Remember the pop-culture definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result? This fits like a hand to glove when we contrast the Prop 428 campaign against Peoria Unified School District’s (PUSD) failed leadership, increased cases of adult sexual misconduct, and dismal academic performance.
Peoria voters should understand that Prop 428 is not a new tax—it’s a continuation of the 13% maintenance and operations (M&O) override that’s been in place since the mid-90s. When voters rejected the M&O during the 2025 special election, it sparked panic among administrators (a.k.a. the 6-figure mafia) and teachers’ union members (a.k.a. union thugs). Educators—including those who stay silent when unethical and immoral conduct occurs on campus—are suddenly very vocal about Prop 428.
When I reviewed the fiscal 2024-25 State Superintendent Annual Report, I discovered that PUSD’s local, county and state M&O total revenue was nearly $290 million. Am I the only one who wants to know exactly how, when and where that money was spent in two years?
I emailed the school board and the Deputy Superintendent of Business Operations, Marcie Rodriguez, to request a presentation clarifying the district’s spending patterns. I also asked for confirmation on whether interim superintendent Tahlya Visintainer—who also oversees human resources—is still reaping Chief Personnel Officer pay and benefits. This is the position she held until Dr. Ryan LaDouceur was ousted from the interim superintendent role.
One PUSD educator reached out to seek my support for Prop 428. She shared her love for teaching young students and said that since the 2025 override failed, her school’s financial shortfalls sometimes forced staff members to choose between purchasing toilet paper or copy paper. She said she also solicited donations from relatives and community members when she couldn’t purchase the items directly.
I did my due diligence of making a public comment and requesting a resolution for every teacher in this predicament. I also included it in my email to the board and Rodriguez, letting them know it’s entirely unacceptable for any high-level employees to receive perks, bonuses or special allowances when the most important people in the district (namely students) don’t have access to daily essentials.
I will post an update once I have answers to these questions.
I don’t believe the teacher who reached out to me was a union thug with a sob story. Union members are typically the bullying type. Their tears are false and their demands are tough. Teachers’ unions don’t exist to enhance students’ learning experience—they don’t even exist for teachers! Most members I know are activists who serve as the school district’s militant. They await deployment, coming out in ranks whenever the community needs to be manipulated or intimidated into silence.
Case in point, the Peoria Education Association (PEA) president Devon Moseler sits like a guard near the podium at every PUSD board meeting. Also, when former PEA president Trina Berg makes a public comment, her requests and suggestions usually top the agenda for the next board meeting. But who knows, this could all be a coincidence, right?
PEA President Devon Moseler at Peoria Unified board meetings.
As of publication, PUSD received its third notice of claim. Similar to the two students who filed a complaint against the district in the Centennial High School situation, this alleged victim has also claimed that the district was grossly negligent in the case involving former Peoria High School basketball coach Patrick Battillo (a.k.a. “Mr. ORNG”). ABC 15 Newsreported that Batillo was convicted of attempted exploitation of a minor and sentenced to three and half years in April.
For those unaware, PUSD has been served with four legal notices in one year—all of them accusing the district of negligence and failing to protect students from employee sexual misconduct. The two from Centennial HS students and one from a Peoria HS student are a combined total of $27,650,000, as of October 9. No amount has been disclosed in the case of former Sun Valley Elementary students who were abused by former teacher Ricky Ordway. Meanwhile, the district’s Prop 428 is an estimated $33,000,000, with an expiration date of seven years.
Since M&O funds are less regulated in terms of how the dollars are spent, is it not possible for the district to campaign on promises of improved arts, athletics and special needs programs but then reallocate those funds to cover expenses associated with pending lawsuits? Someone who knows how these things work should reach out to me. I think PUSD is luring voters into a bait and switch, and the teachers who support Prop 428 probably won’t see more than a few dimes if the measure is approved.
On the contrary, if voters pass Prop 320, they’ll remove some of the administrative controls that have led to financial mismanagement and corruption in many public schools. This statewide ballot measure requires districts with over 7,500 students, or counties with more than 500,000 residents, to allocate 60% of its operation budget to classrooms and teachers. In this case, the auditor general determines what meets the threshold or definition of “direct instructional expenses.” This is why organizations like the Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) and Save Our Schools Arizona (SOS) oppose Prop 320. They want to maintain the status quo and stick taxpayers with the bill.
Nevertheless, Peoria taxpayers don’t owe the district anything. If one or two failed overrides can cause everything to fall apart after 20 years of guaranteed 13% approval, then there’s a bigger problem that more money won’t fix. Students are falling through the cracks, school sites are lacking basic necessities, alleged predators and failed mandated reporters are thriving after leaving the district. It appears the only way to hold PUSD accountable is to let Prop 428 fail. At least with Prop 320, we have some assurance that site funds will go towards education.
With enrollment declining in PUSD, staff reductions and school closures are expected. This is what competition looks like in a state with a robust school choice movement. When we add up multiple cases of alleged adult sexual misconduct, anti-ICE protests, and a majority of students graduating without basic life skills, it’s clear why parents are exploring other options. A loss of market share in government education is net positive for the state and the nation at large. Parents are stepping up to do what God called them to do (Proverbs 22:6).
All this to simply say, Prop 320 makes sense but passing Prop 428 is insane.
Remember, elections have consequences.
Tiffany Benson is host ofThe Myth of Education Podcast. She has been a parental rights and student safety advocate since 2022.
Anyone who can look you in the face and lie without batting an eye is a morally reckless person.
I watched the KTAR interview featuring Peoria USD board members Jeff Tobey and Becky Proudfit. What should have only taken 13 minutes took me nearly two hours to digest with all the pausing. I struggle listening to people shamelessly weave false narratives. There’s no way I can stay silent.
When host Mike Broomhead asked if mandated reporting laws were followed in the case of former Centennial High School teachers Haley Beck and Angela Burlaka, Tobey claimed he was “evidence driven, process driven” and that Peoria PD “said there was no misstep when it came to mandatory reporting.”
Common sense tells me that Peoria PD’s initial investigation was primarily focused on finding evidence that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of suspected child abusers. Mandatory reporting isn’t exactly a high priority for PUSD employees since these kinds of failures have occurred before without consequences. Is it not possible for investigators to miss something, especially if sufficient evidence was withheld?
Thankfully, PUSD board member Heather Rooks sounded the alarm after she read the police report, reviewed state statutes, and discovered more laws were broken.
When Broomhead said:
“The board president [Rooks] was removed for not following protocol…I thought it was a bad look for the district that you went after somebody that was saying ‘I just want to protect kids,’ and it looked in the end like she was right that there needed to be a further investigation.”
Proudfit declared:
“I don’t think that’s a fair assessment. And I think there were a number of things that led to that change in the board presidency…The former prosecutor who would have done the in-house investigation encouraged us to wait until after the police had wrapped up their investigation for fear that we would meddle up [sic] the investigation.”
Once Rooks learned that a mandated reporting probe wouldn’t interfere with open investigations, she went to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in her capacity as a parent and taxpayer. Rooks was within her First Amendment right to speak. It’s also her duty as a civil servant to pursue truth, even while her left-leaning colleagues vote against it.
When Broomhead stated:
“It’s been reported that, Mr. Tobey, you are the one that requested that your attorney try to limit the search warrants. So, is this full cooperation if you were trying to limit the search warrants? Did you try to limit the search warrants?”
Tobey replied:
“So, the misinformation on that part was I proofread something that was drafted by legal. So, our superintendent is the de facto executive of the district and is responsible for making those decisions. As the board president, I am the legal liaison with the board and the attorney. It’s my role to kind of have that interface with the attorney and the superintendent. So, it wasn’t my direction at all. It was the direction of the district.”
So, you took part in a coup to remove Rooks from the board presidency only to abdicate your authority and defer to your subordinates in a time of crisis? Some leader you are…
On July 6, 2026, 12News reported, “The police department had previously served a search warrant earlier this year to PUSD in order to obtain documents related to the investigation into the Centennial High controversy. Attorneys representing PUSD filed a motion in Maricopa County court to restrict their access to certain records.”
Quoting PUSD Chief Communications Officer Danielle Airey, the article said, “‘Because the Governing Board has not voted to waive attorney-client privilege, legal counsel has an obligation to preserve those protections and comply with federal student privacy laws unless directed otherwise by the board or ordered by the court.’”
In other words, Tobey could have called for a vote to waive attorney-client privilege at any time. That’s what Rooks would have done if she were still board president. Tobey—who works for Phoenix PD—should know a criminal search warrant supersedes FERPA, Title IX, and all administrative rules.
As I’ve explained in previous posts, Tobey didn’t have the popularity to get elected. He relied heavily on Rooks’ support and the grassroots campaign led by West Valley Parents Uniting (WVPU). In a twist of irony, Tobey and Rooks were two of WVPU’s founding board members. They served in the organization together until they both resigned to run for public office.
A few years later, on a quest for power, it would be Tobey who teamed up with leftists and accused Rooks of political grandstanding as she aspired to higher office. Rooks also supposedly broke protocol by speaking to the media as an active board member.
But wait, there’s more.
On July 21, 2026, this same Tobey character appeared in an ABC15 interview to address Peoria PD’s days-long raid at the district office. Tobey said he was speaking up now because “it’s important to reach more individuals in the community…and I want to be able to share what I can.” While explaining his vote to appoint Darien Schoolcraft as Centennial’s new principal, Tobey verbally identified himself as an active board member. This fits the definition of a hypocrite: A person who tells other people how to behave or claims to hold certain moral, religious, or political beliefs, but then does the exact opposite in their own actions.
To everyone attacking and plotting against Rooks—including the RINOs on LD28’s executive leadership team who publicly supported her demotion—you seem to have lost the real narrative. Let me refresh your memory.
This entire situation, which has gone national and inspired action from the U.S. Department of Education, started with district employees who allegedly victimized their students. Following accusations and concerns from students and community members, former Centennial principal Scott Hollabaugh (and other employees) failed to notify law enforcement.
This is not a matter of perspective or interpretation. For all the “evidence driven, process driven” hypocrites watching this saga unfold, the reality of it all can be ascertained from the investigation report. What difference does it make whether you “like” Rooks or think she’s out for political gain—she’s trying to protect children! Rooks isn’t the issue. Cover-up culture is the issue.
Proudfit—who also serves as LD28’s 4th Vice Chair—voted with Tobey and Melissa Ewing to ineffectively silence a voice calling attention to the alleged sexual exploitation of PUSD students. When Broomhead pointed out the possibility that school leadership ignored students’ complaints about Beck and Burlaka, Proudfit deflected and said:
“This is the part of the story as a mother that makes me see red…We don’t have [a] record of any of those students coming to actual authorities, but instead they went to TikTok and it became a social media centered conversation…As a school district we don’t have control over what your child does on social media. And that’s where I think it’s really important to remember that the number one mandated reporter is parents. They also fall under that [law]. The system only works when everyone is cooperating.”
Is this not what “social emotional” gurus call victim blaming? Again, the lie about there being no record of students approaching administrators is debunked by the police report and is most likely contained in those documents Peoria PD had to pry out of the district’s hands. Hm…it seems there was a lack of cooperation somewhere that caused the system to fail.
School board members are not elected to parent the district. They sit as a body of government to hold official proceedings, not family therapy sessions. Everyone knows students use social media to express themselves. What we don’t know is how they’re responsible for employee misconduct. And why would a public official think it’s appropriate to lecture parents about their kids’ online activities when PUSD is being vetted for alleged child sex crimes that started and/or occurred on campus?
Unless I missed it, by the end of the KTAR interview, Tobey or Proudfit never condemned the alleged perpetrators’ actions. There was no warning for district employees to conduct themselves with professionalism and self-control. No apology was offered to any alleged victims or their families. I swear they were both reciting passages from a restorative justice handbook, or something. It was truly bizarre. Now do you see why it took two hours to watch?
It’s worth noting that Tobey and Proudfit have privately acquired a PR team. I guess this means we can expect their media charade to continue. No worries, keeping the record straight is what I do and I’m not going anywhere. I see 2028 on the horizon.
School board candidates often campaign on “truth,” “transparency,” and “accountability.” Tobey specifically ran on “student safety.” These are the promises K-12 parents want to hear—need to hear—before entrusting someone with their kids. I’m sorry to say those in the highest leadership positions have betrayed the public’s trust. All promises were broken the day Rooks was removed from the board presidency.
I don’t know about you, but I can clearly see who’s in this for political gain. We are where we are today because we have people in power who choose to protect institutions over children.
Most Arizonans are likely aware of the coup d’état to unseat Heather Rooks from the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) board president position. Board members Becky Proudfit and Melissa Ewing requested the special meeting on May 5, 2026, with approval from superintendent Dr. KC Somers, and a guaranteed vote from board member Jeff Tobey. As I said in my recent Substack, Tobey would not have been elected to the board without Rooks’ help.
For those unaware of the backstory: two Centennial High School teachers, Haley Beck and Angela Burlaka, were credibly accused of sexually exploiting and abusing their students. What the public doesn’t know is the extent of Centennial High School principal Scott Hollabaugh’s knowledge of these alleged crimes. The 200-page Peoria Police report reveals Hollabaugh had “spoken to Beck” about student complaints of inappropriate behavior on campus.
Rooks sought an investigation into Hollabaugh’s potential failure to act as a mandated reporter pursuant to A.R.S. 13-3620. Arizona laws should have compelled Hollabaugh to report Beck to authorities, even in good faith. At the very least, an internal district investigation into both teachers’ actions should have been conducted to determine if children were safe around them. Instead, Beck and Burlaka remained in their classrooms.
PUSD leaders mistake the public for fools. They expect us to believe all the kids at Centennial knew about Beck’s alleged sexual relationship with a student, but all the adults in the school were too dumb to pick up on it. The progressive majority school board also wants parents to “wait and see” the results of pending investigations. However, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office confirmed to Rooks that they were not looking into mandated reporting violations.
During the April 23, 2026, board meeting, Tobey, Proudfit, and Ewing voted against an independent third-party investigation into Hollabaugh’s conduct, as well as all other employees who stayed silent. In regard to unseating Rooks, the progressive majority claimed they had “heard from so many in the community” that she was unfit to be board president. Rooks was elected by over 40,000 Peoria residents. So, unless Curly, Larry, and Moe are sitting on 40,000 emails, they didn’t hear from a majority of anybody. They acquiesced to the demands of teachers’ unions and certain turncoat Legislative District leaders.
The angle no one is talking about is how cover-up culture also marks the career of Dr. Somers. Before coming to PUSD, Somers was the superintendent of Lewis-Palmer School District 38 (LPSD) in Monument, Colorado, serving roughly from July 2019 to April 2024. During that time, students from Palmer Ridge High School accused the district of failing to act when a star athlete named Anthony Roberson allegedly harassed and sexually assaulted several female students without consequence. The alleged crimes reportedly took place between 2016 and 2020 when Roberson attended Palmer Ridge.
A former Palmer Ridge student named Jenna Baker started a Change.org petition that said, “Because of the allegations…it seems [Roberson] was pressured to graduate early instead of facing expulsion or exposure. The admin at the time gave him this choice as an easy way out. Justice was never served for his behavior.” The petition garnered over 5,700 signatures as it circulated among CU Boulder students who had attended high school with Roberson and were facing four more years with him at the college.
According to Fox 21 News, Baker came forward and “accused the school district of negligence and ignoring a litany of sexual assault and harassment reports filed by students.” During the April 17, 2023, LPSD school board meeting, Baker answered a call to the public and stated, in part:
“I was sexually assaulted at 15 years old by another [Palmer Ridge] student and still suffer from PTSD to this day, despite the fact [Palmer Ridge] was made aware of the student and at least five other sexual predators at large in the district in 2022. And no consequences were ever implemented, telling my parents the same thing they always tell victims, ‘It’s my word against his.'”
Shortly after Baker’s speech, Somers told LPSD board members that he was “looking forward to continuing the good work that’s in front of us and maintaining our focus on what’s most important.” He then read a prepared statement where he claimed to “stand wholeheartedly opposed to all forms of misconduct of a sexual nature, and take all reports of student and potentially staff misconduct seriously.”
Although some alleged sex crimes predate Somers’ time in LPSD, he was superintendent during the timeframe when Baker accused district administrators of allowing Roberson to quietly graduate early. Roberson was supposedly investigated by local law enforcement, but the allegations never led to formal charges. I found no record of LPSD conducting an internal investigation to know whether sex crimes had taken place on campus.
In light of all the controversy and contradictions, Somers popped up in Peoria and is now working with Tobey, Proudfit, and Ewing to silence the outcries and control the narratives surrounding Beck, Burlaka, and Hollabaugh. Now that his “good work” is almost finished in PUSD, Somers will soon be heading back to Colorado to serve as superintendent of the Eagle County School District. I hope those families know what kind of “leadership” is headed their way.
When Peoria High School basketball coach Patrick Battillo (Mr. ORNG) was arrested for child sex crimes, a teacher named Holly Holgate—who had been in the district for 20 years—tipped him off before police arrived to make an arrest. Battillo recently pled guilty to three counts of attempted exploitation of a minor but only received a three and half year prison sentence. I did not find court records showing Holgate was prosecuted for any crime.
Now do you understand why Rooks didn’t want to “wait and see” what happens with the other open investigations? Do you see why Hollabaugh should be placed on administrative leave until all investigations are concluded? Is it possible police investigators missed something during their initial interviews? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you know Rooks was well within her First Amendment right as a mother, taxpayer, and resident to insist on an investigation into mandated reporter violations—and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office gave her the green light.
Rooks’ inquiry does not interfere with any other open investigation even though the three progressive board members are trying to make people think it does. At the same time Rooks is being accused of political grandstanding, it’s Tobey, Proudfit and Ewing who turned grooming and sexual assault into political theatre. Whatever Rooks’ aspirations or motivations may be, they are irrelevant to the fact that she’s trying to increase student safety on campus…which is one of the pillars Tobey ran on in 2024.
For the record, nobody has to follow any directives given by Tobey, Proudfit, Ewing, or Somers. Their positions and authority were given to them by voters, and they can be taken away by voters. If parents, including Rooks, want an investigation into mandated reporting violations, they should be able to submit a request without retaliation. The U.S. Constitution is higher than any district policy, and holding public office does not equate to a forfeiture of constitutional rights.
Aesthetics only matter to people who have something to hide. Those of us who put children’s wellbeing first don’t care how much money it costs, how much time it takes, or how much damage is done to the district’s reputation. We want all sexual predators, and all their accomplices, off the payroll and locked up.
Witnesses and victims of Beck and Burlaka are encouraged to contact the Peoria Police tip line. Anyone can also sign the Change.org petition calling for a full child safety investigation into PUSD.
When asked, “What was the original purpose of public education?” A.I. gave this response:
The original purpose of public education in the U.S. focused on fostering a literate, cohesive, and obedient citizenry to support a new democracy, ensure social order, and provide basic religious instruction.
Since at least 1962, public education has been heavily influenced by secularists. As a result, students are not literate or cohesive, and their obedience has been co-opted into secrecy and rebellion against parents. Of course, democracy means mob rule.
How did we get here?
One obvious answer lies in the worldview of secular humanism. The ideologies of this religion threatens to turn innocent children into a godless, genderless, enraged monolith. Secularism is a parasite that causes symptoms of mental illness, moral confusion, and self-induced hysteria. Parasitic infestations have three phases: growth, reproduction, and transmission.
The growth of secularism in K-12 education manifests as:
Social emotional learning (SEL)
Evolutionary theory
Ethnic studies (CRT)
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE)
Rainbow flags and gay celebrations on campus
The acknowledgement and acceptance of every religion but Christianity
The reproduction of secularism in K-12 education manifests as:
School officials referring minors to abortion clinics
Boys invading girls’ sports and private spaces
The transmission of secularism from K-12 education to society manifests as:
High school graduates with little to no reading, writing, or math skills
Increased sexual activity, STDs, and unwed pregnancies among youth
High abortion rates among women in their 20s
Low IQ citizens who predominantly vote for radical policies
Emotional immaturity, violence, and lack of personal responsibility
Suicide and premature death
The average American child, from age 4 to 17, will spend about 14,000 hours in school. Most of these students will undergo secular brainwashing in the form of “academic standards,” “core competencies,” and state testing. Parents have been lulled into a false sense of trust, abdicating their rights and responsibilities to government workers. Even “good” educators (the conservative ones who remain fearfully silent) shouldn’t have unchecked influence over a child’s mental, emotional, or moral development.
The pervasive ignorance of secularism explains why people interpret “separation of church and state” to mean Christians can’t pray, read Scripture, or invoke the name of God publicly. Secularism is also why Americans call the United States a “democracy.” The secularist worldview is so morally inferior that it can only be defended by calling opponents racists, white supremacists, fascists, and homophobes.
The demonization of Christianity, prayer, and Bible reading has only escalated as Arizona lawmakers attempt to pass legislation that fortifies First Amendment rights and parental rights in K-12 education.
Secularists linked LifeWise Academy—an organization with a mission to offer Bible education to public school students during school hours—to Arizona House Bill 2266. Secularists claim bussing children to nearby churches for Bible studies during the school day is harmful to academic communities. But encouraging kids to walk off campus with “F— ICE” t-shirts during educational hours is okay? Only in the mind of a secularist.
Deer Valley board member and AZ legislator, Stephanie Simacek (D-LD2), called Lifewise “a controversial, far-right, religious instruction program.” Regarding HB 2266, the secularist told her constituents she would “continue to oppose bills that do nothing to serve public education.” Essentially, high moral standards, respecting authority, and taking responsibility for one’s actions have no place in taxpayer-funded, government schools.
The life’s purpose of a secularist boils down to persecuting Christians, opposing common sense legislation, and infiltrating public school systems to spread anti-Christ propaganda through immoral policies and curricula on all grade levels. Secularism is a spiritual, intellectual, and emotional drain on every generation. No child should be entrusted to an institution that’s predominantly run by godless people.
Parents must continue to seek alternative learning methods and regain control over their kids’ education. Don’t let secularism destroy their innocence and corrupt their moral character. Furthermore, taxpayers should keep rejecting bonds and overrides. Don’t incentivize sleazy administrators and weak board members to advance a secular agenda. Let the schools close and the buildings be repurposed. The kids will be fine if more parents and silent educators step up.
Public education—especially in Arizona—is a colossal failure. The lie of “separation of church and state” must be exposed. Steering children back to God is the only way to defeat secularism and defend our Constitutional Republic. Support constitutional legislation like AZ House Bill 2266 and the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA). Support Christian organizations like LifeWise Academy. Most importantly, support parental rights in K-12 education for all American families.
A Deer Valley USD (DVUSD) parent, referred to as “Amy,” contacted my organization to report that her children were questioned about their morning and bedtime routines. It turns out Stetson Hills School administrators had engaged students in an “Attendance Reflection Activity” during lunch on November 6, 2025. Parents weren’t notified about the event until the end of the school day.
“Our school utilizes a system called CUTS (Chronically Absent and Truant Students) to proactively identify students who are missing more than 10% of instructional days by the end of the quarter…During the session, students participated in fun discussions about:
Their current nighttime routines,
Their current morning routines [and]
Developing a goal or plan for one small, positive change they could make to improve their attendance moving forward.”
Walter ended the communication by thanking parents for their “partnership and support in encouraging consistent daily attendance.” In her zealousness to combat chronic absenteeism, I think Walter forgot that elementary students are not responsible for transporting themselves to school.
Stetson’s attendance survey can be viewed here. Note that in addition to answering questions about sleep schedules and household activities, students were required to sign the document as if it were a contract between them and the school district.
Amy said her kids were probed about their eating habits and family relationships, but those questions were not included on the survey. She also said her children described feeling anxious and “targeted” during the attendance reflection session.
According to Amy, her children haven’t missed more than a few days since the 2025 school year began, and every absence was excused due to illness or doctor’s appointments. Assistant Principal Walter confirmed that parents only need to notify the school, and doctors’ notes are not required in these instances.
Amy emailed her concerns about the district’s lack of transparency to DVUSD Superintendent Curtis Finch. Instead of responding to Amy, Finch forwarded her email to the School Operations and Safety Coordinator, Valerie Bullis. Bullis claimed the truancy probe was intended to be a “proactive approach in addressing student attendance patterns” and that school administrators were now “reviewing the process.” Meanwhile, Amy insisted that she and other parents she talked to were never informed about the student interrogation “process” to begin with. Amy also believes most parents are not aware of the CUTS program.
Screenshots from the Stetson Hills social media account show educators and other DVUSD schools engaging in attendance competitions. Amy said these activities promote unhealthy rivalry among students who are totally dependent on their parents for transportation and life decisions.
Deer Valley taxpayers are using their properties as collateral for failing schools. By passing the 15% override, constituents empowered government employees to keep pushing the boundaries of parental controls as they advance a State-sponsored agenda. “We got the override! We got your money!” was the overarching theme of the November 18 school board meeting.
The Glendale Star quoted Superintendent Finch, stating, “We’re pretty excited that we got the okay from the public to move forward.” When commenting on potential budget cuts, he said, “If it didn’t pass, I would be using a chainsaw, but now I can use the scalpel.” Finch also predicted “another explosion of enrollment in the next three to five years.” Wrapping up a discussion about DVUSD’s successful override campaign, he declared:
“The students are the winners when this happens. The community saw how far we’ve come and responded accordingly. It’s very gratifying for everyone involved.”
Cue the laugh track.
Finch’s million-dollar “scalpel” will never be used to dissect his compensation package, and most promises made during override campaigns are never kept. It’s no secret that Arizona public schools are losing students to the school choice movement. DVUSD’s decision to host intramural attendance games only proves that government education can’t compete with superior learning methods and institutions. Parents are waking up and moving on.
“The anti-public school movement is growing here in the state of Arizona, which is a crime against humanity. And it’s unfortunate that we’re caught in that web.”
— Superintendent Curtis Finch, ABC 15 News
For the record, there’s nothing inherently negative about finding creative and fun ways to encourage classroom attendance. The CUTS program mentioned in Assistant Principal Walter’s email may have attracted some families back to the district. Alas, the planning and execution were botched, and the interrogation activities left some parents feeling gaslighted.
I will never understand why school districts are so opposed to (or ignorant of) parental rights legislation. If you want students to enroll and attend, why wouldn’t you appeal to and listen to parents? If parents want a safe, academic-focused environment that’s free from politics, why not invest in that instead of engaging in a power struggle over their kids? In other industries, when a company loses business, board members and directors will research competitors and come up with ways to recapture the market by providing quality products and services.
This concept is simple when applied to education: If public schools don’t want parents to withdraw their children and go to private schools, then they should do what private schools do. Adopt their academic model and offer it at a lower cost. Stop waving rainbow flags and talking about gender and skin color. Stop asking intrusive questions and forming inappropriate bonds with other people’s kids. Give parents a reason to trust you. Or is that too much common sense for government folk?
School board elections are not magic. Ideally, we’d like to “get our guy in office,” trust that they have our best interests in mind, and carry on with our lives. This is not reality. More often than not, time reveals that “our guy” will say whatever needs to be said to gain our support and then turn on the dime of sleazy administrators, radical union leaders, and leftist community members. Unfortunately, this pattern emerges even in school districts that many consider as having a “conservative majority.”
Despite all the online drama that erupted over those attendance surveys, I was the only one who attended and spoke about it at the last Deer Valley school board meeting. Digital outrage accomplishes absolutely nothing in real time, and virtual group therapy has no power to shift this situation. DVUSD is corrupt. The school board is dysfunctional, the superintendent is shady, and educators are lacking real leadership. Now that they have your money, what’s their incentive to do right by your children? Who will hold them accountable, if not you?
Tiffany Benson is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education. Her commentaries on education, politics, and Christian faith can be viewed at Parentspayattention.com and Bigviewsmallwindow.com. Follow her on socials @realtiffanyb.
