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November 1, 2002/Cheshvan 26 5763, Vol. 55, No. 10
Accountability countsDOUG THOMASAs a long-time member of the old Jewish community center, I appreciate the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix providing me an opportunity to share my perspective on the upcoming Phoenix Union High School District School Board election.I have served on the PUHSD Board for eight years. During that time, my fellow board members and I have continually fought for greater accountability and higher expectations. We believe such accountability and higher expectations are the keys to success in our district. Allow me to provide two examples of this greater accountability and higher expectations at work. I recently had the opportunity to vote on whether to retain a Central High School principal who had misrepresented his job qualifications during his job interview and in his written application. If the board had voted to retain the principal, it would have created a bad example for our students and have created legal risks for the district if the principal had continued in his employment. I voted to terminate him. I believe we cannot place expectations on our students until we place those same expectations on the adults around them. The new state school accountability standards are another example of the accountability and high expectations I have helped instill in our district. Phoenix Union could have complained and rejected such standards on the basis of their unfairness in their treatment of students of lower socio-economic status. Unlike past practices, the board accepted the new standards in full, providing the board for the first time with leverage to effectuate real change. When the board decided to accept fully the standards without criticism, the board knew it would receive criticism for the designations some of our district schools received. The mere fact our schools are now designated at all shows the board's and my belief in accountability and high standards. I only regret someone cannot apply the "state standards" to the status of the district before the new standards to see how much our district has improved in a very short time. Beyond these examples, please consider that the PUHSD Classroom Teachers Association interviewed my opponent and me. After those interviews, the teachers endorsed me. I believe the unique perspective of the Phoenix Union teachers and their belief in me confirms the new accountability and expectations my fellow board members and I have instilled in the district. In turn, I believe the new accountability and expectations will cause Central High and the other schools in our district to improve to the levels the community would expect. I invite you to adopt my belief, and like the teachers of Phoenix Union, endorse and vote for me on Nov. 5. Thomas, attorney at Koeller, Nebeker, Carlson & Halluck, is a candidate for the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, Ward 3. The other candidate is Terry Reuben Taubman. |
