August 4–17, 2018 | www.SanTanSun.com
Relentlessly local coverage of Southern Chandler and our neighboring communities
Chandler schools make push on student equity BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor
A professional with 25 years experience in education who broke gender barriers in her native Sierra Leone hopes to level the playing field for diverse students in the Chandler Unified School District. Adama Sallu, the district’s new director of equity and inclusion, is charged with ensuring that “all children coming to Chandler schools have access to an equitable and inclusive learning environment where they’re valued and excellence is demanded.” Sallu’s appointment fulfills a promise that Superintendent Camille Casteel made to black parents angered by a racist video that some San Tan Junior High students made at home then put on the internet. Further exacerbating tensions were complaints that minority students are more likely to be suspended than Caucasian students and less likely to achieve academic success. “We can close the achievement gap and discipline gap,” Sallu said. “We can’t afford to have a group of kids failing every
year. We must critically examine the data. We need to examine ourselves and our own systems. Teachers are cultural agents. Teachers need to be very, very mindful about who they are. All of us are equity. Our voices are critical; it takes a village.” She said Chandler is already a “great school district” and no drastic changes are planned. Parents had demanded the school district take action against the boys involved in making the video, but Casteel said it did not have the authority to punish them for something they did outside of school on their own time. Casteel said the boys’ parents and school officials met with the boys “to teach them why the lyrics are so offensive and destructive, the ramifications of their actions and the dangers of social media.” The governing board also adopted a resolution reiterating Chandler Unified’s commitment to diversity and fairness. CUSD officials also engaged in an ongoing dialogue with African-American parents over broader issues, including a See
INCLUSIONon page 8
Waymo program aims for Valley Metro commuters BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Managing Editor
Self-driving vehicles are typically described as a disruptive technology that will make traditional modes of public transportation obsolete, but a recent announcement by Chandler-based Waymo is challenging that narrative. The Google-backed autonomous vehicle company and Valley Metro announced a first-of-its-kind pilot program that aims to increase access to and use of public transportation. The project will give select Valley Metro employees in the Southeast Valley the opportunity to use Waymo autonomous vehicles to travel to and from public transit stops on their commutes between home and work. The program is designed to test the effectiveness of using self-driving
Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer
Shaun Stewart, left, chief business developer for Waymo and Valley Metro CEO Scott Smith talk about a new program they’ve come up with to extended autonomous vehicle rides to some bus riders.
vehicles to promote public transportation by providing an option to travelers who See
WAYMO on page 4
Double fun
Adalynn and Ava Holmes, 3-year-old twins, had a blast recently enjoying a new Chandler business called Giggles, which aims to please kids 9 months to 6 years old with a variety of fun distractions. The Chandler couple who own the business have done this before in California, but moved here because they found it a more affordable and appealing locale. Read the story on p. 26.
photographs by Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer
Decline in kids’ vaccinations an alarming trend for health officials BY CECILIA CHAN Staff Writer
As the new school year gets into full swing across the East Valley, the Arizona Department of Health Services offers this eye-opening report: Parents are increasingly choosing to forgo vaccinating their children. Immunization rates among children in the state have dropped from 2012 to 2017 for a number of infectious diseases – including polio, measles, chickenpox and whooping cough, according to the department’s annual report this month. The report covers the 2017-18 academic year for preschool, kindergarten and sixth grade and is based on self-reporting data. “The health department is concerned about the rising exemptions and reduced coverage,” said Jessica Rigler, the department’s branch chief of public health preparedness. “As the trend continues, we are going to see a continued risk to students, their families and citizens of Arizona for preventable diseases.”
In 2017, the immunization rate was such that in an event of an outbreak, over 5,000 kindergartners would be at risk for measles, state health officials said. Arizona allows parents to exempt their children for three reasons – medical, personal and religious. However, students in grades K-12 can’t use religious beliefs as an exemption and child care centers, preschool and Head Start can’t use personal-belief exemptions. Data showed the non-medical exemptions continued to rise in Arizona, with the highest rates reported in public charter schools, followed by private and then public schools. In 2017, non-medical exemptions increased to 4.3 percent from 3.9 percent the year prior for preschool, jumped to 5.4 percent from 4.9 percent for kindergarten and rose to 5.4 percent from 5.1 percent for sixth grade. The numbers are somewhat misleading,
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A junk yard is giving some Sun Lakes neighbors fits. . . . . . . . . . . .Community . . . . . Page 15 High school football on the launch pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . Page 31 Hamilton High grad dons the doctor’s coat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NEIGHBORS . . . . . . Page 44 Local kids put on “Tuck Everlasting” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 54 Downtown Chandler loses landmark restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . .EAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 68
STFF ................................................................... Center Section
See
VACCINES on page 5
More Community . . . . .01-25 Business . . . . . . . 26-30 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 31-32 Opinion. . . . . . . . .41-43 Neighbors. . . . . . 44-53 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 54-60 Faith. . . . . . . . . . . .61-62 Directory . . . . . . 64-65 Classifieds. . . . . . 65-67 Where to Eat . . . 68-70