PAM KIRBY: They Took Our Schools. We’re Taking Them Back.
By Pam Kirby |
Arizona families have watched a quiet crisis unfold in their local school districts. Board meetings once focused on academics and fiscal responsibility have become battlegrounds for political agendas and bureaucratic overreach. Parents have been silenced, transparency denied, and accountability brushed aside.
In the past few years, Arizonans have witnessed a series of troubling events that show just how far some school boards have strayed:
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- In Scottsdale Unified, the board president’s father compiled a secret dossier on outspoken parents—including photos of their children—an alarming breach of public trust.
- Washington Elementary severed ties with Arizona Christian University over student teachers’ religious beliefs, only to reverse course after legal pressure.
- In Isaac School District, state officials placed the district under receivership after uncovering a $15 million financial crisis, triggering multiple investigations.
These aren’t isolated incidents—they’re symptoms of a larger collapse in trust, academic focus, and respect for families. And for too long, parents had no organized way to push back.
A Movement Takes Root
That tide is now turning—led by unapologetically conservative school board leaders who are rejecting political indoctrination and delivering real results that put students, families, and local values back at the center of education.
Founded in 2021, the Arizona Coalition of School Board Members is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to restoring integrity, local control, and academic excellence in our public schools. This isn’t a national agenda—it’s a homegrown movement, created by and for Arizonans, to restore excellence and accountability in our schools. While others raise awareness, the Coalition equips board members with the tools, legal support, and training to lead with confidence and principle.
Unlike legacy education groups that push top-down mandates, the Coalition promotes governance rooted in Arizona values—academic rigor, parental involvement, and education freedom. With members in more than 50 school districts across 10 counties, the Coalition is building a movement of student-first leaders who aren’t just calling for change—they’re delivering it.
Real Wins Across Arizona
Coalition-backed board members aren’t just talking about reform—they’re making it happen. Here are three local victories already making an impact:
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- Apache Junction Unified – Cell Phone Use Policy
Limits phone use during the school day, restoring classroom focus and discipline. It’s a practical fix to a problem every parent and teacher sees daily. - Higley Unified – Staff Health and Safety
Bans COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates for staff, reinforcing health freedom and parental values. This affirms the district’s commitment to individual rights, medical privacy, and protection from government overreach. - Peoria Unified – Student Privacy Policy
Ensures multi-occupancy restrooms and overnight accommodations are designated by biological sex, while offering private alternatives as needed. It’s a firm stand for parental expectations, student safety, and local authority.
- Apache Junction Unified – Cell Phone Use Policy
Empowering Voters, Building Leaders
Change doesn’t happen without an engaged public. That’s why Friends of the Coalition, a 501(c)(4), is leading a statewide voter education effort focused on school board elections and the issues affecting classrooms, transparency, and parental rights.
More than 500 individuals have attended our free School Board Bootcamp, designed to demystify the board member’s role. Dozens of those participants have since been elected—first in 2022, and again in 2024.
This is more than education—it’s about building a conservative leadership bench. Graduates of this movement are now serving in school districts, the Arizona State Senate, and even the Arizona Corporation Commission.
This Is the Moment
Arizona’s public education system is at a crossroads. Will it continue down a path dominated by bureaucracy and ideology—or return to a model that respects families, demands excellence, and puts students first?
With the Federal Department of Education steadily returning power to states and local communities, school boards now carry unprecedented responsibility. That shift brings both urgency and opportunity. Local leadership is no longer secondary—it’s the front line.
Thanks to the Arizona Coalition of School Board Members and Friends of the Coalition, Arizona conservatives are executing a strategic, multi-pronged plan—educating voters, equipping leaders, and empowering bold school board members.
This isn’t rhetoric. It’s results.
Whether you attend a Bootcamp, become a Coalition member, support candidates who share your values, or make a tax-deductible gift to sustain this work, there’s a role for everyone in this movement. The future of Arizona education will be decided by those who show up.
Pam Kirby is the Founder of the Arizona Coalition of School Board Members and Friends of the Coalition. She served on the Scottsdale School Board from 2010–2018 and continues to advocate for excellence, transparency, and local control in education.