G9's Withdrawal
After writing an email titled "Is It Just Me" last January, many friends encouraged me to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction. I made the decision to run because I'm confident in my ability to lead us to a higher quality, effective, and cost-efficient school system that would genuinely work for students and communities.
After making the decision to do so, and then engaging in the process, I must say that I found the experience enlightening, often exhilarating, at times discouraging, and sometimes just plain crazy.
It is with humility that I announce my decision to end my candidacy. My decision comes about for three major reasons;
-
One of my strengths is that I am true to my foundational values. I know me and I know what I'm not. I have declared as a Republican Clean Elections candidate but after my experience of the last six months, which includes becoming aware that Arizona's reigning Republican leadership would enjoy seeing the demise of public education, I now know without doubt that I truly can no longer claim to be an Arizona Republican.
Arizona's own Barry Goldwater was known nationally as Mr. Conservative. I classified myself as a Barry Goldwater Republican because of his commitment to public education, family values, absolute honesty, and fiscal conservatism. What I have discovered is that in the current political climate in Arizona, Barry Goldwater's views would more accurately position him as a moderate Republican or perhaps, even as an Independent.
I have been treated politely and with respect everywhere I have traveled and I certainly mean no disrespect to anyone individually. I registered as a Republican soon after coming back from Viet Nam in the late 1960s. While I haven't changed my basic beliefs, I've discovered in my visits that the party has moved so far to the right that the platform I've outlined cannot be reconciled with the present direction of the Arizona Republican Party.
-
I'm pretty sure I'm a good leader and educator, but I've become acutely aware that I do not possess the political skills or have the campaign team to effectively organize at the grass roots level to the extent necessary to win. I am very organized at work and I realize now that I've chosen not to be as organized in my political venture; perhaps because I felt my dissonance as noted above before I realized it objectively.
-
I have been criticized by friends and colleagues for not being political enough. I must agree with them but have no intention of changing. I did not make the decision to run lightly and I didn't make the decision to end my candidacy lightly either. However, I admit to a bit of naivete in thinking I could maintain my life's priorities and foundational values and still be successful in the current political climate.
I obviously want to thank all of those who have supported me and there are many. I apologize if my decision has disappointed you. I'll be more specific at the end of this email, but realize some will stop reading about here.
Clearly, I remain committed to KIDS FIRST, so it seems useful to share some insights I've gained while campaigning. I hope these observations are helpful to my constituents and the general public in thinking further about our education and political systems. Take'em for what you will, but here are my perspectives as I leave this campaign behind.
Differing Views
Educators know they work hard, are dedicated and underappreciated. Many of Arizona's business leaders and senior citizens see public education as "broken". A significant member of Republican leadership in Arizona believes that our "teachers aren't very good and that our administrator's run from accountability".
Legislature and Leadership
The Arizona Legislature is presently composed of a very cohesive group of Democrats, and then there are the Republicans, who are comprised of very few moderates, a majority of conservative Republicans, and a significant number of Libertarians that call themselves Republicans.
Arizona is a large and diverse state and its people are similarly diverse. Quite honestly, at this time I view Arizonans as divided and polarized; perhaps to an even greater degree than the United States as a whole. Such polarization is an expected result when there is a vacuum of leadership; a phenomenon I noted last January that continues today.
While our fiscal crisis is a given, and referenced daily, it seems we have a well-earned crisis in confidence in Arizona's leadership that is further retarding our economic recovery.
Extreme Candidates, the Truth, and the Need for Statesmen
It is obvious that Arizona has a number of zealots and few statesmen in the Legislature. The organized Republicans, including the Libertarians, and Democrats, although to a lesser degree, have adopted relatively extreme positions, disenfranchising most of us regular folks. The result is that the disenfranchised middle usually does NOT vote in the primary thus ensuring that the usually more extreme candidate supported by either party wins.
If diversity is supposed to be healthy, why then is the selection of extreme candidates a negative?
When talking to our students about the importance of trust, we often use the concept of forthrightness as an illustration. To be forthright, means to tell the whole truth, not just the convenient truth. Adolescents relate to that immediately, as they know they regularly tell parents the truth, just not all of it. They often don't tell the whole truth because that may raise some issues that would cause difficulty. Heck, even at my age I can remember doing some of that when I was a kid.
In our present era, where do you get the whole truth? I love the internet, but organizations are biased to their own perspective and they provide their version of the truth.
Again, where do you get the forthright truth?
A significant truth is that the more of the whole truth we know, the "grayer" things are. As life goes on and we age with experience, it becomes ever clearer that there are few "black" and "white" issues. Life is complicated; not simple. There are few easy answers.
But there are good answers available to us, and while they are difficult to get to, to arrive at them, we must consider the whole truth. Sometimes that means that we find that "our" truth is different than "others" truth. However, those "truths" must be based on facts; not subjective information nor figures distorted by biased organizations or, worse yet, figures distorted by elected zealots. After discussion based on real "truths", there may still be significant differences. Then, true statesmen compromise, agreeing to disagree agreeably as they understand that their informed leadership is more important to effective governance than individual philosophical differences.
At present in Arizona we have elected so many extreme, "wedge" issue candidates that party allegiance and personal philosophical beliefs have become more important to the individuals elected than providing effective governance and leadership to the people of Arizona. When allegiance to party politics is given a higher priority than providing effective leadership to the people of Arizona, the legislature fails to serve its purpose.
Are Arizona's Children a Priority?
As I wrote previously, it has been said that the true value of a culture can be effectively evaluated by simply measuring the priority it places on its children.
In a recent meeting held by Gov. Brewer, John Arnold, Arizona's Budget Director presented an excellent synopsis of our budget dilemma. As part of that presentation he noted that since Fiscal Year 2004, Arizona has added 144,700 K-12 students at a cost of more than $1 billion. During that same time period, Arizona Corrections has added 11,600 prisoners at a cost of $405.4 million.
While you cannot determine the cost per student from Mr. Arnold's presentation as "more than $1 billion" is not a definitive number, Arizona education advocates peg the number at around $6,300 per student, while critics put the number closer to $9,400. However, the cost per prisoner per year can be figured and it is $34,948.
I spend most of my days working near the largest gated community in Arizona, the Arizona State Prison in Florence. It is certainly our major industry and I have nothing but respect for those that work in and for our prison system.
However, isn't it unusual that we pay $35,000 per year per prisoner and only $6,300 to $9,400 for each of our students? As a state government we have either forgotten our priorities, or, we don't have any.
Last December I was in a group and we discussed the possibility of a .01 sales tax and I wrote about it last January. Arguing that this would be bad for business, our Legislature, despite Gov. Brewer's best efforts, have not moved on this issue. Instead, we are told it is better to mortgage government buildings and borrow as much money as possible, even though we don't really know where the money will come from to pay those loans back. Quite simply, that is bad business and is exactly why you or I would not be able to complete such a mortgage.
I've been told that businesses, when thinking of relocating, demand three things. First, an available well-educated work force; secondly, great schools for their worker's children to attend; and thirdly, well-led, visionary state leadership that works cohesively with a progressive governmental structure. Does that sound like Arizona right now?
Vision, Leadership, Service, Foundational Values, and the Necessity of Confidence
Economic strength is generated by agreement upon common vision, established by great leadership, with communication and personal regard provided to all, and with bold action taken by elected representatives that understand their calling is service to their constituents.
Service to the public is not about selfish motives and self-aggrandizement, but rather about sharing collected wisdom with a group of equals such that the decisions of the whole are better than the sum of its parts.
While decisions about the budget are pressing, Arizona would be best served if our Legislature would step back and re-establish their foundational values and priorities, pledging to move forth, together, with the welfare of the average Arizonan in mind.
Every truly successful organization has earned the confidence of its employees and its public. Without doubt, our legislature has lost Arizona's confidence.
The single greatest factor necessary to fuel our economic recovery is for Arizona's leadership to come together and chart a course that the public can embrace with confidence. Quite honestly, rather than being difficult, this simply requires our legislators to choose to work together cooperatively. To do less is to forsake the welfare of Arizona.
Beliefs, Critics, and Change
I am dedicated to public education as I believe in the Jeffersonian premise that it is the key ingredient necessary to individual success for the vast majority of our children and to the development of an informed electorate necessary to maintain our republic. Many believe, and I am one, that America is at its best when our middle class is largest. Our middle class is shrinking, dramatically, and that is truly education's greatest challenge.
Public education critics are numerous, albeit most haven't been in a school in years and don't consider that in one generation we have taken on the new challenges of special education, profoundly handicapped kids, alcohol-fetal syndrome children, drug babies, autistic kids, a permissive society, and serve a parent base that is more disengaged than ever before. Public education is the answer to all of society's ills and at the same time the whipping boy for all that is wrong in America.
The argument can be made that public education has done pretty well, all things considered, and there are certainly schools that are shining examples of what is right about public education.
That said, as you are aware, my candidacy was based upon change. On the whole, I felt that public education was too focused on adults rather than kids. Every teacher needs to be good enough to teach my child and, if not, they must get better or leave. We know that true confidence comes from achievement, yet we do not robustly challenge our students, particularly in their later years of high school.
I believe in leadership dedicated to common vision, a fundamental change in teaching technique that would enable our teachers to teach all kids at a challenging level daily, and a commitment to using technology that would enrich our students, empower our teachers, and enable our poor.
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ken Whisenhunt, and Sandra Day O'Connor
In every place I've spoken in Arizona I've stated that the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction should not be an elected one. Arizona's kids are not achieving well when compared to those in other states. That is no surprise. Arizona education has been led by politicians whose main goal is re-election or a greater political office for a long, long time.
I really respect Ken Whisenhunt, our Arizona Cardinals football coach, and he is pretty universally acknowledged as an effective leader. However, if Ken was installed as Dean of the University of Arizona's Medical School that would most likely not work out very well; great leader, wrong skill set. The Superintendent of Public Instruction needs a great educational skill set to lead effectively. Politicians typically don't bring the necessary skill set to the table.
I wholeheartedly agree with Sandra Day O'Connor's group that the Superintendent of Public Instruction should be a non-partisan, appointed position.
Thanks
I wish to thank the many, many folks who have supported my effort through petition signing, collecting of signatures, all those who have donated, and all who have encouraged me. There have been extra efforts made by folks in Yuma, Wickenburg, Sierra Vista, Aguila, Sedona, Flagstaff, Prescott, Scottsdale, Tucson, Phoenix, the White Mountains, Clarkdale, Willcox, Chandler, Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Florence, and others of which I am not even aware. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and hope you are not too disappointed in my decision. My family has been especially supportive as families always seem to be. Thank you so much. To Gary, Craig, and Pete, Don, Lynn, and Barry, I can only say I've learned from you, I thank you and, again, I hope I haven't disappointed you too much. And, my wife, Debra, wow, what can I say. You are truly phenomenal!
And Finally
I've seldom quit anything and expect to be successful in whatever I undertake, so this is a difficult step for me, but a necessary one. We studied to find out what to do to enter this race and now we'll figure out what we have to do to officially withdraw. Please consider this communication as my public withdrawal from candidacy for the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
With Respect and Appreciation
Gary 9