K-12 superintendents are the CEOs of public schools, spearheading a cabinet of professionals who manage district resources and implement safety and academic programs. Superintendent qualifications may include a doctorate of philosophy (Ph.D.) or education (Ed.D.) and some experience in finance, communications, and organizational leadership.
Superintendents are paid exorbitant salaries topping close to $1 million, depending on the district size. This amount does not include performance bonuses, work vehicles, mobile devices, or lavish vacation packages—er, I mean, “out-of-state professional development conferences.” Whether superintendents do good or evil, employment agreements stipulate that they receive full compensation and benefits, largely at the taxpayers’ expense.
Arizona public schools are home to some of the most ethically challenged and morally questionable high-level administrators. K-12 superintendents across the Valley primarily care about aesthetics and the “business of the district.” Below is an incomplete list of superintendents with controversial reputations, alongside the elected officials who bow to their almighty paper-pushing agenda.
Newly hired Higley USD Superintendent David Loutzenheiser now sits on the dais with governing board members, leaving his cabinet on the floor. This arrangement was approved by the purple-haired board president, Amanda Wade, who once advocated for striking the word “immoral” from teacher-student communication policies. Radical board member Tiffany Schultz—who once declared that professional dress codes “sexualize children’s bodies”—backed Wade’s decision to disrupt the chain of command. No one but Loutzenheiser benefited from this stunt. He set a bad precedent for what’s to come. Read more in AZ Free News.
Earlier this year, a resident in the Cartwright Elementary School District sued two board members for nepotism, citing A.R.S. 15-421. Cassandra Hernandez (elected at age 19) is the daughter of board president and state representative Lydia Hernandez (D). Despite using different addresses on their campaign applications, constituents cried foul and called for their resignations. The Hernandezes led a charge to install the disgraced former Maricopa County Superintendent Steve Watson as district superintendent. Watson is accused of fraud and leaving behind an infestation of financial deficits, lawsuits, and dysfunction in the county office. Cartwright residents have no reason to expect Watson will leave their district any better than he found it.
Deer Valley USD residents constantly complain across social media about Superintendent Curtis Finch’s dismissive “leadership” style. Residents are also suspicious of Finch’s camaraderie with board president Paul Carver, who once told a room full of conservatives that Finch is the best superintendent in the state. Both men support a twice-failed ballot measure that would allow the district to exceed its budget. Finch defended the 15% override, stating: “The anti-public school movement is growing here in Arizona, which is a crime against humanity.” Whether or not good things are happening in DVUSD is up for interpretation, but declining enrollment numbers are the telltale sign of a district in freefall. Go Parents!
No list of sketchy superintendents is complete without Scottsdale USD’s Scott Menzel. He is a freak show in his own right, accounting for the majority of the district’s media exposure. Menzel is widely known for shaming white people who don’t feel guilty about their skin color. Before vacating their seats, debased board members Zach Lindsay, Libby Hart-Wells, and Julie Cienawski extended Menzel’s contract through 2025. Under his “leadership,” SUSD chartered more student-led sexuality clubs, adopted an anti-police curriculum, and circulated hundreds of pornographic books in school libraries. As a result, in 2024, the Arizona School Administrators organization proudly named Menzel the National Superintendent of the Year (this title must be reserved for clowns).
Peoria USD has a slightly better handle on its administration problem since board president Heather Rooks removed Superintendent K.C. Somers from the dais. This establishes a clear separation of employer and employee while respecting the expertise each brings to the district. Unfortunately, though, Somers is developing a reputation for operating in subtle forms of manipulation and subversion, as if he’s trying to sabotage the board members he can’t control. I once attended a meeting where Somers yowled at board members when they ripped off the COVID-19 funding band-aid. Interestingly, before coming to Arizona, Somers was the superintendent of a Colorado school district steeped in scandal and cover-up. He would do well to note that PUSD residents won’t sit for that.
(Dis)honorable Mentions: Tolleson Union HS Superintendent Jeremy Calles morally and financially bankrupted his district. Former Mesa Public Schools Supt. Andi Fourlis oversaw an untold number of social gender transitions without parental knowledge. Tucson USD Supt. Gabriel Trujillo encouraged and attended a student-led drag show on campus, even after one teen was sexually abused by a high school counselor who organized the opening event. Chandler USD Supt. Frank Narducci declared a “week of kindness” and distributed 9-1-1 stickers after unchecked bullying led to one student’s murder and another student’s suicide. There’s more, but we’re out of time.
Those who can’t get elected apply for high-power jobs. Most K-12 superintendents have no campaign grit and no winning personality. Thus, they depend on compromised board members to execute their agenda. Superintendents don’t represent the whole community—they represent the educated community. They may be intellectual experts, but they don’t swear an oath to the U.S. Constitution, and they are not the final governing authority.
The board of education—elected officials who report to taxpayers (that’s you!)—hires the superintendent, and they ultimately decide what to approve or reject. No one is demanding perfection. Arizona families simply want integrity, transparency, and common sense. K-12 community members who experience dissatisfaction with bloated, overcompensated administrative teams should call, email, request meetings, alert the media, and speak at school board meetings. When superintendents refuse to operate within the scope and ability of their job description, expose them.
The Peoria Unified School Board (PUSD) has adopted new Student Privacy and Anti-Discrimination policies to provide “clarity on critical issues that have remained ambiguous in practice for years.”
Under the student privacy policy, the district aims to reaffirm “long-standing sex-based privacy standards,” and ensure that all multi-person restrooms, showers, and locker rooms in the district will be limited to use determined by biological sex while “allowing safe and reasonable accommodations for students who request additional privacy.” Under the expanded Anti-Discrimination policy, the district will include protections for pregnancy and parenting status, veteran status, genetic information, and define sex as biological sex in addition to maintaining its protections for individuals based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, and disability.
A press release from PUSD explains that the new policies are “Rooted in the original intent of Title IX, which was enacted over 50 years ago to prohibit sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.” It added that the policies uphold “the principles of equal opportunity while recognizing inherent biological differences, particularly in athletics and privacy accommodations.”
“By adopting these standards, the Board ensures that students have access to a learning environment that respects their rights and privacy, while also shifting accommodation responsibilities back onto the district rather than placing the burden on other students.”
Board President Heather Rooks said in a statement, “As a member of the Peoria Unified School Board, I am committed to Leading with Excellence by ensuring the safety and privacy of every student. A strong Student Privacy Policy is not just a district priority—it is a community expectation. Parents and stakeholders trust us to create secure learning environments where students can thrive. This policy reflects the values of our district and the broader public. National surveys, including Rasmussen, consistently show that a majority of Americans support maintaining sex-based privacy standards in restrooms and locker rooms. Protecting student privacy is essential for their well-being and security.”
The PUSD policies have been a topic of contention on the school board since 2023 when the Governing Board voted to reject a motion to even draft such a policy as reported by AZ Free News. However, under the newly elected administration led by Rooks, the policies have been adopted in short order.
Rooks, fresh off of a U.S. District Court ruling against her lawsuit on biblical quotation during board meetings, has also said via her legal team that she intends to resume quoting Bible passages. Judge Michael Liburdi determined that emailed opinions of the school district’s attorney constitutes “legal advice to board members,” and not an action to prevent her from doing so.
First Liberty Institute, the legal organization representing Rooks told the outlet in a statement, “Heather plans to resume saying the Bible verses at the next board meeting, and appeal the district court’s ruling to ensure her speech remains protected.”
The newly elected Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) board president is a conservative mother, declining to re-elect the sitting president.
PUSD elected its new president, Heather Rooks, during Thursday’s regular board meeting following their 8-hour study session. Members Janelle Bowles, Jeff Tobey, and Becky Proudfit voted for Rooks, with only board member Melissa Ewing voting against. Ewing didn’t provide an explanation for her “no” vote.
Proudfit attempted to re-elect herself, but only Ewing voted for her.
Public comment on the board president election expressed hope in the prospect of new leadership.
One mother and community advocate, Nikki Eancheff, explained that Rooks helped her navigate school procedures after her daughter encountered a boy in a girls’ restroom at Liberty High School.
“What Mrs. Rooks said earlier today in the retreat, that she was elected by parents to be our voice and be our champion and advocate here in the board room and the district level is the truth,” said Eancheff.
Several other mothers also expressed their overt support for Rooks due to her prioritization of parents while backing public schools.
Kristen Balthis with the Peoria Principals’ Association said that while their organization didn’t endorse any one candidate, they supported the candidate that “can facilitate the education environment that allows our children to thrive.”
Teddy Todd, who has spoken out against PUSD board policies before, expressed her pleasure with the makeup of the governing board for this year, and said she hoped the president would foster “trust, hope, and collaboration” among all members.
However, those aligned with the teachers’ unions disagreed with some parents’ desire for change.
Trina Berg, president of the Peoria Education Association (PEA), asked for the reelection of Becky Proudfit for board president. PEA is part of the Arizona Education Association and the National Education Association. Berg questioned whether Rooks’ lawsuit against PUSD presented a conflict of interest.
In September 2023, Rooks sued PUSD for prohibiting her from quoting Bible verses during board meetings. The First Liberty Institute is representing Rooks in her case, which is ongoing. The Arizona District Court scheduled in-person oral argument for Friday in the case.
Berg also said that Rooks didn’t exhibit the qualities of a president, citing her past decisions to step out of executive meetings she felt should be public as well as Rooks’ decision to not silence certain speech from her supporters.
“Allowing misconceptions and sometimes downright misinformation to flourish and move through your group of supporters on social media without any correction is not leadership material,” said Berg.
Devon Moseler, vice president of PEA, also asked for the reelection of Proudfit for board president.
“We may not always agree with decisions that have been made, but we have appreciated the transparency and willingness to discuss challenging topics in an effort to understand the needs of our educators, administrators, and students,” said Moseler.
Proudfit’s husband, Taylor Proudfit, urged the board members to change their minds on Rooks and vote for his wife. Taylor claimed that board members supporting Rooks weren’t voting in accordance with their constituents.
Rooks’ rise to the leadership position came, in part, from the elections of new members Bowles and Tobey, ensuring the board’s flip to a majority of more conservative-minded members.
In recent years, the PUSD board came under community and even national scrutiny for adopting policies that favored progressive ideologies. This included the alignment with the Biden administration’s interpretation of Title IX which ordered schools to allow bathroom or locker room access based on gender identity. Ewing was one of the defendants of that policy, arguing that discrimination based on gender identity violates Title IX protections.
Rooks attended PUSD and graduated from Sunrise Mountain High School. Rooks first took office in January 2023.
Rooks’ campaign platform prioritized parental rights, academics, and organizational transparency. She ran in opposition to mandates for masks and COVID vaccines, Critical Race Theory ideology, and sexual content materials in classrooms.
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Conservatives and commonsense residents in the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) have a majority on the governing board! Shout out and thanks to Jeff Tobey and Janelle Bowles for stepping up to lead the community.
Since Peoria finally elected a slate (the RINOs got Rebecca Proudfit; conservatives got Tobey and Bowles), you’d think the powers that be would stop trying to manipulate and control the district. Nope. Before the election results were finalized—and it appeared Proudfit and former leftist board member David Sandoval were no longer in power—I heard rumblings of local leaders attempting to undermine the majority vote.
I initially exposed these shenanigans on my Substack entitled “Beware of Tainted Golden Tickets.” The post details how LD27 Chair Carol Ayotte and former LD28 Chair Lori Bango—along with their proxy minions—led their PCs to endorse a liberal (Proudfit). It’s come to my attention that certain community leaders are involved in another shadow campaign to appoint a board president who will work in opposition to current board member Heather Rooks.
No one on the PUSD school board has worked harder than Rooks to support students, families, and teachers. Rooks has not compromised her position on transparency, parental involvement, and quality education. She has also taken the most hits for boldly exercising her First Amendment rights. Understandably, this is a threat and an offense to those who don’t believe in God or the U.S. Constitution.
So, it appears her fatal flaw—from a Democrat and fake Republican perspective—is that she cannot be controlled.
What exactly is going through the minds of “Republicans” who want to silence one of Arizona’s strongest school board candidates? Why do they want true conservatives to care about Democrats/liberals feelings? When did it become our responsibility to “be nice” and avoid offending those who call us “racist” and “transphobic”? This whole scenario reminds me of a cinematic idiom that asks:
“Why worry about snakes in the garden when you’ve got spiders in your bed?”
That may sound like a rhetorical question. But the main issue plaguing true conservatives today is not leftists/Democrats—it’s all the morally compromised, bad actors with an “R” behind their name looking to capitalize on personal gains and party interests. As for me, I will remain a Rooks supporter. I offer no apologies for standing with her and with legitimate conservative values.
If the truth is offensive, then I say: let the truth offend. Truth has the power to set people free.
When Rooks was elected to the PUSD school board in 2022, her bid for the presidency was voted down in favor of her taking the clerk position. Surprisingly, it was leftist Peoria Education Association President Trina Berg who said:
“Having been a president of an organization before—having to have some type of background knowledge, how things work, that in depth knowledge—it’s really difficult to be elected and then immediately go right into a leadership position like that…I actually fully support Rooks [for the clerk position]. I think you should be in a leadership position.”
Nevertheless, when Proudfit was newly appointed by the corrupt former Maricopa County Superintendent Steve Watson, she was immediately nominated for board president by Sandoval. This hypocrisy led PUSD further in the wrong direction for an entire year. Thus, Berg’s words ring true.
If you go back and listen to public comments during the January 12, 2023, and January 11, 2024, school board meetings, you will hear the majority of PUSD community members speaking in favor of Rooks for president. You will witness the same on January 9, 2025, with the exception of those who want her and the district to fail. Only those with an ulterior motive are working to undermine the last two years of Rooks’ community service.
While RINOs are catering to their morally inept counterparts, PUSD’s current policies, curriculum, and predators on the payroll are corrupting the next generation. There’s serious business that needs to be taken care of in this district. Parents and taxpayers don’t have time for hidden agendas and backstabbing community leaders. So, I’ll state it more matter-of-factly:
We the People of Peoria Unified School District challenged authority, investigated, and asked questions. We rejected that gaslighting proposition from LD27 and LD28 executive members. And we will do it again in 2026. Duly elected officials are not beholden to sleazy factions that infiltrate the true grassroots movement. Political activists attempting to thwart the will of Peoria voters should reconsider their position before they’re exposed (again).
Listen as Rooks explains why she’s the right person to lead PUSD’s governing board:
“I’ve been pretty clear that I’m all in for the parents and their children in the Peoria Unified School District. I have built relationships…with teachers, with different staff members, [and] they have entrusted me with the daily concerns that they see. My focus for Peoria Unified is on the students’ academic needs…advocating for their safety, communicating with our parents…and being a voice for the community. “I have never wavered from who I am and what my values are and what I ran on. And I’m not going to step away from those values because that’s what I ran on when people elected me into this seat.”
—PUSD Board Member Heather Rooks
Let’s all look forward to throwing our full support behind Heather Rooks for PUSD board president on January 9, 2025.
Voters will forever be disadvantaged if they keep believing school board races are “nonpartisan.” As a formality, progressive candidates David Sandoval, Melissa Girmscheid, and Mikah Dyer are registered with no party declared. Don’t be fooled by this. They fully intend to unleash a far-left agenda if they secure seats on the Peoria Unified Board of Education this November.
All three candidates are endorsed by the sleazy, nonprofit hack Save Our Schools Arizona (SOS). SOS is a radical, union-loving, anti-parent organization with a special hatred for school choice. They even dedicated an entire page to demonizing empowerment scholarship accounts (ESA). One bullet point under “Get the Facts,” says, “The minimum ESA voucher is $500 higher than the state per pupil funding to district schools.”
To that I say, the year-over-year state ranking of 48 to 50 confirms that our public schools are a failed government experiment. At the same time, by some estimates, Arizona ranks #1 in school choice. One source said the average homeschooled student scores 15-30% higher on standardized academic achievement tests. So, it appears that $500 is well spent.
In April 2024, a columnist for The Washington Postfound that Arizona spends about $13,500 per public school student compared to an ESA average of $7,143. This prompted the writer to declare, “[I]f everyone opted for ESAs, the state would save money.” Wow, that’s a difference of nearly $6,400 in favor of parents’ choice! I promise not to hold this little discrepancy against SOS members who graduated from Arizona public schools (especially since recent state test scores show math proficiency at 34%).
Board candidate Dyer—who graduated from PUSD in May 2024—is also anti-parent. Of course, this is a rite of passage for teenagers. In an article by The Courier, Dyer spoke against the conservative parent organization Moms for Liberty, a group that was founded around the time Dyer “graduated” from middle school. Dyer told the Courier that he thinks students know how to best serve the majority of their classmates.
Sorry, Dyer, kids don’t know what’s best for kids, and neither do government schools. This is why we have parental rights legislation affirming the ultimate authority of primary caregivers. Children don’t make final decisions on anything they’re not mature enough or financially stable enough to manage on their own, especially K-12 education.
In the same article, Dyer claimed that students were “not worried about what’s happening in the restrooms” on campus. This statement effectively silenced all the PUSD students who spoke out at school board meetings last year and lined up to protest the cross-dressing boy who was allowed to use the girls’ bathrooms. I remember Dyer attending those board meetings. He even made public comments in opposition to those students’ concerns. So, I’d say he’s out of touch with his adolescent peers.
Not only is Dyer’s worldview shaped by a school district that prefers “rainbow libraries” over academics, he’s also campaigning alongside current PUSD board member David Sandoval—a leftist who discriminates against Christians. Sandoval’s claim to fame is his tenure on the board. Despite winning a seat in 2016, and re-election in 2020, he has little to no achievements in the ways of sound district policies, student safety, or academic improvement.
Sandoval voted in favor of permitting males to invade female spaces. He has no issue giving unlicensed, psycho-emotional grifters access to students’ mental health. In a hostile climate of school shootings and bullying, Sandoval doesn’t consider Student Resource Officers a high priority. If teachers and staff want to bypass state law and travel for CRT/DEI/SEL conferences, Sandoval’s vote is guaranteed. Circling back to math proficiency, within a year of Sandoval’s swearing-in, PUSD students were testing at a failure rate of 49%. On his watch, that dropped to 37% by 2023. Notwithstanding various uncontrollable factors and administrative issues, Sandoval is fundamentally lacking in leadership capabilities.
Board candidate Melissa Girmscheid is a cut above the rest having previously taught math and science in PUSD. She’s running a clean campaign to the untrained eye, but let’s be real: Girmscheid’s ideological roots and the party’s agenda won’t let her focus solely on academics. Her “endorsements and distinctions” tell the story of a candidate beholden to hazardous teachers’ unions, LGBTQ and sex-ed advocacy groups, and a “social change” movement that exists to “promote feminist ideals.” Furthermore, Girmscheid earned a seal of approval from “the only organization in the nation focused on recruiting, training, and electing Democrats with a background in science to public office.”
Earlier this year, the trio participated in a candidate forum hosted by Secular AZ—an anti-God club fixated on mythical interpretations of “separation of church and state.” During the interview, all three candidates gave a resounding “yes” to the question of reintroducing sex education curriculum. They agreed that PUSD educators should be discussing “reproductive health” and “consent” with students as young as 10 years old. There’s only one word to describe an adult who thinks about innocent children in this context: evil.
If Peoria residents want a school district that’s centered on safety, academics, and fiscal responsibility—Jeff Tobey and Janelle Bowles are the trustworthy candidates. We must reject any contender who will prioritize special interests above students, infringe upon parental rights, and plunge our education system further into darkness.
I’ve done my due diligence by bringing all this to your attention. Spread the word.
