Gresham: From Madison Elementary to the State House, our students deserve better
Posted
Karen Gresham
I never imagined that I would hold elected office. But then I became a mom to three kids. As they began their journey through our local public schools, I got more involved with supporting their education.
I was a part of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Due to my background working as a CPA at Deloitte and Phelps Dodge, I was elected as the treasurer. Our biggest job as a PTO was to raise money to pay for a teacher's aide for students.
That didn’t seem right - PTO groups shouldn’t have to fund the basic operation of our public schools. We needed leaders who would make sure our schools had the support they deserved. Eventually I made the decision to run for the Madison Elementary School District Governing Board.
In 2020, I was lucky enough to win the support of my community and be elected. In the years since, I have been hard at work supporting the needs of our students, educators, and community.
We’ve had success at making sure our students are getting a high quality education. As a district, we have had six schools named as the best elementary or middle school by U.S. News and World Report.
But the job isn’t over. Our schools remain underfunded and too many classrooms lack a permanent qualified teacher. That’s why I’m running for the Arizona State House of Representatives.
I want to take the success of our local schools and work to make sure every school in the state can take advantage. That means making sure that every student has a permanent qualified teacher and that teachers are paid a fair wage. It means making sure every student has access to full day kindergarten. It also means making sure our public schools are no longer at the bottom of the nation for per-pupil funding.
That’s what we can accomplish with a new pro-public education majority.
Karen Gresham is running for the State House of Representatives in Legislative District 4. Candidates may submit one letter during the election cycle. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
