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.
Positive education experiences from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s are dwindling away. Today, students are facing unprecedented onslaughts of inappropriate attention and criminal behaviors at the hands of district representatives and staff members. Public schools are no longer safe for children. These government indoctrination camps now exist to create and perpetuate cycles of crises while producing a victimized citizenry that’s controlled by fear.
Child abuse is increasing at alarming rates as a growing number of educators and administrators commit atrocious acts against their students. These incidents range from emotional to psychological to illicit sexual encounters. In some cases, predators are impregnated by their victims and vice versa. If that’s not enough, Biden’s new Title IX regulations effectively remove privacy and safety barriers between males and females on school campuses.
According to a report from The Federalist, one in 10 students are sexually abused by teachers. These findings agree with a 2017 case study from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service that revealed 10% of K-12 students will fall prey to sexual impropriety by a school employee. Furthermore, CBSNews quoted an estimate from the Department of Education (DOE) that said “12% of all public school students in the United States experience sexual misconduct by the time they graduate high school.”
The Federalist declared:
“Every day millions of parents put their children under the care of public school teachers, administrators, and support staff. Their trust, however, is frequently broken by predators…in what appears to be the largest ongoing sexual abuse scandal in our nation’s history. Given the roughly 50 million students in U.S. K-12 schools each year, the number of students who have been victims of sexual misconduct by school employees is probably in the millions each decade…For a variety of reasons…elected or appointed officials, along with unions or lobbying groups…have fought to keep the truth hidden from the public.”
For clarification: Out of 50 million children enrolled in public schools each year—between five and six million are sexually abused by a teacher or district staff member! Unfortunately, these statistics most likely represent a mere fraction of sex crimes that are never reported or investigated.
According to CBS, Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) paid out over $45 million to settle multiple cases of child sexual abuse dating back to the late 1990s. The report said the district repeatedly failed to take action against predators on their payroll, opting instead to relocate these criminals to different schools or nearby districts. The CBS documentary “Pledge of Silence” further exposed RUSD’s cover up of rape and sexual abuse that occurred between 1999 and 2022.
The DOE is still investigating hundreds of sex crimes and Title IX violations that allegedly occurred on school campuses across the nation.
District policies and school libraries are breeding grounds for sexual grooming and child abuse. Parents Defending Education compiled a list of U.S. school districts that actively implement “transgender support plans” and similar gender-based practices. These programs serve as de facto policies and guidelines that enable government employees to engage minors in intimate conversations without parental knowledge or consent. Many students also have access to pornographic reading materials during educational hours.
Mesa Public Schools (MPS) Board President Marcie Hutchison and Superintendent Andi Fourlis have overseen an unknown number of social gender transitions via the district’s secretive transgender support plan. The plan—which was implemented in 2015 and includes a student’s choice of bathrooms—resulted in a recently dismissed lawsuit. Furthermore, a general search of the MPS virtual library reveals numerous LGBT-themed texts including:
Under the leadership of Superintendent Scott Menzel and a radical majority governing board, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) supplies students with novels that depict young people as victims of rape, incest, sex trafficking, and graphic homosexual activities. The reality of these situations is irrelevant to the fact that parents/guardians have the authority to decide at what age or maturity level their children are introduced to these topics. The existence of such nasty books in K-12 schools draws attention to the motives of district officials who enable and entertain discussions about multiple sexuality disorders, sodomy, and prostitution among children.
The screenshot below features several titles with an “adult” interest level that appear available on SUSD’s virtual library page.
These examples don’t scratch the surface of what’s being forced on children through public education. We are witnessing a federally funded, trauma-infused, demoralization of the next generation. Not nearly enough parents are outraged by this tragedy. Not nearly enough students have been pulled from government indoctrination camps, though some promising trends are starting to emerge.
According to the Heritage Foundation’s “State Report Card,” Arizona ranks #1 for education choice and #2 overall in education freedom. The Washington Post said, “ESAs provide an average of $7,143 for parents of children leaving traditional public schools…Arizona spends about $13,500 per public school student; if everyone opted for ESAs, the state would save money.”
As leftist politicians work hard to demonize and destroy parents’ choice, it’s not recommended that families solely rely on ESAs. There may be more suitable and secure funding alternatives that can withstand volatile election cycles. Any amount of time spent researching this topic will be worthwhile. Still, as the door of opportunity stands wide open, we should do everything we can to intervene in the lives of our youngest, most vulnerable, and innocent members of society.
Parents: it’s not only your right, but also your responsibility to proactively defend your kids against the evil that’s manifesting in our education system. Use your authority to seize control of your child’s mental and physical health by removing them from dangerous, predator-infested public schools. You won’t regret the sacrifices you make to spare your sons and daughters from becoming the prey of wolves in teachers’ clothes.
Tiffany is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education, a grassroots advocate for families, educators, and school board members. For nearly two decades, Tiffany’s creative writing pursuits have surpassed most interests as she continues to contribute to her blogBigviewsmallwindow.com. She encourages everyday citizens to take an active role in defending and preserving American values for future generations.
I’ve consulted with several Maricopa County constituents and learned very few of us understand the role and responsibilities of the Superintendent of Schools. One thing’s for sure, we cannot allow a simpleton to remain in office. For those unaware, Maricopa County Superintendent Steve Watson—who was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020—is currently under heavy scrutiny for fraud.
The “May 2024 Maricopa County Regional School District Performance Audit” cites multiple findings of budget mismanagement and suspicious financial activities. MCRSD, which includes the Juvenile Detention Education Program and the Maricopa Accommodation Schools, are directly under Watson’s governance. Below are a few highlighted results from the performance audit:
“District administration and plant operations costs for the last two full fiscal years exceed the state average for school districts…Recommendations: Establish an expenditure budget for the Schools that include budget balance carry forward for which cash reserves are on deposit…Obtain training on school district budget and finance.”
“Budgeting practices are ineffective and do not prevent overspending and cash deficits. Lack of understanding and communication regarding the District’s budget have led to excessive expenditures and cash deficits…Recommendations: Ensure the correct budget is uploaded to [the Arizona Department of Education]…Monitor cash levels to prevent interest charges assessed on line of credit usage.”
“The District did not comply with State procurement guidelines when executing purchases in excess of required thresholds…Recommendations: Comply with [Arizona Administrative Codes] and [Uniform System of Financial Records] prior to executing purchases…Ensure curriculum is approved by the District Governing Board.”
In 2022, the Accommodation School District spent $2 million over its budget. Also, on July 17, 2024, ABC 15 Arizona politely reported, “Maricopa County school districts are needing to shell out about $150 million after a judge says a group of property owners were improperly taxed…that money needs to be returned as part of a lawsuit.”
What good is a county superintendent who refuses to comply with state laws and regulations? Not only is Watson fiscally incompetent, he’s also a Republican hack who cannot be trusted to appoint conservative candidates to school boards.
Many constituents have mentioned to me that Watson’s strategy as a follower of Mormon religion is to deliberately select Mormons to serve in office. I will say this appears to be the case with Courtney Davis in Mesa Public Schools (MPS) and Rebecca Proudfit in Peoria Unified School District (PUSD). And, like Watson, they identify as conservatives while governing as liberals.
When the time came for Watson to fill an MPS Governing Board vacancy, he intentionally bypassed candidate Ed Steele—a strong conservative, community leader and runner up during the 2022 midterm elections. Before administering the oath of office to Davis, Watson told constituents:
“This is really hard because when I say good and nice things about somebody who I hold in high esteem, other people think that’s umm — they might feel like I’m putting other people down. And that’s not the case. Here in [MPS], we had 49 people initially apply for this vacancy…and so, Courtney is great. She’s going to do a terrific job. And that’s not to say that the other people were terrible…In choosing Courtney, I had to pick somebody, right? Somebody has to get this position…Just understand this isn’t putting anybody else down.”
Seriously!? What public official talks like this!?
Watson gave a social-emotional speech instead of telling the people exactly who Courtney Davis is. What qualifications put her above the other 48 applicants? Did she attend and speak at any MPS board meetings before the appointment? Are her kids even enrolled in Mesa’s public schools? What are her core values? What leadership experience does she possess? Surely, religious affiliation wasn’t Watson’s only prerequisite for appointing her…right?
Well, it’s been a year and Mesa constituents now know where Davis’ values truly lie. From seconding the reelection of corrupt Marcie Hutchinson for MPS board president, to campaigning alongside Democrats, Davis—who coincidentally registered as “nonpartisan”—is decidedly left. Make no mistake, Ed Steele and Sharon Benson are the trustworthy conservatives running for Mesa Board of Education.
In PUSD, Watson intentionally bypassed several qualified, conservative candidates (namely Jeff Tobey) to appoint Proudfit. Over the past nine months, she has wittingly veered left.
Despite all this and more, some LD leaders in the West Valley have forfeited wisdom and discernment. There are talks of tainting the so-called “golden ticket” by promoting Proudfit as a conservative PUSD candidate. And for no other reason than she’s a nice person and she’s well-liked by affluent Establishment Republican types (a.k.a. RINOs). This is asinine. We only need to fill two seats for a conservative majority. Make no mistake, Jeff Tobey and Janelle Bowles are the only trustworthy conservatives running for Peoria school board.
For the record, I don’t vote for people because they’re nice or popular. I’m highly suspicious of representatives who claim to align with one party but are constantly praised by the opposition. I also refuse to cast a vote for anyone who doesn’t have time to run a campaign. Furthermore, if I were a respected public servant, I would not waste my endorsements on Democrats (a topic for another day). This foolishness is not a strategy. Just because you like someone and they have an “R” behind their name doesn’t mean throw away the Constitution and common sense.
This November, I’m calling on Arizonans to vote policies over personalities; vote for deep-rooted values over shallow virtues. Don’t just check a box because the person’s name is familiar. Do your research, increase your voter IQ, and vet the candidates, regardless of your relationship with them.
Join the conversation with two conservative candidates for Maricopa County Superintendent on Sunday, July 28 @ 3pm.
Tiffany is the Founder of Restore Parental Rights in Education, a grassroots advocate for families, educators, and school board members. For nearly two decades, Tiffany’s creative writing pursuits have surpassed most interests as she continues to contribute to her blog Bigviewsmallwindow.com. She encourages everyday citizens to take an active role in defending and preserving American values for future generations.
A north central Phoenix legislative district may have a chance to replace its Democrat state senator in the upcoming November election.
State Senator Christine Marsh is running for reelection in Arizona Legislative District 4 this November. Based on her history of election finishes, Marsh may be in for another close contest in the swing district.
Marsh has served in the Arizona Legislature since January 2021. In the November 2020 General Election, she defeated Republican State Senator Kate Brophy McGee by fewer than 500 votes in Legislative District 28 (under the last redistricting lines). The previous election, McGee had bested Marsh by 267 votes in the 2018 General Election.
In the first election under the new redistricting lines for the decade, Marsh won another narrow victory over Nancy Barto by less than 1,200 votes for the right to represent the citizens of Legislative District 4.
The Democrat legislator has been a fierce opponent of her state’s efforts to increase school choice opportunities for Arizona families. In January 2017, Marsh co-authored an op-ed in the Arizona Republic, entitled “Expanding vouchers is dangerous for Arizona.” She wrote, “Those of us who care deeply about public education and the future of our state must work together to focus on what impacts 80 percent of students in our state – stopping the expansion of vouchers and School Tuition Organizations.”
On June 24, 2022, Marsh voted against the historic legislation to expand Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program, joining nine of her colleagues.
The following year, Marsh penned another op-ed for the Arizona Republic, stating that “Anti-public-school Republicans have chosen a path apt to cut safety and services, and sacrifice Arizona’s next generation’s chance to succeed. It’s time our state scrapped the universal private school voucher expansion before our public school system and, more importantly, your neighborhood public school is shuttered.”
Marsh has proven to be a reliable Democrat vote during her time in office, joining her caucus on a number of controversial issues that haven’t always reflected the sentiments of her district. Many of her votes throughout her tenure in the Arizona Legislature defy one of her posted priorities on her campaign website, which reads that “we need more balance at the Capitol in order to force negotiation and compromise.”
In 2022, Marsh cosponsored SB 1281, which would have repealed the preemption on cities from banning plastic bags. That same year, she voted against bills that would have prohibited minors from having irreversible sex change surgeries, banned taxpayer money from going to lobbyists, stopped government from forcing children to mask up without parental consent, and prohibited one single politician from unilaterally shutting down businesses in a self-declared state of emergency.
That same year, when Marsh voted against a proposal requiring accommodations for students who do not want to use a bathroom with a student of the opposite sex, she said that the schools can just get shower curtains.
Earlier this year, Marsh voted against a bill “requiring students in grades 7 to 12 to be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides” – even though fellow Democrat, Governor Katie Hobbs, signed the legislation into state law.
REMEMBER: 10 Senate Democrats voted NO on requiring students in grades 7 to 12 to be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides.
Despite the disproval from Democrat lawmakers, Governor Hobbs went on to sign it into law. pic.twitter.com/o4BcbeO8s0
Marsh also “voted NO on tougher punishments for public school and public library employees who expose our children to wildly disgusting pornographic books and images.”
REMINDER: Senate Democrats voted NO on tougher punishments for public school and public library employees who expose our children to wildly disgusting pornographic books and images.
She voted against a bill “prohibiting the court from ending probation early for criminals who are in our country illegally and are being deported.”
REMINDER: All Senate Democrats present voted NO on prohibiting the court from ending probation early for criminals who are in our country illegally and are being deported.
This bill passed the Senate with full Republican support, but was later vetoed by Governor Hobbs. pic.twitter.com/IBKQwQc3oJ
At the end of the 2024 legislative session, Marsh opposed legislation “classifying Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.”
🚨JUST IN- A rare Saturday at the Capitol to wrap up the budget and bills, but Senate Democrats are up to the same disgusting and irresponsible tactics to work AGAINST the citizens of Arizona.
In another major action for the just completed legislative session, Marsh voted no on HCR 2060, which referred several border-related policies to the ballot in November for Arizona voters to empower local law enforcement with more tools to protect communities from the historic effects of the border crisis.
Today, all Arizona State Senate Democrats voted NO on:
❌Protecting our citizens from border related crimes ❌Providing law enforcement with tools to keep our communities safe ❌Preventing known terrorists from entering Arizona ❌Tougher punishments for criminals trafficking… pic.twitter.com/9v5vhfed5U
Additionally, Marsh voted against “a child safety bill cracking down on companies that don’t perform reasonable age verification before allowing access to the websites they manage with content considered harmful for children.”
🚨JUST IN- All Senate Democrats voted NO on a child safety bill cracking down on companies that don’t perform reasonable age verification before allowing access to the websites they manage with content considered harmful for children.
Senator Marsh has also been an advocate for legislation seeking to mitigate the liberty provided by the Second Amendment, boasting about Democrats’ efforts to pass universal background checks.”
On National Gun Violence Awareness Day, I #WearOrange because it is time we address the epidemic of gun violence.
Legislative Democrats have introduced numerous gun safety bills, including to mandate safe storage and universal background checks, that never receive consideration.
— Senator Christine Marsh (@ChristinePMarsh) June 7, 2024
On her website, Marsh lists several endorsements from interest groups, including left-leaning Arizona List, Moms Demand Action, and the Sierra Club.
Marsh is running unopposed for the Democrat nomination for state senator in the July primary election. Republicans Kenneth R. Bowers, Jr. and Carine Werner are vying for the Republican nomination to face the Democrat incumbent in the November General Election.
According to the Arizona Legislative District 4 Democrat Party, Republicans control 38% of the district’s voter registration, compared to 27% Democrats and 35% Other. In 2022, LD 4 had a higher voter turnout than both Maricopa County and the State of Arizona at 76%.
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The community school model establishes school-based health clinics and is championed by entities such as the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, big pharma, and Community-Based Organizations. This model is rapidly being implemented nationwide, leaving no state untouched. It increases governmental and powerful non-government organization (NGOs) control in K-12 public schools while driving a wedge between parents and children.
Concerns surrounding school-based health clinics include adopting models like the Whole School, Whole Community, and Whole Child (WSCC). These “community schools” serve as conduits for expanding governmental control over children. Of particular concern are issues related to parental consent and notification rights, especially concerning Medicaid billing and medical procedures carried out without parental knowledge or presence.
A Kentucky mom recently told her story on social media after her child saw a school dentist without her consent. The school authorized her daughter to receive anesthesia for a procedure the mother never agreed to. The family dentist later stated that her teeth were healthy and did not need the school’s dental care. That’s bad enough, but these government-run school-based health clinics are far more invasive than this.
This sounds eerily like a socialist healthcare agenda, particularly the Whole Child-Whole Community model advocated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This model not only undermines parental authority but introduces socialized healthcare into schools. Concerns include the potential for these programs to expand Medicaid coverage under the pretext of health equity.
School-based health clinics are backed by federal grants and championed by government organizations like the CDC. They aim to offer comprehensive primary health services directly within school campuses, encompassing physical and mental health care. The allocation of federal grants, such as the $50 million earmarked for school-based health services, and philanthropic investments of $23 million from entities like Melinda Gates’ company and Mackenzie Scott into organizations like the School-Based Health Alliance fuel apprehensions about these programs’ growing influence.
Funding for full-service Community Schools in the 2025 U.S. Budget has intensified these concerns. Such initiatives can deepen the medicalization of K-12 education and extend Medicaid coverage under the guise of health equity, potentially entangling the government further in family affairs. Recent developments include Biden’s expansion of Obamacare and the integration of mental health services into schools. Might this include a surveillance system akin to China’s social credit system?
Meanwhile, the partnership between schools and HRSA-supported health centers seeks to enhance access to comprehensive primary healthcare services for students and communities. These collaborations assert that they exist to promote health equity for families without healthcare. Yet, recent national survey data show that the uninsured rate among children (ages 0-17) fell from 6.4 percent in late 2020 to 4.5 percent in the third quarter of 2022. In addition, it appears to justify significant government spending by pulling on heartstrings.
In Arizona, efforts to address students’ mental health needs directly on school campuses are underway through partnerships with organizations like Touchstone Health Services and Valle Del Sol. These services, also funded through tax dollars, cover a spectrum of mental health concerns, from anxiety and depression to social isolation and stress. In rural communities like Graham County, telehealth options like Dialogue by DialCare have been deployed to overcome shortages of mental health professionals, granting students access to licensed counselors through virtual or telephonic counseling sessions. These developments raise the red flag of school-based counselors engaging in conversations or therapy with students without parental knowledge or consent.
Then there are school-linked services, facilitated by school nurses and School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), which aim to improve student and family access to health and human services by providing comprehensive, accessible, and coordinated care on and off school grounds. Again, these initiatives are touted as prioritizing students’ health and well-being. That sounds like the role of parents, not schools.
Arizona Women of Action is very concerned about the impact of Community Schools on families and education. These schools prioritize health-related issues over the traditional primary focus on academics in education. We encourage the ADE to reassess contracts with Medicaid and Public Consulting Group, considering the troubling implications of their equity-based approach.
In response to the growing presence of School-Based Health Clinics meddling in family affairs, one vigilant mother from X has issued a cautionary message and actionable steps for parents to take. She advises parents to request a comprehensive list of all personnel, including representatives from Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), who have access to students on school campuses and to actively engage in posing questions to school officials to monitor the funding sources entering their children’s schools closely.
Schools do not exist to function as health clinics, and parents should scrutinize the details of any forms or school registration documents, ensuring they understand the implications of granting access to various personnel and services regarding their child.
Tamra Farah has twenty years of experience in public policy and politics, focusing on protecting individual liberty and promoting limited government. She’s served at the director level at Americans for Prosperity-Colorado, FreedomWorks, and currently with Arizona Women of Action.
