Four candidates are competing in the November 2024 election for three four-year seats on the Tempe Elementary School District Governing Board: Ivan Pemberton, Ray Thiry and incumbents Allison Ewers and James Lemmon.
Though school district governing board races are toward the bottom of the ballot, their outcomes have real consequences for the more than 880,000 children who attend public school districts across the state. The individuals voters select will help create policies, set budgets, choose curricula and educational materials and oversee superintendents. School board races are nonpartisan, and being a school board member is unpaid.
In Maricopa County, candidates are competing for governing board seats in 33 school districts. Some voters may also see other school-related questions on their ballot: Three districts in the Phoenix area are seeking approval to sell district-owned property, and 26 are seeking approval for funding measures.
The Tempe Elementary School District is seeking voter approval to renew a 15% maintenance and operations budget override to help maintain elementary class sizes and fund music, physical education, gifted education, full-day kindergarten teachers, elementary and middle school counselors, and after-school intervention programs. The estimated yearly tax rate for the maintenance and operations budget override is $0.51 per $100 of net assessed value.
The district is also seeking a district additional assistance budget override to help fund school-based technology, information and operational technology systems, school furniture and equipment and upgraded safety and security systems. The estimated yearly tax rate for the district additional assistance budget override is $0.33 per $100 of net assessed value.
Here are the Tempe Elementary School District Governing Board candidates' responses to The Arizona Republic's candidate questionnaire. Responses have been edited for clarity.
What will voters decide in 2024?Who will be joining Maricopa County school boards?
Personal and professional experience
What experiences, personal or professional, would inform your role as a school board member?
Allison Ewers: In my four years on the Tempe Elementary School Board, we won the Lou Ella Kleinz Excellence in Governance Award and successfully navigated the unique challenges presented by COVID.
James Lemmon: I have been asked to run and elected five times to the Tempe Elementary School District Governing Board. So, I have over 20 years of experience in almost every role Governing Board members must successfully engage in. I am a geologist for ADOT and understand the transportation and construction needs of a modern urban school district. Over the years, I have taught at the college and university level and still participate in geotechnical research and educational lecturing at the university and speaking to elementary school children about what geologist do.
Ivan Pemberton: My professional experience, both as an educator and small business owner, would inform my role as a Tempe Elementary Governing Board member. I have over a decade of experience overseeing budgets, leading staff, supporting parents, and working toward solutions for families under my care. As a leader of multiple Montessori schools, I have served thousands of Arizona families and led a staff of 75. I understand the importance of being efficient with resources and putting children first.As a lifelong Arizonan, and proud resident of Tempe, I understand the importance quality schools have on the greater community. Both my mother and grandparents were teachers; I know the importance of paying our educators a living wage.
Ray Thiry: I am a parent of current and former TD3 students. I was a public school music teacher for 16 years, including eight years in TD3. I am a college access manager at ASU. My team works to increase college attainment and success among first-generation college students from low-income families.I am a product of public schools, and I have always been an advocate for public education. I am a first-generation college graduate; I know how a formal education can change the outlook for an entire family.
Goals for the district
What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
Ewers: If reelected, I will continue to support our superintendent in striving to achieve our student growth goals. Our children need to be proficient in English, math, and civics by the time they get to high school. Our post-2020 scholars are growing up in a technologically driven world, and we need to utilize that technology to maximize their potential while keeping them safe.
Lemmon: Improve academic outcomes in math, science and civics. Work to provide more STEM and performing arts emphasis schools. Keep on encouraging transparent and effective fiscal budget planning that has resulted in over 20 years of continual successful fiscal auditing recognition. Continue to send a larger share of our limited resources into the classrooms compared to other elementary school districts, according to the most recent Arizona Auditor General performance audit.
Pemberton: If elected, I will bring my professional experience and personal background to the Tempe Elementary School Board. I plan to support professional development opportunities for staff, increase teacher pay, ensure funds are allocated effectively and efficiently to meet the needs of our district, establish partnerships with local organizations to support the district, expand mental health services for our students, ensure that our district invests in renewable energy options for our facilities and transportation options, and continue all-day kindergarten in the district.I have witnessed first-hand the difference that a well-rounded education can make in a child’s future success. Our diverse district has excellent schools, and I look forward to working with school leaders to continue this success.
Thiry: As a TD3 board member, I will work to ensure safe schools, promote a college-going culture, and support every child, every adult, every day. I will provide honest oversight and accountability to the public, and I will work to make/keep our district the best option for K-8 students in the area.
Supporting English language learners and students with disabilities; preparing students for college or career
How would you work to ensure students are college- or career-ready? How would you work to support students learning English and students with disabilities?
Ewers: Tempe Union and Tempe Elementary have been collaborating on how we can continue to offer programs from kindergarten through high school. We want a consistency of curriculum in subjects such as International Baccalaureate, culinary arts, music, accelerated programs, trades and STEAM.
The value of having a generation of children that are bilingual will enrich our future. Many countries have required students to be fluent in multiple languages for years to graduate, and they have a larger cross-cultural competence. We learn languages differently when we are young. I have met so many people who say, “I wish I spoke another language, and I wish I had learned it when I was young.”
Tempe Elementary is working diligently to offer an optimal educational experience for all children. We offer an online academy and developmental special needs programs, including a preschool specializing in children ages 3 to 5 with developmental needs.
Lemmon: At every board meeting, we ask for current results on how we are helping our teachers have the training, organizational resources and lesson plans to help move the needle on student outcomes. A focus on language acquisition, reading and math are our current emphasis areas identified by appropriate and timely student growth measurements. Academic interventions for students during the fall, winter and spring breaks can be provided, if needed. We also support dual language programs for limited English proficient children in primary grades so that they also receive instruction in the required curriculum, as well as learning English. All students learn differently, so we continue to have programs for gifted students, a Montessori grade school and an International Baccalaureate middle school. We also have a preschool for developmentally disabled children and a number of free early preschool programs with certified early childhood teachers.
Pemberton: The first step is educating students and families about college and career options that already exist. We should invest in college and career counseling that provides knowledge to the families in our district. Additionally, workshops and seminars that educate students on topics such as college applications, financial aid options and different career counseling opportunities would be beneficial. It is never too early to start preparing our students for the future.The right to an education should be universal, and schools should rise to the occasion and meet everyone where they are. Programs and educational opportunities should be specifically tailored to meet the needs of students who are learning English or who have disabilities. Neither of these situations should hold a student back from pursuing the career or future education path of their dreams.
Thiry: Families should receive consistent instruction in college and career readiness from early grades all the way through high school. Families should have access to as much information about college as possible. Arizona university and college acceptance requirements, making college affordable, and the benefits of higher education are all subjects with which I am intimately familiar. We're a college town, and I will work for academic excellence as the expectation in Tempe.
Public school districts have a responsibility to the public to educate every child, regardless of challenges students may face. We will provide our teachers with the best practices and resources. We will provide targeted interventions, foster a growth mindset, and individualize instruction to meet the needs of all children.
Educator recruitment and retention
How would you work to help recruit and retain quality educators?
Ewers: Tempe Elementary has increased teacher pay by 17% since I joined the board. I am on the district health care committee, always working to provide better benefits and encouraging the staff to be proactive in their health. The well-being of the staff is critical. We have partnered with the city of Tempe to offer low-cost after-school childcare to all our staff, and we are the first Arizona district to offer maternity and paternity leave.
Lemmon: Support year-round recruitment efforts and travel to other states to recruit highly qualified teachers for Tempe. Keep on making TD3 an employer that is recognized as a best place to work. Continue to financially reward teachers who continue in their professional development. Be known as a school district that has parental leave for our employees, free health insurance and a stable well-managed institutional and political environment. And continue to provide personnel at each site who can effectively and quickly manage disruptive behaviors so the teacher can go back to teaching.
Pemberton: Teacher salaries must be increased. I will work to ensure that all educators’ pay in our district is increased. There is no reason that a teacher should struggle to live in the community where they work. Teachers should be able to live at or above their means in their own community, and an increase in salary is a step in the right direction.In addition to increasing teacher pay, I will champion efforts to build affordable and environmentally friendly housing options for our educators. As the cost of living continues to rise in Tempe, we must ensure that teachers are not left behind and their community is affordable.By increasing pay and providing more affordable housing, we will be able to hire competitively and increase the pool of candidates that we choose from. Aside from the financial piece of the puzzle, I will also listen to teachers about improvements they would like to see in the district.
Thiry: We have a great resource for new teachers at ASU. We need to solidify that relationship to make TD3 the premier destination for student teachers upon graduation. Guaranteed job offers for successful student teachers, retention bonuses for veteran teachers, stipends for after-hours tutoring, and high-quality benefits are some ways to attract and keep good teachers. Higher salaries always help, and we'll do everything we can to do that, but I didn't leave the classroom because of the salary. Poor working conditions and a perceived lack of support from the community and school leaders drive many good teachers out of the classroom. We can't simply throw money at teachers to buy their acceptance without addressing their concerns. I will encourage a healthy relationship between parents, staff, teachers and leadership. There should be no us versus them in public education. These are our children, and we're all in this together.
Behavioral health programming and counselors
What is your position on behavioral health programming and access to counselors in schools?
Ewers: A large majority of our students do not have access to affordable health care. I am grateful that we can provide a counselor or psychologist on every campus.
Another concern for teachers is classroom behavioral issues. Listening to these concerns and working to find solutions that benefit the teacher, student and classroom is a main goal. Social-emotional health is directly related to our children’s safety.
Lemmon: We already have counselors and will continue to have behavior professionals in every one of our school sites. There also are a number of in-service trainings that our classroom teachers take to help manage student behaviors. Post-COVID behaviors of both children and some adults are emerging mental health issues that must be addressed so that effective learning can take place.
Pemberton: The mental health of our students and staff is extremely important. I believe that all students should have access to behavioral health services, including mental health counselors, in schools. As a Tempe Elementary School board member, I would look for additional ways to bring these services to children in need. Additionally, parents need education on the options available to their children.
Thiry: Students cannot learn when they're not healthy, so to dive in and teach algebra or the cello to a student who lacks basic human needs is a misuse of time and resources. Maslow provided the authority on this. Supporting our children by providing every resource we can is an unfair but necessary burden placed at the doorstep of public school districts. Social programs that should be readily accessible are often unavailable to our students through other means, and we must do everything we can to help our students be successful. Arizona has an abysmal counselor-to-student ratio, and we will do all we can to provide more job opportunities for school counselors in the interest of better mental health for our most vulnerable students.
Bonds and overrides
Do you support seeking additional funding for school facilities and operational costs via voter-approved and taxpayer-funded bond and override measures?
Ewers: Yes. Tempe residents have supported our bonds and overrides for years. Some of our buildings are aging, and our special programs would not exist without them. These funds have increased the property values around our newly built schools. We have won numerous awards for our arts and music programs, and this year’s overrides will be a critical part of Tempe Elementary spending to make our schools even safer.
Lemmon: Yes, and I have been consistently voting as a board member to send to the ballot bonds and override issues for the last 20 years.
Pemberton: Yes, I support a taxpayer-funded bond and override measures when they are necessary for the success of our schools and students.
Thiry: Yes. Arizona consistently ranks toward the bottom in per-pupil spending and often the only way to receive more funding is through tax overrides. I'll be voting "yes" on the two Tempe Elementary overrides and I encourage everyone to join me.
Reach the reporter at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com.
