serving for one year as the board's
president, did not adequately involve
parents in the decision-making process.
Waters maintains that she made her
decision with students' best interests
in mind, and that a variety of factors
led to that decision, including
community input, research and budgetary
considerations.
Late last year, a district-authorized,
independent communications audit offered
recommendations for creating a better
"two-way flow of communication," which
recall backers charge was lacking during
the
schedule-change debates.
Both candidates suggested getting
students more involved. McGill discussed
encouraging students to attend and speak
at school board meetings as an
opportunity for both communication and
education.
Waters said the board encourages student
presentations at board meetings and
suggested students work with the
site-based council at their own schools
to get more involved.
McGill charged that the district's
communication with teachers is
ineffective. Kyrene, for the last four
of five years, has done nothing but
suppress its teachers' views," he said.
"It's a culture of fear. We need to have
open, two-way, effective communication
with the teachers. We can't write them
off because they have great ideas
because they don't get along with the
administration."
Both candidates also listed the
selection of a new superintendent to
replace the departing Maria Menconi as a
critical action with which the
election's winner will be involved. Both
said the superintendent
selection is a rare and significant
opportunity to dramatically influence
the district's future. McGill criticized
some of Menconi's actions and suggested
that her premature departure might be a
positive.
"It's unfortunate that our
superintendent now is stepping down
early," he said. "But actually for the
Kyrene School District it may not be a
bad thing. Unfortunately, she was one of
the people who also
pushed this new curriculum through the
school without the parents support,
without the teacher and staff support as
well."
Waters responded that community input
was heavily sought in the selection of
Menconi and that she expected the same
would be done with the selection of her
replacement. She added that Menconi's
experience would be valuable in the
selection process.
"I think it is a very important time to
hire a superintendent, and to have
someone who has knowledge of what is
required, what the laws are, what is out
there, who the superintendents are, who
is familiar with superintendents across
the country and across the state,"
Waters said.
McGill, a Tempe attorney, treated the
Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School
auditorium as a courtroom. When
answering questions, he stood up from
the table as if addressing a judge.
As if presiding over a school board
meeting, Waters remained seated at the
table for most of her responses,
choosing to stand only for her closing
statement.
Persuadable voters were hard to discern
through the crowd, which more resembled
a group of activists at a
political rally than undecided parents
hoping for answers.
Supporters on both sides of the recall
issue acknowledged their approval and
cheered loudly for their favored
candidates' responses to questions. |
