Local opinion: TUSD needs student results, not partisan politics

The governing board for Tucson Unified School District is complacent, ineffective and too ideological. Its primary focus is more on coalition building and ousting opponents than it is on student success. School boards are supposed to be nonpartisan, and governing board members and candidates have a responsibility to model independent thinking.

However, the TUSD board has an entrenched, political governing structure. Ninety percent of its decisions stem from a 4–1 ideological split or a unanimous 5–0 vote. At their most controversial, they’re divided in a 3-2 block, with Democrats holding the unshakeable majority. It’s specifically that block of 3 that’s kept the board stagnant — consistently voting for the status quo. While consensus may seem positive, it’s resulted in one-dimensional reasoning and an overdependence on administration. Take the recent votes at the Aug. 11 board meeting as examples.

Every board member acknowledged that reliance on AI is detrimental to student success. They still passed the AI updates in a 3-2 vote. The same sitting board also passed a policy in May 2025 requiring all AI use be board-approved. They had many options, including to demand more time. 3 board members chose to passively approve the policy anyway. There was only 15 minutes of commentary, and zero minutes of deliberation or debate that night.

It also turns out that TUSD paid nearly $7 million for the Benchmark Advance curriculum, which fell out of compliance in 2022. The administration barely notified the board this August. That’s direct evidence of an overdependence and an absence of checks and balances. The board is contributing to unacceptable behavior by tolerating it from administrative staff. It’s not their job to accept everything presented at face value after it’s too late to take action. Their job is to serve students and the community. Their job is to take initiative.

AZPM identified my opponents’ goal to “unify the board on a progressive front.” However, even if Democrats lost both seats, they still would hold the undeniable majority. Meaning, this vendetta to defeat the other side is literally fought at the expense of students. They identify family and student success as their goal, but put their efforts towards a partisan war instead.

Political victories can’t be the measure of success. It has to be whether children are succeeding. Currently, TUSD math and reading proficiency levels are at 22% and 29% respectively. The board hasn’t passed anything that moves that mark in decades, despite Democrats having control for the last 15 years.

The governing board blames administration, and administration blames the state. Meanwhile, they approve salary increases for a superintendent who oversaw decreased enrollment, critically low proficiency rates, and declining teacher retention - the metrics by which the board evaluates him. They also spent $19 million on a new district office, and a 71% markup to a hiring agency. That’s millions of dollars that should have gone to students and classrooms. The outcome is always the same: students suffer.

The answer isn’t to replace one political faction with another. The answer is to radically change how the board governs.

I propose TUSD prioritize internal solutions rather than outsourcing to third-party providers who profit off perpetuating problems. I propose it invests in growing our district by improving student and teacher morale. I propose it collaborate with students and schools on what works best for them, minimizing blanket initiatives based on comparisons with “sister districts.” Finally, I propose that it makes meaningful parent and teacher input a check and balance to administrative interests.

TUSD needs board members who aren’t afraid of deep diving into the numerical data and will hold district leadership accountable. As a candidate for the governing board, I refuse to be a rubber stamp to the administration, and pledge to prioritize results. It’s time for proactive leaders who put students above politics.