QUESTION #1
ANSWER

I’m running for the Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board because I believe every child deserves an excellent education—and every parent deserves a voice. As the son of legal Mexican immigrants who was taught in the public school system, I know firsthand how education can transform a family’s future. With more than 40 years as an educator, I bring real-world experience as a father, grandfather, husband, and business owner. I’m not a career politician. I’m a servant leader committed to academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, strong teachers, transparency, and putting parents back at the table.

QUESTION #2
ANSWER

I bring more than four years of direct experience serving on the DVUSD Governing Board, including serving as Board President. I am a fourth-generation Arizonan, DVUSD graduate and parent, Marine Corps veteran, and MBA graduate. My board service has given me firsthand experience with district governance, budgets, policy, and fiscal oversight. I have focused on academic achievement, transparency, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and parental involvement. I believe this combination of education, military service, business experience, community involvement, and direct school-board experience prepares me to continue serving DVUSD effectively.

I am the best candidate because of my deep multi-generational roots and 32-year teaching history in the Deer Valley Unified School District. As a former DVUSD student, veteran educator, and proud parent of two district alumni, my lifelong commitment to the community is unmatched. I will directly address the primary reasons parents choose alternative schooling. I pledge to advocate for targeted budgets that prioritize school safety, classroom behavior management, and smaller class sizes. My intimate understanding of the district ensures I will effectively champion the needs of students, parents, and employees alike.

The biggest issues facing the school district are declining enrollment, underutilized schools, and inefficient spending. Operating 13 schools under 50% capacity while proposing new buildings has caused larger class sizes, program cuts, and higher activity fees. I will address these issues by prioritizing students over new construction. I will challenge inefficient building proposals to redirect funds back into classrooms and employees. I will foster collaboration by actively listening to parents, students, and staff to ensure the school board represents community needs and provides fiscally responsible direction to the superintendent.

I retired from my career in public education, as both a teacher and an administrator, after 40 years. I was deeply involved in academics, extracurricular activities, athletics, career and technical education, curriculum and assessment development, as well as developing district policy in many areas. I have lived in this community for decades and watched the many growth cycles the northwest valley has experienced over the years and the aging of many of our communities. I now volunteer  in our public schools as well as the nonprofit sector. I know how important strong public schools are to our democracy. 

Because Deer Valley is a huge school district, the biggest issues facing us evolve regularly, but the current issues include inadequate state funding which affects all areas of district life and the resulting consequences in identifying how to support our schools in older neighborhoods while also dealing with exploding growth in our district’s new neighborhoods. While a school board member has no direct control over legislative funding decisions, as a school board member, I will work collaboratively with the other members, district officials, and community members to make decisions that will support the success of the district for the next ten years.