Spring 2013 ASBA Journal

ARIZONA

SCHOOL

BOARDS

SPRING 2013

ASSOCIATION VOL. 43, NO. 2

Building the Future Today STEM education takes root

The New Political Agenda Process

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How We Lobby

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35,000+ Covered Members 167 Participating Schools $149 million in annual contributions Excellent Benefits - 8 Flexible Benefit Plans to choose from BlueCross/BlueShield of Arizona Provider Network incorporated as part of the plan design

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Phone: 602.789.1170 or 800.762.2234 ii ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

ARIZONA

SCHOOL

BOARDS

ASSOCIATION

Spring 2013

Vol. 43, No. 2 Members drive all of ASBA’s positions on issues that affect K-12 education. Read more about how ASBA lobbies on page 28.

O DEPARTMENTS 3

President’s Message Committing to Success for All Students

By Randy Schiller, ASBA President

5

Viewpoints

O FEATURES 12

Sahuarita partnership yields needed facilities, community pride

True School Board Leadership Breeds Homegrown ‘Reform’

By Don Harris, Contributing Writer

By Dr. Timothy Ogle, ASBA Executive Director

6

ASBA News

Working Together for Success

14

STEM Takes Root

By Tracey Benson, ASBA Director of Communications

K-12 educational programs growing in response to dynamic workforce needs

9

ASBA Calendar of Events

By Don Harris, Contributing Writer

23

Leadership Matters

17

Arizona schools embedding STEM, engaging students in many ways

Building a High-Performance Culture through Employee Engagement

By Don Harris, Contributing Writer

By Karen Loftus, ASBA Director of Leadership Development

26

Capitol View

21

Transforming ASBA’s Political Agenda

By Chris Thomas, ASBA General Counsel and Director of Legal and Policy Services

34

By Don Harris, Contributing Writer

Education and the Law Your Questions Answered

Charting a Course for STEM Implementation Online immersion guide helps districts assess, plan and sustain programs that meet local needs

By Janice Palmer, ASBA Director of Governmental Relations & Public Affairs

30

Building the Future Today

28

How We Lobby Member views drive all positions

By Tracey Benson, ASBA Director of Communications

ASBA Affiliate Members

On the cover, a student in the gifted and talented program at Mesa Public Schools’ MacArthur Elementary works on a robotics project in the classroom of teacher Erik Von Burg, Arizona's 2013 Science Teacher of the Year. (Photo by Erin Martinelli) A Lego Panthers robotics team member from Horizon Elementary School (Glendale ESD) lines up her team's robot during a competition held earlier this year at Carl Hayden High School (Phoenix Union HSD).

Read more about why and how Arizona schools are integrating STEM education beginning on page 14.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 1

ARIZONA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION O Officers President Randy Schiller President Elect Elaine Hall Treasurer Jesus Rubalcava Secretary Kathy Knecht Immediate Past President Michael Hughes

O County Directors, Caucus Leadership and NSBA Representatives Apache Arnold Goodluck Cochise Jeffery Crandall Coconino Jerry Williams Gila Barbara Underwood Graham Dalene Griffin Greenlee Kimberly Lunt La Paz Harlow Harper Maricopa Bill Adams Maricopa Bonnie Sneed Mohave Tom Duranceau Navajo Linda Yazzie Pima Jim Coulter Pima Sara Mae Williams Pinal Torri Anderson Santa Cruz Pending appointment Yavapai Barry Sharp Yuma Marvin Marlatt Hispanic/Native American Indian Caucus Eva Carillo Dong Black Caucus David Evans NSBA Pacific Region Director Cynthia Matus Morriss

O Staff Executive Director Dr. Timothy Ogle Director of Administrative Services Ellen White Director of Communications Tracey Benson Director of Governmental Relations/Public Affairs Janice Palmer Director of Leadership Development Karen Loftus Director of Legal and Policy Services/ General Counsel Chris Thomas Assistant Director of Policy Services Dr. Terry L. Rowles Executive Search and Senior Policy Consultant Steve Highlen Policy Consultant Nick Buzan Technology and Information Specialist Michael Barcia Governmental Relations Analyst Geoff Esposito Policy Technician Renae Watson Member Services Coordinator Shirley Simpson Secretary to the Executive Director Kristi Johnson Administrative Secretary Jolene Hale Administrative Secretary Sara Nilsson Administrative Secretary Elizabeth Sanchez Receptionist Cassie Smith Publication Policy: Articles printed herein may be divergent in point of view and controversial in nature. The materials published in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of those who write them, and not necessarily the views or policies of the Arizona School Boards Association. © 2013 by the Arizona School Boards Association.

Address all correspondence to: ASBA Journal Editor 2100 N. Central Ave., Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: 602-254-1100; 1-800-238-4701 editor@azsba.org; Website: www.azsba.org Annual subscription rate $24 Production and Design by S&L Printing & Mailing, Inc. £{ÓnÊ7°Ê-> Ê*i`À ÊUÊ LiÀÌ]Ê <ÊnxÓÎÎÊUÊ{nä { Ç nän£

ARIZONA SCHOOL B O A R D S A S S O C I AT I O N Quality leadership and advocacy for children in public schools

OUR MISSION Promoting elected local governance of public education and continuous improvement of student success by providing leadership and assistance to public school governing boards.

OUR GOALS Provide model training and leadership emphasizing best practices in public school governance.

Represent and advocate for the diverse interests of public school governing boards.

Advocate the core beliefs and political agenda as adopted by the membership.

OUR CORE BELIEFS ASBA believes…

The basic life needs of children must be met for them to succeed.

Meeting the unique educational needs of all students must be the foundation of our school systems.

The governance of public schools must lie with locally elected and accountable school district governing boards.

The accountability for student success is a shared responsibility of the students, parents, governing board, district staff and the community.

Public education funding must be broad-based, stable and at a level that assures all students receive an education that enables them to be successful.

State and federal mandates must be funded.

Knowledgeable and professionally trained governing board members are fundamental for ensuring student success.

Learn more at www.azsba.org

O PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

By Randy Schiller, ASBA President

Committing to Success for All Students

A

rizona had much to be proud of at the National School Boards Association Annual Conference, held last month in San Diego. Two districts – Creighton Elementary and Cave Creek Unified – were honored for education excellence with prestigious Magna Awards. The awards are presented annually by the NSBA’s American School Boards Journal. (Learn more on page 9.)

In addition, eight Arizona school board members were elected by their peers from around the country to serve on NSBA caucuses. Sara Mae Williams (Baboquivari USD) was elected president-elect of the National Caucus of American Indian/Alaskan Native School Board Members. In addition, Bob Cassa (San Carlos USD) will serve the caucus as secretary-treasurer and Katrina Talkalai (San Carlos USD) as its Pacific region director. Elizabeth Sanchez (Alhambra ESD) and Jesus Rubalcava (Gila Bend USD) will continue to serve the National Hispanic Caucus of School Board Members as vice president and treasurer, respectively. Lydia Hernandez (Cartwright ESD) was elected secretary for the caucus and Denice Garcia (Cartwright ESD) was elected its Pacific region director. David Evans (Chandler USD) was elected Pacific region director for the National Black Caucus of School Board Members.

We are fortunate to have these school leaders serving not only at the national level and representing the interests of Arizona students on a broader stage, but we are also grateful that they remain actively involved in our own association activities.

Sara Mae serves on the ASBA Board of Directors as Pima County co-director and is active in the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus.

Bob is a former member of the ASBA Board of Directors (Gila County director) and treasurer of the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus.

Katrina is immediate past president of the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus.

Elizabeth is an ASBA staffer and is active in the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus.

Jesus currently serves on the ASBA Board of Directors as treasurer and is a past president of the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus.

Lydia is active in the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus.

David is chair of the ASBA Black Caucus and formerly served on the ASBA Board of Directors as Maricopa County co-director.

As Arizona’s school-age population makes a dramatic shift to one that is majority minority, the work of these individuals to ensure that all students have the resources and opportunity to succeed is critical. But it is incumbent upon every school leader to embrace this mission, and become better educated about the unique challenges faced not only by these young learners themselves, but also by a system that often seems as though it was developed for children other than them. We are making strides, but the pace of progress must increase in order to meet the changing face of our communities, our region, our state and our nation.

Phoenix Union High School District, where I serve as a board member, is a prime example. Our total enrollment is 26,293. We are 79.2 percent Hispanic, 9.2 percent African American, 2.7 percent Native American, 2.4 percent Asian, and 5.6 percent White. Another revealing statistic is that the primary home language for 49 percent of our students is Spanish; English is the primary home language for only 47.3 percent of our students. (With a significant refugee population, approximately 45 languages are represented among our students.) Adding a further challenge is the fact that 81.5 percent of our students are from households that struggle financially to the degree that the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

I hope you’ll join ASBA as we take a step toward better serving Arizona’s increasingly diverse student population on June 22 with a one-day conference called “Majority Minority: Supporting Success for All Students.” This event, hosted by the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus, will look at how the demographic shift is ref lected in achievement, graduation and post-secondary attainment - and what that may mean to our future; programs successfully raising the achievement of minority students; and models for parent and community engagement that are boosting student achievement.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If we want success for our students – all our students, we’ve got to work together to achieve it.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 3

Join the Arizona School Boards Association on Saturday, June 22 1 Day/2 Learning Opportunities Majority Minority: Supporting Success for All Students A majority minority school-age population is changing Arizona’s education landscape in communities throughout the state. School board members and district administrators are invited to explore the issue in-depth during this oneday conference.

Topics will include: How the demographic shift is reflected in achievement, graduation and postsecondary attainment – and what that may mean to our future.

Programs successfully raising the achievement of minority students.

Models for parent and community engagement that are boosting student achievement.

Impact Aid. View complete agendas and

Hosted by the ASBA Hispanic-Native American Indian Caucus

REGISTER TODAY at www.azsba.org

Administrative Professionals’ Workshop This one-day workshop will assist district-level administrative professionals in developing specialized skills and knowledge necessary to support the work of the school district governing board and superintendent.

Topics will include: Understanding student privacy laws.

Assisting the board with policy updates and reviews.

The secrets of great customer service.

Facilitating media requests.

Saturday, June 22, 2013 Registration and continental breakfast begin at 8 a.m.

> À ÌÊ-V ÌÌÃ`> iÊ*À ViÃÃÊÊUÊ7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale (conveniently located off Hwy 101 Loop North) Registration is now open at www.azsba.org Your $95 registration fee includes: On-line materials for each session.

Complimentary wi-fi in all meeting rooms.

Continental breakfast and lunch.

Register by June 14 to avoid a late registration fee.

4 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

Hotel Reservations ASBA has secured a special low conference rate at the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess of $120 single/ double for June 20 and 21. To book a room, call 800.344.4758 by May 27, 2013, and request the ASBA rate.

O VIEWPOINTS

By Dr. Timothy Ogle, ASBA Executive Director

True School Board Leadership Breeds Homegrown ‘Reform’

T

wenty years from now, what will the history book say about us? Will authors write about how we successfully transformed schools to better meet the needs of our society? Will they ref lect on how the f lawed policy experiment toward privatization of K-12 education actually revitalized the public’s commitment to its local schools and our children?

It’s the job of locally elected public school leaders to make sure that they do.

At the National School Boards Association Annual Conference in April, nationally recognized education researcher Diane Ravitch reminded board members, “You are the guardians of our public schools…. It’s your responsibility to provide oversight and not hand-off taxpayer dollars to entrepreneurs.”

She also urged them to be the ambassadors and truth tellers about public education, which she says is desperately needed to counter the growing chorus of messengers who insist on adding the word “failing” to “public schools” whenever the topic of education reform arises. Ravitch is adamant about this because she knows that facts can change minds. After a long career as a researcher critical of public education, she is now one of its staunchest supporters.

Test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are the highest in history, she noted, as are high school graduation rates. And dropout rates are the lowest in history. She says those using low performing schools as evidence of public school failure ignore the root causes of struggling schools - large numbers of children in poverty, those speaking little or no English, and even racial segregation.

To continue this progress, Ravitch also urged board members to actively embrace their role as agents of change – and not cede it to others. It’s a point with which I couldn’t agree more.

For school board members, school reform should not be a moment in time, but rather a perpetual force guided by a deep desire to provide the absolute best for our children and our democracy. A culture of continuous improvement, innovation and “reform” must be the philosophy embraced and practiced at the board table and nurtured throughout the district.

We know from studies of change in our society that

outside elements will move in when there is a void in leadership. Never has this lesson been more apparent than in current school reform initiatives. As education groups and experts debate the future direction of K-12 education, outside forces have entered into the politics, policies and pedagogy of today’s schools. Without looking far, we can find dozens of well-funded active school reform groups claiming to have “the agenda” – the magic potion. Local school boards, once in a preeminent role, are now fighting for the microphone and having their relevance and effectiveness questioned.

The fact is, however, that school boards are more important now than ever. School boards were created to foster local governance of a constitutional responsibility of government. Their legal responsibilities are, therein, democracy at a grassroots level. With the expectations we now have, boards must assume the role of providing the “voice” for school reform. There is no group, political action committee, government agency, legislator, researcher, writer, or politician better equipped to assume the leadership role in advocating and leading our most important profession.

In what form does this responsibility take? A wellfunctioning school board demonstrates this leadership by: Taking the lead and leading by example.

Self-policing.

Advocating for student achievement and making decisions that support it.

Governing from a policy perspective.

Demonstrating financial responsibility and ensuring that budgets ref lect priorities to the greatest degree possible.

Linking every decision made at the board table to a child in a classroom.

As our society becomes more complex – and our education system along with it, the board's foundational constitutional responsibilities of fostering local governance and leadership have become more complex as well. We are now being asked to lead in school reform. When boards do their job well, children, families and communities all win.

Historians will certainly have much to write about when studying the current state of affairs. Boards must seize this unique time in history and take the lead.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 5

NEWS Arizona board members elected to national leadership positions Eight Arizona school board members were elected to leadership positions for caucuses of the National School Boards Association. The caucuses held their annual elections at the National School Boards Association’s 73rd Annual Conference, which was held April 13-15 in San Diego.

Elected to serve the National Caucus of American Indian/Alaskan Native School Board Members were Sara Mae Williams (Baboquivari USD), president-elect; Bob Cassa (San Carlos USD), secretary-treasurer; and Katrina Talkalai (San Carlos USD), Pacific region director.

Elected to serve the National Hispanic Caucus of School Board Members were Elizabeth Sanchez (Alhambra ESD), vice president; Jesus Rubalcava (Gila Bend USD), treasurer; Lydia Hernandez (Cartwright ESD), secretary; and Denice Garcia (Cartwright ESD), Pacific region director.

David Evans (Chandler USD) was elected to serve as Pacific region director for the National Black Caucus of School Board Members.

Grassroots advocacy program for board members gains steam, participation Thirty-five school board members from around Arizona participated in ASBA’s 2013 Arizona Relations Network Lobby Days in February and March. In addition to attending training led

by ASBA’s governmental relations staff on the legislative process and how to lobby, board members attended education committee hearings at the State Capitol. Most members were also able to meet with their legislators to talk about important issues, such as Common Core implementation funding. School board members interested in greater participation in grassroots advocacy are encouraged to contact Geoff Esposito, ASBA governmental relations analyst, at gesposito@azsba.org.

Top, board members participated in training at the ASBA office before heading to the State Capitol.

At left, Senate Education Committee Chair Kimberly Yee introduced ARN members present for a committee meeting on Feb. 14. Pictured here are Jesus Rubalcava (Gila Bend USD and ASBA treasurer) and Linda Thomas (Oracle ESD).

6 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

ASBA mourns passing of Joan Fleming, former association president Dr. Joan Fleming, a member of the Prescott USD Governing Board and past president of the ASBA Board of Directors, passed away on March 17. She had been a member of the Prescott school board for 17 years. In addition to serving as president of ASBA in 2005, Dr. Fleming was on many ASBA committees. In recent years she was actively involved, along with other ASBA past presidents, as a member of the judging panel for two of the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest honors, the ASBA Lou Ella Kleinz Award of Excellence and All-Arizona School Board Awards. A mentor to many new board members around the state, she was known for her ever-present smile, no-nonsense approach and passionate advocacy for public education.

Dr. Joan Fleming

Insurance Trust

Business partners sponsor reception for Arizonans at national conference ASBAIT, Core Construction and Gust Rosenfeld sponsored a reception, hosted by ASBA, for the approximately 150 Arizona public school leaders attending the NSBA 73rd Annual Conference in San Diego. Arizona public school leaders took a break from their learning experience to network with members of other ASBA member boards at the event.

Law Conference shifts dates, expands programming The ASBA Law Conference will run on a Wednesday-to-Friday schedule this year to accommodate the coupling of the ASBA Delegate Assembly with this event. The Law Conference will be held Sept. 4-6 at the J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, and the ASBA Delegate Assembly will be held at the same location on Saturday, Sept. 7.

In addition, the 2013 Law Conference will to provide significantly more content to attendees.

The main conference will offer 28 breakout sessions, almost double the number from last year.

Four pre-conference events will be offered on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

The full-day Law School for School Leaders returns and will be held on Sept. 4.

Registration opens for the Law Conference, as well as the Delegate Assembly, at www.azsba.org on July 8.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 7

ASBA’s website re-launched with new look, plus more features and information ASBA’s core services, as well as the latest news and events, take center stage on the association’s new website, which made its debut earlier this month. The site will function as the hub for ASBA's communications with both members and the public, and was designed to provide enhanced levels of service, access and information.

Eye-catching images at the top of the homepage lead users to new content, information on hot topics, and registration for upcoming events. The site’s main content is grouped and easily accessible from the home page via three highly-visible portals: Learning Center, Advocacy and Policy Services. Embedded throughout the site are live feeds from ASBA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Learning Center provides resources for building knowledgeable, effective and inspired governance teams, and offers online training resources for board members, superintendents, governing board secretaries and other public school leaders; a webinar archive; a bookstore; an overview and FAQ on Arizona’s Open Meeting Law; an overview of ASBA’s on-site custom trainings; and a calendar of upcoming workshops, conferences and events along with access to event registration. Comprehensive information for community members interested in serving on their local board can be found here as well.

The Advocacy area is the access point for ASBA’s new website offers users a more robust, dynamic and visually information on ASBA’s legislative, legal and education appealing experience. policy efforts, as well as current issues affecting K-12 education at the local, state and national levels. New features include a Resource Center with data and information on timely and relevant topics, including K-12 funding, Arizona’s Common Core Standards and public school choice; a Talking Points Library for grassroots advocates; live access to tweets by ASBA’s governmental relations team; a calendar of important dates; and a Find Your Legislator tool. The Alerts & Updates page within the Advocacy area hosts ASBA’s daily in-session updates.

The Policy Services area provides easy access to online policy manuals, policy advisory notifications and a calendar of policy-related required board actions.

The redesigned site also boasts an enhanced, easy-to-navigate News section that includes online access to all ASBA member publications, news releases, a photo gallery, videos and infographics, as well as the association’s new blog, which will feature insightful commentary on issues affecting K-12 education, leadership and governance.

A more robust About ASBA area enables site visitors to access basic information about the association, its board of directors and staff, as well as learn more about the association’s many committees, its caucuses, its member award programs, and information for vendors interested in becoming a business partner through affiliate membership, advertising, or sponsorship or exhibiting at ASBA events.

Information and registration for ASBA workshops, conferences and events continues to be an essential element of the website, and is easily accessible through the Events link, located on the menu bar at the top of the homepage.

The Jobs link on the menu bar at the top of the homepage provides access to ASBA’s Executive Search Service as well as information about working at ASBA. Coming soon to www.azsba.org: An easier, more intuitive online registration process, a new members’ only area for updating and accessing information, and a streamlined Executive Search application process.

8 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

Cave Creek USD and Creighton ESD earn national honors The Cave Creek Unified School District and Creighton Elementary School District were honorable mention recipients in the 19th annual Magna Awards program sponsored by the National School Boards Association’s American School Board Journal. Magna Awards recognize school districts for outstanding programs that advance student learning and encourage community involvement in schools.

Cave Creek was honored in the 5,000 to 20,000 enrollment category for their K-12 world language program, Now We're Talking. The program immerses elementary students in a foreign-language environment and is designed to graduate students who are linguistically competent in English and at least one other language. Elementary students in the program who spent more hours a day learning content in their target language actually outscored cohorts that studied the same material in English on state achievement tests.

Creighton was honored in the 5,000 to 20,000 enrollment category for a program that reorganizes parent-teacher conferences around student data. The district created its Academic Parent-Teacher Teams to help focus parent/teacher discussions around data.

During team meetings, parents receive comparative data that show how their child performs in reading and math. Parents set goals for their students with guidance from teachers and learning activity practice sessions with other parents are held.

Both districts received ASBA Golden Bell Awards for these programs in 2012. Members of Creighton’s leadership team will present on their Academic Parent-Teacher Team concept, which is now being implemented in other districts as well, at ASBA’s June 22 conference, Majority Minority: Supporting Success for All Students.

All of the 2013 Magna winners were formally recognized at NSBA’s 73rd Annual Conference in San Diego. Winning entries are posted on the Magna Awards website and added to the program's searchable best practices database, both of which can be found at www.asbj.com/magna.

ASBA Calendar of Events May 2013 27

Memorial Day ASBA Office Closed

June 2013 7

ASBA Legislative Committee Meeting Scottsdale

21

ASBA Board of Directors Meeting Scottsdale

22

ASBA Administrative Professionals’ Workshop Scottsdale

22

ASBA Majority Minority: Supporting Success for All Students Conference Scottsdale

July 2013 4

Independence Day ASBA Office Closed

25-27

ASBA Summer Leadership Institute Flagstaff

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Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 9

10 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

ASBA welcomes two new staff members Karen Loftus Director of Leadership Development

Nick Buzan Policy Consultant

Role at ASBA: As the director of leadership development, my role is two-fold: first, to facilitate board development by creating and providing developmental opportunities for our board members; and, second, to oversee the retained search process for superintendent and other administrative job openings here in Arizona.

Role at ASBA: As a policy consultant my job is to serve school officials in their quest to implement up-to-date policy manuals. I will also help school officials with our upcoming webbased policy service options.

Professional Experience: I've been in human resources for over 20 years leading organizational change and training teams. Most recently, I was with another amazing non-profit, Goodwill Southern California, where I was director of organizational development.

Education: I was raised in the public school system in rural Illinois and graduated from Illinois State University.

I received my M.B.A., with a specialization in human resources, from Keller Graduate School of Management, and have since been an adjunct staff member with Keller while living in both Illinois and Arizona.

Birthplace: Canton, Ohio Favorite Books: Aside from the Bible, I’m a murder mystery fan. My family can attest to the fact that I get swept away to another place while reading a good book.

So it comes as no surprise that I’ll stay up to the wee hours finishing “just one more chapter.”

Favorite Quote: “If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behavior.” – Katharine Hepburn Little Know Fact about Me: My dad was director of public relations for the National School Boards Association when I was a child.

Why I Think Public Education Is Important: This might be one of those chicken and the egg debates.

Did I become a lifelong learner because of educational opportunities given me, or did I seek out educational opportunities because I loved to learn? Either way, I was an inquisitive kid. As I grew older, I realized what an amazing story our family has. My mom immigrated to the United States as an infant, learned English in the public schools and then taught her parents and siblings as well. She went on to be a junior high school English teacher who also taught the gifted program for sixth graders. I adamantly believe that every child has the right to a good public education. It’s foundational to what this country stands for and it’s what the United States needs to do to remain a powerhouse in this global economy.

Professional Experience: Over the past three years I have prosecuted crimes for the Gila County Attorney, prosecuted personal injury claims for a private attorney, and coached/ counseled adjudicated youth at Canyon State Academy.

Prior to that, I taught history, geography and yearbook at Blue Ridge High School in Lakeside, Ariz.

Education: Globe High School (2000); B.S., secondary education and history, Northern Arizona University (2005); J.D., University of Arizona (2010).

Birthplace: I am proud to share the birthplace of Arizona’s first female governor and the hometown of Arizona’s first governor. I was born in Globe/Miami.

Favorite Books: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote, and No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, to name a few.

Favorite Quote: “Just remember that the things you put into your head are there forever…” – Cormac McCarthy, The Road.

Little Known Fact about Me: I completed the 109mile El Tour de Tucson bike race in seven hours and 21 minutes. My time was horrendous, but the trip was the most physically rewarding experience ever!

Why I Think Public Education Is Important: Public schools are the great equalizer, in theory and in practice.

They provide ALL kids with an opportunity to learn, to grow and to prosper. The teachers, administrators and boards that run our public schools help kids complete their studies and move on to other accomplishments. I hope one day that the phrase “I will be the first one in my family to graduate” is made obsolete, because then we will have a society where the generational cycle of selfdoubt will also perish.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 11

Working Together for Success Sahuarita Partnership Yields Needed Facilities, Community Pride

BY D O N H A R R I S, C O N T R I B U T I N G WRITER

“When we work together, we win together.”

T

hat philosophy of Dr. Manny Valenzuela, superintendent of Sahuarita Unified School District, and members of the district’s governing board accurately describes the collaborative effort that is providing incalculable benefits for the Town of Sahuarita and its students. As one of eight significant public and private partners involved in projects at the Sahuarita Town Center, SUSD won a 2012 Common Ground Award presented by the Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA).

The Alliance’s prestigious Common Ground Award recognizes community leaders, projects and events with successful collaboration for the overall benefit of the community. MPA is an alliance of business, government and non-profit organizations, with a vested interest in how land is developed in Pima County. It also is the community leader in finding common ground among members of the development community with those in the public sector.

The school district’s projects within the Sahuarita Town Center included the Early Childhood Center, Copper View Elementary School and a state-of-the art Aquatics Center.

In addition, SUSD and the town collaborated to construct a walkway under Sahuarita Boulevard, connecting the main K-12 school campus and the north side of the community with the Town Center. It provides safe access for students attending K-5 Copper View Elementary and for others, including high school swim team members practicing at the Aquatics Center.

What’s more, the underpass is adorned with student art as part of a multi-year grant from the Pima Association of Governments. Tom Murphy, a member of the SUSD Governing Board, says the underpass project was the beginning of the overall collaboration. “The school district, and I’m sure others, knew the advantages of linking the north side to the south side,” he says.

Clearly, working together was vital to the success of SUSD’s effort. That collaboration included working with Rancho Sahuarita, a master-planned community with commercial and residential amenities.

“In today’s times,” says Valenzuela, “the only way to achieve this at the highest level is to share our time, our 12 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

talent and our resources. It was critical from the school’s standpoint to achieve this education center in such a timely and visionary manner.”

An element of cooperation involved the improvement of roads that was taking place as the construction of the school facilities was winding down. Murphy says the town worked closely with the school district to make sure that trucks hauling equipment into the school facilities had access at a time when asphalt paving of nearby roads was going on.

“That was multi-faceted collaboration,” Murphy says.

Murphy recalls what started the movement to build a new early childhood center. “Dr V. said we had our early childhood center in a building that was not designed for it.

It was outside our school district. This allowed us to design the building and get it closer to the core of the community as well as the K-5 school. It provides services much closer to the main campus where the administration building is.”

Valenzuela says the Early Childhood Center replaces a facility the school district was operating in a strip mall.

“Schools are required to provide services to children having some kind of developmental delay at the preschool level, and to address those needs prior to them enrolling in kindergarten,” the superintendent says.

A rapidly growing community put a squeeze on space for the program and the need to rent in a strip mall added pressure to the district budget. Valenzuela explains: “We ran out of space. We were renting a strip mall type of facility that was costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent. We have had a relative shortage of quality child care, and for the district to provide quality, affordable daycare services we run a preschool. What we were able to do in a timely manner through this partnership is take local bond dollars, which we received through the graciousness of our community, and we built our own beautiful developmentally appropriate early childhood center. It is not only well-suited from a structural and instructional standpoint, it saved money from our operating budget.”

Murphy emphasizes that none of the projects could have happened without community support, specifically the 2009 bond issue of approximately $26 million that was targeted

Sahuarita USD earned regional recognition for its role in bringing an expansive public-private project to fruition.

primarily for the new school construction, including the Aquatics Center, and renovation of existing facilities.

Copper View Elementary, also funded by bond revenues, can serve up to 600 K-5 students. It currently has an enrollment of slightly less than 500, Valenzuela says. He praises the cooperative efforts of the architect and contractor for building the school that meets the educational needs of its students.

Valenzuela says there has been a purposeful effort in the community over the past several years to increase the level of cooperation. “We’re working together on finding a mission for our area that is regional, uniform and with a lot of common elements,” he says. “Previously, the school had shared use of facilities between the Town of Sahuarita and the school district. We took that approach to next level.”

Elaine Hall, a member of the governing board (and president-elect of the Arizona School Boards Association Board of Directors), says the Common Ground Award “represents a positive and significant message about the importance of cooperation in public and private partnerships.”

She adds, “Our nomination was in the category of community building and focused on our shared efforts in building the Sahuarita Town Center. It is a great example of a shared vision and cooperative approach to community development, including educational programming.”

While Murphy credits Valenzuela for spearheading the SUSD involvement in the Town Center, Valenzuela says the

drive started under his predecessor, former Superintendent Dr. Jay St. John. Valenzuela says the school district cooperated by giving up part of a right-of-way in support of the design and construction of the underpass, and contributed $200,000 toward its cost.

The reason the Town Center project is successful and SUSD is receiving recognition, Valenzuela says, is that “it represented a very ambitious and purposeful cooperation of multi-stakeholders, both public and private, to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes by working together.”

Sahuarita remains a growth community and the school district is trying to stay ahead of the curve. “We have to be prepared to meet the needs of the students,” Valenzuela says.

“We have to be proactive in creating the quality facilities that students will need.”

He expects to see more efforts of this kind in Sahuarita and elsewhere in Arizona. “The way to succeed, especially in today’s demanding times, is by sharing and leveraging the resources and the talents and the skills for the betterment of all of us,” Valenzuela says. “Also, it is a representation of local control. It was a totally local initiative. Through the spirit of cooperation we were able to accomplish something pretty special and set the stage for future growth.”

Don Harris is a Phoenix-based freelance writer and editor. He covers state education, school finance, legislative and policy issues for the ASBA Journal and other statewide publications.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 13

STEM takes root

K-12 educational programs growing in response to dynamic workforce needs

BY D O N H A R R I S, C O N T R I B U T I N G WRITER

T

alk to an educator or a corporate executive about the connection between public schools and employers today, and invariably the subject of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – enters the discussion. And while the conversations often begin with talk of unfulfilled workforce needs, they soon turn to ideas, innovations and opportunities. The drive to embed STEM in Arizona schools is gaining momentum, and the state has, according to those in the know, STEM education efforts underway that are robust enough to match any other state.

The case for STEM education As the private sector clamors to fill high-wage, high-demand jobs that require, at minimum, fundamental understandings in these fields of study, the state’s public schools are under increased pressure to respond by providing learning opportunities and shifts in curriculum that result in graduates who are not only college and career ready, but STEM ready, too. Making such changes, business leaders say, will support Arizona’s economic future and curb the trend of U.S. companies, from high-tech and bioscience powerhouses to domestic manufacturers, hiring foreign nationals with work visas who are skilled in vital STEM fields. Going forward, many business leaders argue, virtually any type of occupation will need employees with some STEM skills.

Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, pinpoints several reasons why the push for more STEM education is being vigorously pursued.

“First of all, there haven’t been enough kids entering STEM-related fields in the past decade, and as a consequence the technology companies and the non-technology companies have found it increasingly difficult to find the talent needed,” Zylstra says. “They’re having to rely on foreign nationals with visas.”

Zylstra says he believes the dot-com collapse threw STEM progress off-track and led U.S. students to pursue other careers, with many attracted to “Wall Street professions.” The irony

Top, students explore biotechnology at Chandler USD’s Basha High School; at left, an East Valley Institute of Technology student gets hands-on experience with high-tech, precision manufacturing.

14 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

today is that non-technology industries like banking and insurance often hire more technology experts than technology manufacturers do, Zylstra says.

He believes another reason for the sluggish progress rests with K-12 schools. “They’re not structured to produce the kind of quality in STEM fields that companies are looking for,” Zylstra says.

Hiring more teachers with subject matter expertise in these fields, he says, would be a step in the right direction.

Mark Dobbins, senior vice president of Sumco Phoenix Corporation and immediate past chairman of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is founder of the chamber’s Arizona Skills Standards/Career Pathways initiative and the Arizona Manufacturers Council.

“Arizona is rich with outstanding educational opportunities operating within defined spheres,” Dobbins says.

“The current focus is on bringing together education’s bestpractice leadership from across the state and putting them in direct dialogue with business. Arizona isn’t so much lagging behind other states. In my opinion, the U.S. educationdelivery system is lagging our global competition.”

He asserts that manufacturing is a microcosm of the working world at-large. Dobbins says, “STEM skills are already essential today for our industry, so it is not much of a stretch to see how arming all students with STEM skills is simply a necessity today, regardless of what career path is being pursued and regardless of whether it requires additional education beyond high school.”

Carolyn Warner, former Arizona superintendent of public instruction and a member of the Arizona Skill Standards Commission, which was signed into law in 2006

by Gov. Janet Napolitano, alludes to the frustration of manufacturers who have many unfilled jobs in many fields and are faced with an insufficient workforce prepared to do those jobs.

“STEM is so embedded in career and technical education that they are inseparable,” Warner says. “Any student working on an automobile is working with computers and all manner of math and science and cannot avoid it.

A healthcare worker obviously is working in the field of science. Even in the services, people are working in the world of science and technology. The STEM characteristics are applied in jobs that exist today and that will exist in the future. STEM may be academic in the minds of many, but it is actually applied in all of the jobs that exist today.”

Changing perceptions Helping families and students arrive at that understanding is of critical importance, Dobbins says, citing “the re-education of parents, guidance counselors, teachers and students” as a top priority.

Experts agree that it is never too early to introduce students to STEM. “The earlier in elementary school,

Mohave County students were exposed to a variety of STEM concepts at a community showcase held in February as part of statewide Arizona SciTech Festival activities.

the better,” says Zylstra. “There are magnet schools that focus on STEM, and they include other subjects as part of learning STEM, such as to communicate and to write.”

Dobbins says elementary school is certainly none too early to begin introducing STEM concepts. “In fact,” he says, “as Arizona implements its Common Core Standards, the inclusion of STEM should be a natural progression in the curriculum, not something that is an add-on. It should be something that is always present.”

Zylstra of the Technology Council touts the Arizona SciTech Festival (azscitechfest.org) as an ideal way to introduce thousands of students to STEM. “It gets kids excited about a STEM career,” he says. The festival, the Arizona Science Bowl, the Rocketry Club and tours of technology manufacturers can all spark an interest in STEM outside the classroom, he says.

Promising public-private partnerships Warner says collaboration among the private sector, government entities and the education community is vital for the success of STEM. “It can’t be done without that collaboration and cooperation,” she says.

That work is aggressively underway in communities around Arizona. In March, for example, Cochise County leaders representing business, government, and K-12 and higher education gathered to discuss the need to educate more students in STEM fields.

“We have employers in the region coming to us and saying they have good, high-wage jobs, but can’t fill the positions,” says Sarah Pacheco, public information officer Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 15

In February, Case Grande Union High School hosted a community SciTech Festival as part of statewide Arizona SciTech Festival activities.

It featured classroom projects, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and a digital showcase of STEM careers.

for the Sierra Vista Unified School District, and a participant in the meeting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This collaboration is leading our district to answer that call by creating STEM pathways for students as early as seventh grade that can lead to dual-enrollment, college-level engineering courses by their junior year.â&#x20AC;?

In response to the meeting and efforts surrounding the collaborations underway, the Benson News-Sun published an editorial praising the work already being done in Cochise County and underscoring the need to further equip local students â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workforceâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with STEM skills and knowledge for successful future employment with large corporations in the region such as Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon and others that support Fort Huachuca, the nearby military installation recognized for its role in the high-tech field of cyber-defense.

In April, Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) and Helios Education Foundation announced the winning school sites selected for the Helios STEM School Pilot program. The initiative is part of a strategic partnership and investment by Helios and SFAz to help the Arizona STEM Network develop a coordinated and effective STEM education system that provides the infrastructure, resources and metrics needed to improve educational outcomes and achieve collective impact for Arizona students.

Seven sites will receive a total of $1.85 million in financial and technical support to implement STEM programs and activities during the next three years. Helios

16 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

and the Arizona STEM Network, led by SFAz, released a competitive request for proposals in September 2012.

This competition was open to all public and public charter schools in Arizona. The Helios STEM School Pilot sites were selected from a statewide pool of 57 applicants.

The selected pilot sites represent districts and schools in Maricopa, Coconino, Yavapai, Pima and Yuma counties and will include: s !LHAMBRA %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL $ISTRICT s !LTAR 6ALLEY %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL $ISTRICT s "AGDAD 5NIFIED 3CHOOL $ISTRICT s #ONGRESS %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL s 3 ALT 2IVER %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL + 3ALT 2IVER Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Scottsdale) s 7 & +ILLIP %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL PRE + &LAGSTAFF s 9UMA %LEMENTARY 3CHOOL + 9UMA Funding and support will assist sites with the integration of STEM programs aligned with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards and will equip teachers with the knowledge, resources and skills they will need to provide students access to quality STEM learning experiences. Partners hope the STEM School Pilot program will identify models of effective implementation of STEM education teaching and learning that can be sustained, measured and replicated throughout Arizona in the future.

(For all Arizona schools, the Arizona STEM Network has developed an online STEM Immersion Guide to assist schools with their own STEM implementation and help educators clearly articulate their goals and strategies for integrating STEM education into their schools and classrooms, even at the earliest grade levels. See page 21 for more on the STEM Immersion Matrix.)

Realizing the collective vision Business leaders realize that the challenge to further embed STEM in Arizona public schools is a multifaceted undertaking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government needs to provide adequate education funding for K-12 and university programs, the private sector needs to be clear about its employee needs, and education must deliver the skilled workers the U.S. economy demands, for manufacturing and all other economic sectors,â&#x20AC;? asserts Dobbins.

It is, he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;an all-hands-on-deck challenge.â&#x20AC;?

Don Harris is a Phoenix-based freelance writer and editor. He covers state education, school finance, legislative and policy issues for the ASBA Journal and other statewide publications.

Building the Future Today Arizona schools embedding STEM, engaging students in many ways

BY D O N H A R R I S, C O N T R I B U T I N G WRITER

Seventh-graders from Kyrene ESD’s Centennial Middle School measured the temperature on their STEM project on an “Urban Heat Island.”

(David Jolkovski/Ahwatukee Foothills News)

S

chool districts large and small are joining the STEM movement, upgrading curriculum, introducing innovative programs and training teachers in a concerted effort to better prepare students for college and careers.

It’s not an easy or inexpensive task. Business leaders strongly support STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math, as a way to produce the qualified workers they so desperately need in today’s technologydependent economy. Private sector support comes in the form of its expertise and financial commitments.

Paradise Valley Unified School District is adding an

“A” for arts to STEM, changing it to STEAM. Governing Board President Anne Greenberg says the arts provide a critical component to the creativity of STEM in education today.

“Personally, I believe all curriculum should be as integrated as possible to foster the education of the whole student and help each student to see the connections among the different subject areas and forms of knowledge overall,” Greenberg says. “Every element of STEM holds tremendous value to advancing the global economy, communications, and society today and in the future as we rely more and more heavily on technology in all aspects of our lives.”

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 17

PVUSD has specific STEM programs in several schools.

For example, Whispering Wind Academy, a K-6 elementary school, has a STEMG2 program, where not only are STEM offerings integrated into the school day, but with G2 – global geography – students learn Mandarin Chinese.

In addition, Foothills Elementary School offers a Science Sustainability Signature Program, Explorer Middle School focuses on a school-wide theme of biotechnology sustainability, Sunrise Middle School houses the Digital Learning Center for gifted students and Desert Shadows Middle School offers the Academy of Pre-Engineering.

Kindergarteners get their first taste of STEM with ageappropriate programs and curriculum, Greenberg says.

Don Hiemstra, principal of Foothills Elementary, with 400 K-6 students, says STEM schools have “a step up with implementing Common Core Standards.”

Assistant Foothills Principal Diana Cameron, who as a teacher last year worked on the integration of STEM curriculum, says, “We now have a curriculum map that integrates STEM into all areas of our day. It’s a partial immersion

At left, a mentoring program at Mesa’s Kino Junior High brings college engineering students and professionals into classrooms to teach robotics.

Below, Alhambra ESD students launched their solar cars during the Solar Car Challenge at the MESA State Competition held at the University of Arizona earlier this school year. MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) is a university-based outreach program that promotes a strong academic foundation in mathematics and science as the key to college admission and success.

18 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

Scientific investigation and inquiry are integral parts of coursework for students in Pima County JTED’s bioscience class at Tucson High Magnet School.

model. We would benefit from additional staff training to get to full implementation, but that costs money.”

STEM is a perfect fit for the Yuma area. Toni Badone, superintendent of the Yuma Union High School District, says Yuma County’s economy “is incredibly dependant on STEM-related occupations.” She mentions agriculture, biosciences and engineering.

There are innovative ways to control pests and track vegetables, enabling growers to know from which row and when a particular vegetable was harvested, Badone says.

“Seedless watermelons were developed right here,” she says. “There is a lot of innovation in the sciences of raising vegetables. Agriculture is our number-one industry and it all requires STEM-related courses and education.”

A second area that demands STEM education is engineering, Badone says. For example, there is the Yuma Proving Ground, a massive U.S. Army installation where ground weapon systems are tested, missiles are fired and parachute drops take place.

“There are 50 engineering jobs posted in Yuma at any

given time,” Badone says.

Working in partnership with Helios Education Foundation, which provided a grant, the philosophy of Yuma schools is that a STEM education is for every child.

The partnership is a district-wide initiative called Ready Now Yuma, with a primary goal to graduate every student prepared to succeed in college and career.

Badone says English and social studies belong in the mix with STEM subjects. “The bottom line here is that every student graduates college and career ready – every one,” she says.

Students who attend Mesa Public Schools may now choose to graduate with a STEM diploma.

“This program, which is still at the introductory level, allows students to complete their high school requirements in their junior year, which includes a lot of STEM classes,” explains Mesa board member Michelle Udall. “Then, over the summer they serve STEM-related internships with our business partners. In their senior year they can take collegelevel courses for credit on our campuses, and still participate Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 19

in music, the arts program and sports.”

Udall touts a robotics program at Red Mountain High School. “It’s amazing,” she says. “Our students have scored well in national competitions and one team has been invited to a competition in Germany. We also have robotics clubs in junior high and high schools.”

The robots are designed to complete certain tasks, like picking up or moving objects from a table or f lipping a switch.

Boeing, one of Mesa’s business partners, has created simulators for a helicopter, an airplane, an in-f light center, and NASA headquarters and built a mockup of a space shuttle, Udall says. Students are able to enter the shuttle, which is equipped with computers. In addition, the company gave Mesa schools a $115,000 grant for teacher training in STEM fields.

For some students needing extra help, STEM courses are substituted for physical education and art, says Sean Enright, curriculum director of Mesa schools. But that doesn’t mean art is on the way out. Enright likes the idea of STEAM, and says next year some art teachers will start focusing on aspects of engineering.

Beth Broome, manager of STEM integration at Science Foundation Arizona, says Arizona schools are very receptive to integrating STEM learning principles. “There is a feeling that STEM is the perfect vehicle to deliver the Common Core for the next generation and is critical for the success of our students,” Broome says.

But there is a problem. “We’re not able to reach out to all of the schools as quickly as we would like,” Broome says. “It’s a lack of communication. We need a better way to deliver the message to the schools, and that takes money. Part of our message is to clarify why this is such an important agenda. Students deserve the ability to be college and career ready.”

Udall says she wants to incorporate technology into the regular learning process. “Any student can use a computer as a toy,” she says. “They need to learn to utilize the

At Tempe Union’s Desert Vista High School, students created a truckbed garden for their STEM/sustainability project as part of a districtwide “No Impact Week.”

technology as a tool and its full functionality for the tasks that would be required in a business environment.”

Greenberg of PVUSD says the success of STEM depends on financial support: “Until we have adequate overall funding, we may not be able to tap the complete potential of STEM and related programs in ways that will serve our students best as they ready themselves for college, careers and life.”

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20 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

Charting a Course for STEM Implementation Online immersion guide helps districts assess, plan and sustain programs that meet local needs

BY D O N H A R R I S, C O N T R I B U T I N G WRITER

A

roadmap for Arizona school districts to establish project-based STEM instruction, leadership development and community support that meet their local needs is now available. The STEM Immersion Guide helps schools identify and measure their current level of STEM activity, and then shape a plan toward greater STEM integration.

The concept for the step-by-step strategic framework was developed by Beth Broome, manager of STEM integration at Science Foundation Arizona, in partnership with the Maricopa County Educational Service Agency.

Launched last June, the guide was developed in response to a number of requests from schools that wanted to implement enhanced learning opportunities focused on science, technology, engineering and math, but didn’t know how to get started or how to assess their current level of implementation in the STEM fields of study.

“It gives an organized structure around what are the successful elements of STEM schools,” Broome says. “What does it look like and how do we get there?”

The guide charts four levels of STEM: s Exploratory, which focuses on extra-curricular opportunities offered outside of regular school hours. s Introductory, which describes a regular school day with STEM-related experiences offered in addition to the current curriculum. s Partial Immersion, which describes a non-traditional school day where STEM-related experiences are integrated into the curriculum. s Full Immersion refers to a non-traditional school where STEM-related experiences determine the school’s curriculum.

The guide contains key design elements that support project-based, interdisciplinary STEM instruction, helping

teachers and administrators determine their current level of STEM implementation, define their mission and goals, and plan how they can go to the next level. It offers detailed guidance for leadership development, teaching, learning, evaluating, budgeting and sustaining.

The guide enables school administrators to realize where they are on the STEM ladder. Many schools start at the introductory level, Broome says, and by the time they reach full immersion they “move from the teacher directing all of the activity to being innovative and outside the box – it’s not textbook-based.”

“The Immersion Guide is broad enough, providing all you need to be successful,” Broome says. “A school in downtown Phoenix or in Yuma can take it and make it their own.”

Take bioscience, for example. Broome says schools can explore what is relevant to their own economic sector and use the guide to establish an effective connection between a school or district and the business community.

The STEM Immersion Guide is available at www.sfaz. org/stemimmersion.

Register Now

SummerLeadershipInstitute July 25-27, 2013 | Little America, Flagstaff

Keynote The Arizona We Want Dr. Lattie Coor, chairman and CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona and president of Arizona State University from 1990 to 2002, will discuss education, leadership and the role they play in building “The Arizona We Want.”

Panel A Discussion on Vision and Will Study after study shows that Arizonans want a world-class education system where all students have access to quality education regardless of social or economic status. A panel comprising some of the state’s most influential K-12 policy leaders will discuss Arizona’s vision for K-12 education and what it will take to make it a reality. Joining us: Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal; Rep. Doris Goodale, chair of the House education committee; Tom Tyree, president of the State Board of Education and Yuma County Superintendent of Schools.

Spotlights on Excellence Leadership Lessons from Our Best and Brightest Exemplars of excellence in teaching and leading will share their best practices in leadership with attendees through panel discussions, breakout sessions and general session presentations. Among those you’ll hear from are Dr. Jeff Smith (Balsz USD), Arizona’s superintendent of the year; Denise Johnson (Queen Creek USD), Arizona’s MetLife/NASSP Middle Level Principal of the Year; and Shaun Martin, the Chinle USD teacher and cross-country coach named national rural school teacher of the year.

View the agenda and register today at www.azsba.org

22 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

O LEADERSHIP MATTERS Karen Loftus, ASBA Director of Leadership Development

Building a High-Performance Culture through Employee Engagement Any leadership team will tell you their time is stretched thin, but I contend that carving time out to focus on improving and sustaining high levels of employee engagement can be one of the most successful initiatives you can embark upon.

With years of data from organizations such as Gallup and BlessingWhite, we know that focusing on drivers of employee engagement will significantly impact performance outcomes in business settings. Those outcomes include lower absenteeism, lower turnover, less shrinkage, fewer safety incidents, fewer quality defects, higher customer metrics, higher productivity and higher profitability. Put another way, organizations with employee engagement scores in the top half double their chance of success, and those in the 99th percentile are four times more likely to succeed. The same concepts can be applied to our districts and schools, and improvements to valued metrics should be expected.

When I was first introduced to this concept years ago, we realized as leaders of the organization that our metrics weren’t as good as we’d like. We also realized that improving those outcomes - turning the boat around - wasn’t going to be done overnight and that we needed to focus on new drivers of employee engagement.

We started by holding each other accountable to wearing our values on our sleeve – always visible and always priority number-one. Then we looked to initiate processes that aligned the culture we wanted to create to our strategic vision.

I tend to think about employee engagement like the three-legged stool my abuela had. I’d sit on that little stool for hours as I listened to stories and learned to cook and sew.

All was good in the world… until I teetered a bit too far, and one of those legs broke. I quickly learned all three of those little legs were important and missing one was, in fact, a big deal.

Satisfaction

Contribution

Well-Being

Critical drivers of employee engagement When it comes to employee engagement – the kind that produces outcomes that support your strategic vision - the three most powerful drivers are satisfaction, contribution and well-being. They manifest in questions like these: Is the work I’m doing meaningful? Does our organization’s mission resonate with me? Do I have the tools I need to do my job?

Do I see how I fit into the bigger picture here? Am I using my skills and abilities?

Does someone care about me as a person? Am I getting the chance to develop?

So here’s the bottom line question for school district leaders: Can you do more to engage and motivate employees, from principals and teachers to bus drivers and cafeteria workers, in ways that will lead to higher performance and improved outcomes for students? The time you spend as a leadership team discussing this and creating processes aligned to a culture that breeds feelings of satisfaction, contribution and well-being could pay significant dividends.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 23

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—March 29, 2013 Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, Inc., Receives Performance Award The Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, Inc. (the Trust), is proud to announce that it recently became the inaugural recipient of the Excellence in Performance Award granted by the Association of Governmental Risk Pools (AGRiP). The Trust provides Arizona public schools and community colleges with high quality, affordable property and liability coverage and related services. As recipient of the AGRiP award, the Trust was recognized for its innovative programs that help schools increase safety, reduce losses, and save money.

AGRiP is the premiere membership organization for public entity risk and employee benefit pools in North America. It created the Excellence in Performance Award to recognize an organization that enhances the goals and purposes of intergovernmental pooling to serve and protect the public in an effective and efficient manner.

“On behalf of the Trust’s members, directors, and staff, I am so pleased that our commitment to innovative risk management programs is being recognized, and truly hope others will benefit, as we have,” said Clyde Dangerfield, the Trust board president. “The ability to innovate, share, and learn from each other is what has made pooling so successful for schools in Arizona, and I hope for others across the country, as well.”

CONTACT: Jennifer Howell, Director of Operations Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, Inc. jhowell@the-trust.org 602.222.2103 www.the-trust.org

Leading the way since 1986

24 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

O PROFILE IN LEADERSHIP ASBA is pleased to feature recipients of the All-Arizona School Board Award in the Profile in Leadership column, which appears in every issue of the ASBA Journal.

Robert Bernal BENSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

What governing board do you serve on?

Benson Unified School District What is your hometown?

Benson, Ariz.

How long have you been a board member?

22 years What books do you have at your bedside?

The Book of Mormon and Teachings of Thomas S. Monson What/who inspires you?

My father. He was a teacher.

What is your primary pet peeve as a board member?

Treat all who attend our meetings with respect.

What is the reason you like being an ASBA member?

I enjoy opportunities to network with other members and seeing their success and find ways to incorporate some these strategies to benefit my district.

What would you like your epitaph to say?

That he gave his all serving with honesty and integrity, helping all children to succeed and be prepared for life and be contributors to society.

What is your motto as a board member?

Always serve with integrity.

What is your pie-in-the-sky vision for education?

Have all Arizona schools receive the funding they deserve so we can attract the best people to become educators and teach our children.

What is your advice to new board members?

Never serve with a hidden agenda, listen with an open mind and never stray from your convictions, even when it is not popular. Set the bar high for all.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as a board member?

Having the vision to find the right administrator who was able to break down any barriers between staff and administration and bring them together for the benefit of students.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 25

O CAPITOL VIEW

By Janice Palmer, ASBA Director of Governmental Relations & Public Affairs

Transforming ASBA’s Political Agenda

W

e’ve heard you! This year ASBA is transforming our Political Agenda process to make it more relevant, focused and accountable. We are doing this by altering the timeline (shown below) and taking a more strategic approach to identifying and advocating the political priorities of Arizona school boards.

This means leaving behind a document filled with 100-plus action agenda items organized under seven broad content areas, and instead compiling priorities in three categories based on achievable timeframes: long-term, short-term, and 2014 session-specific legislation.

Two things will not change: First, the development of ASBA’s Political Agenda will be guided by our membership, and, second, every active/district member board will have a vote at the annual Delegate Assembly to determine the final Political Agenda for the coming year.

As a reminder, you should schedule a discussion at an upcoming board meeting on any proposals for long-, shortor 2014 issues your board plans to submit for consideration by the ASBA Legislative Committee; any submittals must ref lect the collective will of your board. There are not limits on the number of submissions a single board may propose, and they may be in any or all of the categories.

These proposals are due by the close of business on May 24, 2013.

The Legislative Committee, comprised of over 30 governing board members from across the state, will consider these proposals and create a draft document that will be circulated to all governing boards and superintendents. This will be the basis for discussion at the official Delegate Assembly on Saturday, Sept. 7 at the J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn.

April 26 ASBA holds webinar to provide overview of new Political Agenda process.

To view/listen to a recording of the webinar, visit www.azsba.org.

26 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

June 7 ASBA Legislative Committee meets.

May 24

Week of June 17

Deadline to provide local board input to the ASBA Legislative Committee. An online input form is available at www.azsba.org.

Member boards receive email with complete Legislative Committee recommendations for 2014 Political Agenda.

Identifying the Issues ASBA members boards are being asked to provide essential input that will help shape ASBA’s new Political Agenda. Issues should be proposed in three time-specific categories. Input must be received by ASBA no later than May 24.

Long-Term Issues These should be core beliefs and/or issues that need to be addressed over 5-10 years.

Short-Term Issues These should be issues that can be accomplished over 3-5 years.

2014 Session-Specific Issues These should be specific items for bill introduction in 2014.

Examples: Uphold local control.

Example: Phase in voluntary, statewide full-day kindergarten.

Example: Change “override” to “local support.”

Completely revise the school finance formula.

Sept. 7

July 8 Registration opens at www.azsba.org for Delegate Assembly Delegate Assembly delegate form available at www.azsba.org

ASBA Delegate Assembly All active/district member board have a vote. Each member board should submit an official delegate form by Friday, Aug. 30, indicating the name of the delegate and an alternate.

Registration for the delegate assembly opens online at www.azsba.org on July 8. Delegates and all other attendees must register. Delegate forms will be available on the ASBA website at that time also.

Aug. 30 Deadline to submit delegate information for Delegate Assembly.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 27

How We Lobby Member views drive all positions

A

SBA’s positions on legislative, legal and education policy issues are determined by the association’s Political Agenda, which is annually established by members through a direct vote by each district’s delegate at the Delegate Assembly. Although the process for developing our Political Agenda is being transformed this year, it will remain a thoroughly member-driven document. But what happens if an issue arises at the State Capitol or in the courts that isn’t specifically addressed in the document officially adopted by membership? Like the Political Agenda itself, the association’s lobbying approach on such issues is based on ASBA’s vision, mission, goals and core beliefs (see page 2), all of which also are approved and adopted by membership.

“I’ve been working on behalf of school district governing boards at the Legislature and with the State Board of Education and other policy-making groups for more than a decade, and what I know is that all the issues that arise can be measured against a few key priorities and beliefs of our members: local control, adequate funding and unfunded mandates,” says Janice Palmer, ASBA’s director of governmental relations and public affairs. “They’re all right there in our core beliefs.

Even in cases where an item isn’t specifically identified in our Political Agenda, the association’s beliefs and principles provide excellent guidance for how staff advocates and negotiates on behalf of our members.”

Palmer adds that strong relationships with school board members and district administrators throughout Arizona also inform how the association approaches its lobbying efforts; these close connections enable ASBA to measure new, uncharted issues against member needs, priorities and beliefs.

28 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

BY T R AC E Y B EN S O N, A S B A D I R E CTO R O F C O M M U N I CAT I O N S

The same is true for the association’s legal advocacy, according to Chris Thomas, ASBA’s director of legal and policy services.

The introduction of a new, more strategic approach for developing and implementing ASBA’s Political Agenda will put more weight on the guidance the vision, mission and goals provide.

“As we work to hone in on highly relevant items that are clear, high priorities in the session ahead, as well as the short- and long-term, we will rely on our guiding principles more than ever,” notes Palmer.

ASBA’s commitment to advocate in a non-partisan manner is also foundational to its lobbying approach, according to Dr. Tim Ogle, ASBA’s executive director.

“Our membership is so diverse in geographic location, in demographics, in socio-economics and in political beliefs, but ASBA’s core beliefs unite us in support of a collective mission to promote locally elected community governance and continuous improvement of student success.”

He notes that the association’s non-partisan approach and member-driven Political Agenda give ASBA, more often than not, a seat at the negotiation table on key legislative and legal issues that impact K-12 education in Arizona. “Elected leaders and policymakers know that when ASBA is present, the beliefs of a diverse group of their constituents – not a political party – are at the table. That’s powerful – and it opens doors. That’s a huge benefit to our members.”

Palmer says that dynamic also enables ASBA to forge alliances with many different organizations, depending on the issues involved. “We can’t be pigeon-holed,” says Palmer. “We want what’s best for kids and local communities regardless of the political winds that blow.”

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O EDUCATION AND THE LAW

By Chris Thomas, ASBA General Counsel and Director of Legal and Policy Services

Your Questions Answered Knowledgeable. Service-oriented. Accessible. These were among the top words stakeholders used to describe ASBA in a survey conducted last summer. For us, that was great news. We exist to make the work of our member boards and district staff easier. It was heartening to see data showing that our commitment is being felt.

You won’t be surprised to learn that I take particular pride in being able to assist our members with inquiries about legal issues. On average we get five to 10 phone calls, e-mails or letters from members related to legal topics each day. I keep record of all of the contacts with notes about the issues raised and the information that I gave. (Mandatory legalese disclaimer: I am the attorney for ASBA. I am not the attorney for member school districts/charters, their boards or individual school board members. Any information that I give, other than to my client – ASBA – should not be construed as legal advice. If I sense that you do need to get legal advice, I will advise you to call your attorney.)

The log I keep is helpful for many reasons. First, it helps me to track issues and contacts with ASBA members.

If a question arises after the fact, I can look at my notes and refresh my memory of the conversation. Second, it helps me follow trends in questions, which can help me in designing timely and relevant legal trainings for the ASBA Law Conference, Spring Legal Seminars, other ASBA conferences and on-site trainings. Finally, there is this added benefit – in a pinch it can make for an interesting and timely ASBA Journal article. And so I commence with the names, places and events changed…

Q. A board member is interested in an employment position with the school district. What, legally, does the board member need to do to be considered for the position?

A. The board member can apply for the position and go through the candidate/interview process. Board members are prohibited from serving on the board while simultaneously working for the district (A.R.S. §15-424 D). This same prohibition applies to spouses of board members. If, at the end of that process, the board member is the recommended candidate for the position, the board member must resign PRIOR to the board voting on that board member’s employment with the district.

30 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

A.R.S. § 15-323 provides “(n)otwithstanding any other provision of law, a governing board member is eligible to vote on any budgetary, personnel or other question which comes before the board, except: 1) It shall be unlawful for a member to vote on a specific item which concerns the appointment, employment or remuneration of such member or any person related to such member who is a spouse or a dependent as defined in section 43-1001.

2) No member may vote on the employment of a person who is a member of the governing board or who is the spouse of a member of the governing board and whose membership on the board and employment are prohibited by section 15-421, subsection D. This same provision would apply for the consideration of board member’s spouse for employment with the district.

Finally, it should be noted that while the board member doesn’t need to resign his/her position on the board to be considered for employment, this situation is far from ideal and raises many questions for the board and the district, including: 1) What if the board member is not recommended in the process? Would the board member hold a grudge against the superintendent for the recommendation (who they evaluated as a member of the board)?

2) Would other applicants call foul thinking the board member is getting special treatment?

3) What if they board member resigns only to see his or her fellow board members reject the hire?

Given these legitimate questions, the serious board member employment candidate may want to consider avoiding even the appearance of a conf lict of interest and resign the board seat prior to beginning the application process.

Q. Can a superintendent make the recommendation to hire immediate family such as a son or daughter?

A. The superintendent should make it known on the record that he or she has a conf lict and then refrain from making the recommendation. However, if another person at the district can make the recommendation – such as a member of the human resources staff – the relative is not precluded from being considered for

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The Cactus Pin Award For those who go above and beyond The Arizona School Boards Association Cactus Pin Award recognizes board members for service to ASBA and the National School Boards Association, and board and community outreach activities that go above and beyond regular board duties in supporting local control and public education.

Examples include U Testifying on behalf of ASBA’s official position at a committee meeting, hearing of the legislature or state agency.

U Serving as a speaker, presenter, panelist or moderator at an ASBA conference, convention or workshop.

U Writing an article published in the ASBA Journal.

U Serving on the ASBA Board of Directors.

U Serving on an ASBA committee.

U Serving as a delegate at the Delegate Assembly or as the local board’s Legislative Network representative.

U Serving at the NSBA level.

U Community outreach efforts such as neighborhood meetings, joint district meetings, town halls, and media efforts like writing a newspaper column or doing an interview for broadcast or publication.

Points are awarded for each activity. The Cactus Pin is awarded based on member application and certification.

Learn more and download a Cactus Pin award form by visiting www.azsba.org.

Questions? Call us at 602-254-1100.

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32 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

employment by the board.

A.R.S. §38-503 states that: “(a)ny public officer or employee of a public agency who has, or whose relative has, a substantial interest in any contract, sale, purchase or service to such public agency shall make known that interest in the official records of such public agency and shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in any manner as an officer or employee in such contract, sale or purchase. The same statute states that “(a)ny public officer or employee who has, or whose relative has, a substantial interest in any decision of a public agency shall make known such interest in the official records of such public agency and shall refrain from participating in any manner as an officer or employee in such decision.”

Q. Is it necessary to bring positions driven by the Individualized Education Plan process for special education students, such as one-on-one aides, before the board for approval since the board has no choice if determined necessary by the IEP/ multidisciplinary team?

A. The board has a non-delegable duty to hire. In other words, if someone is going to get a job with the district, the board ultimately is going to have to approve that.

The board should, however, be apprised of the legal “box” that they are put in with hires such as are described; if they refuse to hire the position, the district may very well be sued and be forced to comply with the IEP. Q. My school board starts its meeting with an executive session before the regular meeting. The executive session was called at the prior meeting.

Is this practice OK? A. No. The board must start its meeting in an open session and there must be a motion and second motion to go into the executive session. A majority of those present must agree to convene into executive session – for the legal reason noticed on the board agenda – in order for the executive session to happen at all.

Q. Can a school board force a teacher to change a student’s grade?

A. No. Boards can only review the decision of a teacher to retain or promote a student. Even then, this review must take place in executive session and the student, parent and teacher have the right to attend the executive session. School boards lack the authority to review a grade or to change a grade and it is hard to imagine a better example of a board stepping outside of its role as policymaker and into the realm of operations – where they should not be.

Q. Do you have to hold a superintendent’s certificate issue by the Arizona Department of Education in Arizona to hold the position of superintendent?

Do you have to possess an ADE principal’s certificate to be a principal?

A. You do not need to hold a superintendent’s certificate in Arizona to hold the title of superintendent in a school district. A.R.S. §15-503 A.1 gives school district governing boards the authority to “(e)mploy a superintendent or principal, or both… and that “(i)f the governing board employs a superintendent, the governing board shall determine the qualifications for the superintendent by action taken at a public meeting.”

(A.R.S. §15-503 also requires the governing board to ensure the superintendent has a valid fingerprint clearance card that is issued under state law.) This means a board can decide to hire someone that does not possess an ADE issued superintendent certificate to be their superintendent. Since this was clarified in the law several years ago, there has not been a rush on the part of governing boards to hire superintendents without certification as most have decided this to be an important qualification for applicants for an open superintendent position.

The need for a principal in Arizona to possess a principal’s certificate is another matter. Under Arizona law, a principal must possess a principal’s certification to be a principal in a school district school. (Charters do not have this requirement.) However, it is worth noting that A.R.S. §15-503A.2 does allow the board to appoint a person to the title of “head teacher” which might be an option for a board that wanted to appoint someone as the chief administrator in a school where the individual did not possess a principal’s certificate.

Q. The board tabled an item at the last meeting.

What needs to happen for the board to bring the issue back up at a subsequent meeting?

A. When it comes to board parliamentary procedure, you can throw most of what you would learn from Robert’s Rules of Order out the window. In fact, we don’t recommend that any board adopt Robert’s Rules as their parliamentary guide. The only thing that matters is whether the issue is on that night’s agenda. It is Arizona’s Open Meeting Law that governs here, not Robert’s Rules or any other parliamentary procedure.

If the matter is on a subsequent meeting agenda, it can be considered by the board.

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 33

ASBA Affiliate Members 1GPA Mike Chouteau 1910 W. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85009 602-327-3735

Arizona Gym Floors Floyd Shelton 11058 E. Onyx Ct. Scottsdale, AZ 85259 480-361-5494

ABM Janitorial Services Wade Moffet 2632 W. Medtronic Way Tempe, AZ 85281 480-968-8300

ASBAIT (Arizona School Boards Association Insurance Trust) Penny Mondhink 18444 N. 25th Ave. Ste., 410 Phoenix, AZ 85023 602-789-1170 www.asbait.org

Adolfson & Peterson Construction General contractor Jeff Keck 5002 S. Ash Ave. Tempe, AZ 85225 480-276-7131 www.a-p.com Ameresco (formerly APS Energy Services) Energy conservation, renewable solutions Sarah (Helmer) Price 60 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., Ste. 1001 Tempe, AZ 85281 480-499-9123 www.ameresco.com American Fidelity Assurance Donna Sciulara 3505 E. Flamingo Rd., #6 Las Vegas, NV 89121 800-616-3576 Arcadis Infrastructure, environment, buildings Richard Carr, Jr. 950 W. Elliot Road #220 Tempe, AZ 85284 480-394-0335 www.arcadis-us.com Arizona Correctional Industries Rick Kahn 3701 W. Cambridge Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 602-388-7260 www.aci.az.gov

Assessment Technology Inc. Jody Jepson Electronic learning assessment resources 6700 E. Speedway Blvd.

Tucson, AZ 85710 877-442-5453 www.ati-online.com Auto Safety House School bus sales and service Del Anderson 2630 W. Buckeye Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85009 602-269-9721 www.autosafetyhouse.com The Bagnall Company Employee benefit consulting Mark W. Bagnall 1345 E. Chandler Blvd., Bldg. 1, Ste. 103 Phoenix, AZ 85048 480-893-6510 www.thebagnallcompany.com Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Dave Moen 8220 N. 23rd Ave. Building 2 Phoenix, AZ 85021 602.864.4044 www.azblue.com BoardBook Scott Ballew P.O. Box 400 Austin, TX 78767 888-587-2665 www.boardbook.org

34 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

Climatec Joellen Stingley 2851 W. Kathleen Road Phoenix, AZ 85053 602-674-1292 www.climatec.com

D.L. Withers Construction Dan Withers 3220 E. Harbour Drive Phoenix, AZ 85034 602-438-9500 www.dlwithers.com

Core Construction Jessica Steadman 3036 E. Greenway Road Phoenix, AZ 85032 602-494-0800 www.coreconstruct.com

eBOARDsolutions Web-based board governance software Mark Willis, Diane Sandifer 5120 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30043 800-226-1856 www.eboardsolutions.com

D2 Data Driven Software Education software Matt Winebright 900 Jackson St., Ste. 380 Dallas, TX 75202 972-490-4044 www.d2sc.com Dairy Council of Arizona Patricia Johnson 2008 S. Hardy Drive Tempe, AZ 85282 480-966-8074 www.dcaz.org DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy John C. Richardson 2525 E. Broadway, Ste. 200 Tucson, AZ 85716 520-322-5000 www.deconcinimcdonald.com

Edupoint Educational Systems Richard Lessard 1955 S.Val Vista Dr., #200 Mesa, AZ 85204 480-833-2900 www.edupoint.com EMC2 Group Architects Architects, planners Barbara Schuck 1635 N. Greenfield Rd., Ste. 144 Mesa, AZ 85205 480-830-3838 www.emc2architects.com

Diversified Human Resources Anita Grantham 3020 E. Camelback Rd. Ste. 213 Phoenix, AZ 85016 480-941-5588

First Financial Group of America Benefit Plan Administration, Independent Insurance and Investment Services Mike O’Malley 2201 San Pedro Dr. NE, Bldg. 1, Ste. 2101 Albuquerque, NM 87110 800-365-3860 www.ffga.com

DLR Group Karen Heck 6225 N. 24th St., Ste. 250 Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-381-8580 www.dlrgroup.com

Futures Education of Arizona Sheila Breen 136 William St. Springfield, MA 01105 602-920-4622

Arizona School Boards Association appreciates the support for public education shown by its organization affiliate members.

G.V. Enterprises Project managers, procurement consulting Gordon Vasfaret 9102 W. Marshall Ave. Glendale, AZ 85305 623-872-1852 www.gventerprises.com

Konica Minolta Business Solutions, USA Jay Douglas 4415 E. Cotton Center Blvd.

Phoenix, AZ 85040 602-531-2910 www.hc-km.com

Gust Rosenfeld Robert Haws One East Washington St., Ste. 1600 Phoenix, AZ 85004 602-257-7422

Kraus-Anderson Construction Company Steve Bellew 16419 N. 91st St., Ste. 100 Scottdale, AZ 85260 480-538-3120 www.krausanderson.com

H2 Group Jeff Cook 17470 N. Pacesetter Way Scottsdale AZ 85255 480-743-7520

LaSota & Peters Jack LaSota 722 East Osborn, Ste. 100 Phoenix, AZ 85014 602-248-2900

HACI Service Scott Wright 2108 W. Shangri-La Rd. Phoenix AZ 85029 602-944-1555

Lewis & Roca LLP Mary Ellen Simonson 40 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004 602-262-5317 www.lrlaw.com

HDA Architects LLC Pete Barker 459 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. C-200 Gilbert, AZ 85234 480-539-8800 Hufford, Horstman, Mongini, Parnell & Tucker C. Benson Hufford 120 N. Beaver St. Flagstaff, AZ 86001 928-226-0000 www.h2m2law.com Hunt & Caraway Architects Brian Robichaux 1747 E. Morten Ave,. Ste. 306 Phoenix AZ 85020 602-595-8200 www.davidhuntarchitecture.com Kennedy Partners LLC Allison Suriano 5415 E. High St., Ste 410 Phoenix, AZ 85054 480-515-3765 www.kennedyprtnrs.com

Mangum Wall Stoops & Warden Kellie Peterson P.O. Box 10 Flagstaff, AZ 86002 928-779-6951 www.flagstaffattorneys.com Maricopa County Community College Dr. Rufus Glasper 2411 W. 14th St. Tempe AZ 85281 Meritain Health Penny Mondhink 18444 N. 25th Ave. Ste., 410 Phoenix, AZ 85023 602-789-1170 Midstate Energy Ron Stalica 1850 E. Riverview Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85034 602-452-8700 www.midstate-energy.com

M.L. Riddle Painting Inc. Mike Riddle 5922 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85017 602-277-3461 Mohave Educational Services Co-op Deborah Sandoval 625 E. Beale St. Kingman, AZ 86401 928-753-6945 www.mesc.org NTD Architecture Scott Beck 2800 N. 44th St., Ste. 500 Phoenix, AZ 85008 602-956-8844 www.ntd.com Ridenour, Hienton & Lewis Legal services Ernest Calderon 201 N. Central Ave., Ste. 3300 Phoenix, AZ 85004 602-254-9900 The O’Malley Group Facilities, project, construction management Tim O’Malley, Sharon O’Malley 80 W. State Ave., Ste. 300 Phoenix, AZ 85021 602-906-1905 www.omalleyafl.com The Orcutt/Winslow Partnership Paul Winslow 3003 N. Central Ave., 16th Fl. Phoenix, AZ 85012 602-257-1764 www.owp.com Piper Jaffray & Co. William C. Davis 2525 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 925 Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-808-5428 www.piperjaffray.com

PracticeMax Inc. Medicaid billing for special education services Chuck Engelmann 9382 E. Bahia Dr., Ste. B202 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 480-421-9700 www.practicemax.com Professional Group Public Consulting, Inc. Caroline Brackley P.O. Box 30850 Mesa, AZ 85275 480-699-4458 www.pgpc.org Pueblo Mechanical & Controls Design, build HVAC specialist Steve Barry 6771 E. Outlook Dr. Tucson, AZ 85756 520-545-1044 www.pueblo-mechanical.com RBC Capital Markets John Snider 2398 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 700 Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-381-5361 www.rbccm.com Regional Pavement Maintenance Steve Leone 2435 S. 6th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85003 480-963-3416 www.regionalaz.com Rodel Charitable Foundation Jackie Norton 6720 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 310 Scottsdale, AZ 85253 480-367-2920 www.rodelfoundationaz.org SCF Arizona Workers’ compensation insurance Tod Dennis 3030 N.Third St. Phoenix, AZ 85012 602-631-2000 www.scfaz.com

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 35

Smartschoolsplus, Inc. Phased retirement services Sandra McClelland P.O. Box 11618 Tempe, AZ 85284 480-839-8747 www.smartschoolsplus.com

Summit Food Service Dave Brewer 2703 Broadbent Pkwy. NE, Ste. F Albuquerque, N.M. 87107 505-341-0508 www.summitfoodservice.com

Sodexo Solomon Sile 10255 E.Via Linda Rd., Unit 2078 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 480-313-8804

Sunland Asphalt Asphalt, concrete, sport courts, tracks, turf and bleachers John McCormack 775 W. Elwood St. Phoenix, AZ 85041 602-323-2800 www.sunlandasphalt.com

SPS + Architects Herb Schneider 8681 E.Via De Negocio Scottsdale, AZ 85258-3330 480-991-0800 Stone & Youngberg Financial services Bryan Lundberg 2555 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 280 Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-794-4000 www.syllc.com

TCPN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Cooperative Purchasing Network Victoria Stringham 2100 N. Central Ave. #220 Phoenix, AZ 85004 480-415-6300 www.tcpn.org Technology Coordinators Utilities and building renewal projects Ed Schaffer 2116 W. Del Campo Circle Mesa, AZ 85202 888-474-5509 www.tc-az.com

Traaen & Associates, LLC Human resources management, training and organizational development Teri J. Traaen, Ed.D., DPA 4831 E. Calle Tuberia Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-510-3989 www.traaenandassociates.com

Valic (formerly AIG Retirement) Group retirement plans, individual ďŹ nancial services Michael Lager 11201 N.Tatum Blvd., Ste. 100 Phoenix, AZ 85028 602-674-2600 www.valic.com

Trane Dave Palty 850 W. Southern Ave. Tempe, AZ 85282 602-258-9600 www.trane.com

Valley Schools Mgmt. Group Patrick Dittman P.O. Box 41760 Phoenix AZ 85080 623-594-4370 www.vsit.org

The Trust Jane Schemers 333 E. Osborn Road #300 Phoenix, AZ 85012 602-222-2110 www.the-trust.org

Wedbush Morgan Securities (PHS&G) Financial advisor, underwriter, investment banker Jim Stricklin 3200 W. Camelback Rd, Ste. 290 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-952-6800 www.wedbush.com

Udall Shumway PLC Denise Lowell-Britt 1138 N. Alma School Rd. #101 Mesa, AZ 85201 480-461-5300

Wholesale Floors LLC Dan McShane 8855 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85021 602-741-4552 www.wholesaleďŹ&#x201A;oors.com

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36 ASBA Journal I Spring 2013

Spring 2013 I ASBA Journal 37

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