ED'S PLAN
We live in a wonderful school district with boundless potential, but there is still much we can do to make our schools more equitable, high quality, and welcoming for all of our families. As Ed continues to work to improve our schools, he wants to hear from you. What do you want to see changed or improved in our schools?
Raise pay & retain great teachers
The Osborn School District has fantastic teachers and staff who care deeply about our kids. Unfortunately, too many great teachers can’t afford to continue to teach and consider leaving the profession to seek higher-paying jobs. Our Osborn teachers and staff should earn enough to comfortably live and work in the Osborn School District. To retain and attract top teaching talent to Osborn schools, Ed worked to significantly increase teacher and staff pay in 2023 when he was president of the Osborn School Governing Board.
Ed will build on his work to increase teacher and staff pay and seek additional funding and grants once again to increase pay, retain great teachers and staff, and continue to improve our public schools.
Safe streets & schools for our kids
Osborn Schools are meant to be neighborhood schools, and all parents and students should feel safe to walk to their neighborhood school. Unfortunately, due to unsafe sidewalks and the lack of bike lanes, Phoenix has some of the most dangerous streets for our kids to walk and bike on.
As a school board member, Ed led a Safe Routes to School Committee at Encanto and Clarendon schools that brought parents, community members, school staff, and city staff together to collaborate on street design reforms. This long-term effort led to meaningful improvements to make the streets near our schools safer, and there is more work yet to be done.
In 2023, Ed approved a bond meant to further upgrade our schools so that our kids have quality and safe schools. This effort led to the voters overwhelmingly approving the bond in November 2023, and we will start to see these meaningful improvements in 2024 and beyond.
When kids feel safe at school, that’s when they’re at their best to learn. Ed will continue to promote policies that ensure all our kids feel safe on campus.
Expand & protect dual language programs
In the 21st century, it is more important than ever to speak multiple languages. Osborn’s schools have wonderful dual language programs that graduate students fully fluent and proficient in both English and Spanish. Unfortunately, some state officials have been trying to score political points by attacking our dual language programs – even going as far as filing lawsuits to attack our dual language students and programs. Ed has and will continue to stand up and fight to preserve and grow our dual language programs at Osborn Schools because they have proven time and again to work and provide a high quality education.
Ed’s own family is bilingual, and Osborn’s dual language program attracted Ed’s family to buy a home in and stay in the Osborn School District. Ed’s kids attend the wonderful dual language program at Encanto Elementary. In 2023, Osborn launched the first public, dual language Montessori program, which is located at Montecito Community School.
Ed will continue to work to protect and expand dual language so students can continue their language growth and expertise.
Expand preschool & after school programs
Study after study shows that the best way to support families and education is to provide low-cost, high-quality preschool and after school programs. The Osborn School District has made strides in this respect by expanding preschool options for our kids. As a school board member, Ed worked to expand Osborn’s community preschools and also successfully launch a Montessori program that provides another option for our 3- and 4-year-old kids.
As a school board member, Ed fought to protect after school programs in our schools to support working families. On the Osborn school board, Ed will continue to fight to expand after school programs that enrich kids’ learning.
