By J. Graber
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

Voters will go to the polls Nov. 5 to choose among six candidates for three seats open on the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board.

Their choices are Jeanne Beasley, Drew Hassler, Gretchen Jacobs, Dr. Donna Lewis, Dr. Matthew Pittinsky and Mike Sharkey.

But before they can vote, residents of the district have to make sure they are registered.

The last day to register to vote in the general election is Monday, Oct. 7, and ballots will go in the mail for registered voters on the list for early voting Wednesday, Oct. 9. Those voters should receive their ballot in the mail by the end of that week or early the next. Ballot drop boxes at various locations will be available as of Wednesday, Oct. 9.

The last day a registered voter may request an early ballot is Friday, Oct. 25, and the last day to get the ballot in the mail to assure delivery to the Maricopa County Elections Department by election day is Tuesday, Oct. 29.

There will be an early ballot drop box at Scottsdale City Hall beginning Wednesday, Oct. 9, for those who wish to return their ballot in person. It will be open normal town business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and will be available election day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Also, voters can go to any poll location and drop off their ballot as well. Maricopa County is staggering the opening of polling locations. A list of sites that are open to dropoffs is available online at www.scottsdale.vote. District residents will be able to vote at any polling location within the county.

Early voting will begin at the Town of Paradise Valley town hall, 6401 E. Lincoln Drive, on Oct. 25. Town hall will also be open for in person voting Oct. 26 through Nov. 5, (except for Sunday, Oct. 27.)

The Daily Independent engaged all six candidates in four questions about themselves and their stances on issues. Beasley, Lewis, Sharkey and Pittinsky responded. Here is the first question in this four part series and their answers:

Please take this opportunity to introduce yourself to voters. Why are you running for the governing board and what are your qualifications for the position?

Beasley

As the mother of an SUSD graduate, a litigation paralegal and a member of the SUSD Audit Committee, I am invested in the success of our community’s public schools. I have also gained deep insight into district operations by attending board meetings in person for several years. My experiences have inspired me to run for a seat on the board (alongside Gretchen Jacobs and Drew Hassler). I am deeply concerned about the direction of Scottsdale Unified School District as we continue to face declining student achievement and enrollment and struggle to retain staff. Asking the hard questions is not easy, but our kids’ futures are at stake, making it crucial to challenge the status quo. Our families should have to look no further than their neighborhood school to receive the world-class education they desire and deserve for their children.

Lewis

Hello. I am Dr. Donna Lewis, and I am running for school board to offer professionalism and educational expertise in service to the students, staff and families of our district, in partnership with our community and business leaders. I have over 40 years of experience working in education and most recently served as the Superintendent for a school board recognized by the Arizona School Board Association for Best Boardsmanship and for its excellence in community engagement through its family resource center. We received national and state awards for our fiscal accountability through (Association of School Business Officials), and I was the 2021 National Superintendent of the Year for Arizona. In my long career, I have been a principal at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, as well as a classroom teacher. I love the school experience, where students are encouraged to love learning! As a mother of three sons, I served on my local parent organization and the district’s strategic planning committee.

Pittinsky

We all have reasons to care about our neighborhood schools. Two of my children attend our district schools, while a third attends Brophy. I care that all children have access to a top-notch education. I served on the site councils of Cherokee and Cocopah. With my youngest, I am active in Scouting. I’m a homeowner who cares about property values and knows the quality and reputation of our school district matter. I’m also a business entrepreneur who employs graduates of SUSD and relocates new hires with children from out of state to live in Scottsdale.

This upcoming election will determine the majority direction of the SUSD board at a critical time. The challenges we face require experienced leadership; not national partisan agendas sowed with distrust. I co-founded and led the global EdTech company Blackboard, while more recently I built Parchment (which has done business with the district in the past), a Scottsdale-HQ company that also serves schools and universities, including SUSD. Through building these businesses and serving on education boards, I have experience with large operating budgets ($100mm+), and employee teams (1,000+). In between Blackboard and Parchment, I earned my Ph.D. in Sociology of Education and taught as an Assistant Professor at ASU, so I also bring relevant education experience.

Sharkey

My name is Mike Sharkey and I’m running for the SUSD governing board to help solve problems. I’m a 24-year resident of Scottsdale and my twins graduated high school in 2020 after spending their entire K-12 schooling in the Scottsdale district. Additionally, I’m going on my ninth year as a mentor for the Chaparral High School Robotics club.

Professionally, I’ve spent the last 20+ years of my career working in education. I’m currently the executive director of data & analysis at Arizona State University. I manage a team of 30 professionals and a budget of over $5 million. I have held various roles in higher education, including starting a predictive analytics company in 2013 that used data to help universities with student success. I have an undergraduate degree in math from Lafayette College and an MBA from the University of Arizona.

I’m uniquely qualified for this position because of the intersection of my SUSD experiences and my skills as an educational data analyst. Not only can I assist the district in analyzing data to help make sound decisions, but I can do that in the context of how the data relate to the environment in our SUSD communities.

J. Graber can be reached at jgraber@iniusa.org. We invite our readers to submit their civil comments pro or con on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.