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Campaign Phone
480-257-9413
Qualifications and Experience
I am a fourth-generation Arizonan, Deer Valley High School graduate, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and father. I hold associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in business administration. I have served more than four years on the DVUSD Governing Board, including as Board President, gaining experience in district governance, budgeting, financial oversight, and policy decisions. I have also represented DVUSD as an Arizona School Boards Association legislative delegate. My community service includes coaching, serving as a Scoutmaster, and youth leadership. I bring business experience, community involvement, and firsthand school-board experience to my commitment to students, families, fiscal responsibility, transparency, and academic achievement.
Endorsements
Joseph Chaplik former AZ State House Representative in Legislative District 3; Justin Wilmeth AZ House Representative Legislative District 2
Education
Masters in Business Administration
Article XI Section of the State Constitution mandates that public common schools “shall be open to all pupils between the ages of six and 21”. In terms of non-discrimination and background, public schools are further bound by federal protections- most notably the Equal Protections Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a School Board member it is incumbent upon me to uphold the policies and laws that govern public education and the District. In a nutshell it is a Board members responsibility and indeed the Administration’s job to make education available to all qualified children with the intent of achieving the best possible outcome for each child.
A successful Superintendent will be Visionary int heir ability to think outside the box to help guide the District in the creating of a Strategic Plan that involves addressing the changing landscape of education with the need and desire to graduate life-long leaners. This Combined with proven instructional expertise and team building to improve, first and foremost, student achievement and the accompanied success of the educators on the team. They must posses a strong understanding of the unique dynamics of finance in the education world and top tier communication skills to effectively engage with the Board, staff, parents and the community.
The Child Find Mandate requires all public schools to provide an evaluation process to families to help identify children that may require additional helps in their education journey. Schools are not 'paid' to perform this evaluation, it is a federal requirement. Once a child is identified to have a need and the accompanying IEP documentation is created, a school is required to meet the expectations set forth in the IEP paperwork to assist the child in reaching the potential.
ESA students have a legal right to participate in extra curriculars at public schools as long there is space available in the activity/team and the required fees to participate are paid.
Capital funding is an ongoing challenge as there are currently 42 schools in DVUSD that require consistent maintenance. And while the State Facilities Board does offer some assistance, they are a reactionary entity not proactive in nature. This is where the community has to decide how much ownership they want to take in their community schools.
Enrollment is challenging as DVUSD is unique to be down marginally in enrollment wit a huge housing boom on the horizon with the addition of over 15K homes in the District in the next few years. This creates boundary challenges for existing schools. We need to maximize our enrollment numbers in our existing buildings before looking to build additional schools when/if the time comes.
Retention in DVUSD is on the radar as the District has been around for 90 years and a great deal of staff proudly boast over 20 years of experience. DVUSD is currently running a Teacher Prep Program coupled with a Mentor Program to help streamline the challenges.
Board members should do a couple of things concerning development. They should help to make the community aware of the process so they can participate in the review committee and if not on the committee, review and submit surveys concerning the curriculum in question to help bring concerns to Board members and the Administration. Additionally Board members should review to the best of their ability in proposed curricula so they can engage in intelligent conversation regarding the proposal.
Public Policy Priorities
The biggest issues facing the school district are declining enrollment, underutilized schools, and inefficient spending. Operating 13 schools under 50% capacity while proposing new buildings has caused larger class sizes, program cuts, and higher activity fees. Kristi Cooper will address these issues by prioritizing students over new construction. She will challenge inefficient building proposals to redirect funds back into classrooms and employees. Furthermore, Cooper will foster collaboration by actively listening to parents, students, and staff to ensure the school board represents community needs and provides fiscally responsible direction to the superintendent.
Qualifications and Experience
Experience: Over 3 decades of teaching in Deer Valley Unified School District as a classroom teacher and reading specialist. I have experience as an employee, parent of 2 alumni, student for 10 years, graduate, and life-long community member in the Deer Valley Unified School District.
Endorsements
I have Dr. Karen Pack’s endorsement who is currently the Vice President of the DVUSD Governing Board. Endorsed by LD2, LD3, LD27, and LD28.
Community Service
Volunteer reading tutor
Education
Education: Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Reading Specialist Endorsement, Early Childhood Endorsement, Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education.
All students in Deer Valley should have access to a high-quality curriculum and learning supports that enable them to be successful. Students should also be provided with enrichment opportunities, extracurricular activities and safe school environments. Policies should not be adopted that only provide these things to certain groups of students.
The ideal superintendent will be able to address the biggest issues facing the school district, which includes declining enrollment, underutilized schools, and inefficient spending. Operating 13 schools under 50% capacity while proposing new buildings has caused larger class sizes, program cuts, and higher athletic fees. The ideal candidate will formulate a plan to address past inefficient building proposals and redirect funds back into classrooms and employees. Furthermore, Deer Valley's next superintendent should value collaboration by actively listening to parents, students, and staff to ensure this district is serving the community's needs and fiscally responsible with their tax dollars.
ESA students are required to be evaluated by the school district. The district has to follow federal law. If an ESA student is willing to participate in our district's sports, I view this as an opportunity to attract them back to our district. As we know, our funding is tied to enrollment. Charging these students the same amount would be the most equitable thing to do. At the same time, we should make sure that their parents receive information about the great things Deer Valley District offers. Overcharging ESA students or not allowing them to participate in sports is not a good strategy for increasing enrollment.
Deer Valley Unified School District faces declining enrollment and has lost over 4,000 students since 2011. There are also safety concerns, disruptive students, and large class sizes driving parents to private and charter alternatives. To address these issues, the budget should shift focus from constructing new buildings, while 13 schools operate under 50% capacity, toward investing directly in classrooms, student safety, and facility efficiency.
The board should approve curriculum after a committee (selected by the board) recommends and the community reviews it. If the community has an issue with the curriculum the board must take that into account prior to approval. The board does not develop curriculum.
Campaign Phone
6023153093
Public Policy Priorities
Stronger support in all ways (financial/social/political/community/etc) for public education
Qualifications and Experience
Public school educator for 40+ years; past sitting officer on two state organization boards; active community member
Memberships & Affiliations
Retired AEA and NEA member; ACTEAZ
Endorsements
Deer Valley Education Association; Save Our Schools AZ; Arizona List
Community Service
Habitat for Humanity; Chances for Children; Arizona Animal Welfare League; Church activities
Education
MEd in Education Administration and Leadership, ASU; BA in English Education, UA
Deer Valley has multiple immersive language programs and strong ELL programs. I would continue to support those. I am also a retired English teacher and understand how important it is to have broad access to diverse books and curriculum so that children from all cultures see themselves represented; the curriculum we choose absolutely matters here.
I would be interested in how much district employees from across the range of employees who have worked with him/her, as well as students and parents who have interacted with him/her, express how supported they did or did not feel. Additionally, I would want to ask him/her questions about the goals he/she set and what factors contributed to the achievement or non achievement of those goals. Finally, I would want to know what he/she sees as important future goals for our large, successful district.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Continued retention of high quality teachers and paraprofessionals
Balancing the growth in some areas of the district with declining enrollment in other areas
Ensure broad program options for students in the midst of poor state funding
The board needs to ensure the district has a strong, inclusive committee structure for identifying and evaluating the many curriculum options available to school districts, including developing some of their own to meet specific needs within the district. Once that structure is in place, the board is responsible for approving the curriculum that has been recommended or choosing from among the options the committee has given to the board.
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