Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..
Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
Board member Joanne Conlin, with tongue lodged firmly in cheek, said, “I’m just hoping the legislature will fund everything – and life will be good.”
"I look forward to bringing new ideas and teaching parents that it is ok to advocate for your kids. We often see too many kids lacking parent involvement and I would like to change that by bringing awareness to parents and keeping the parent/teacher involvement throughout a student’s history in the school so that kids do not feel left behind or get lost in our system.”
Katy Taylor, Payson school board candidate
"The communities within the boundaries of the Payson Unified School District have been over-taxed and under-served. Seniors are having the security of home ownership placed at risk by the ever-increasing tax burden, families are impacted by the absence of traditional moral and ethical values presented by classroom and district programs, students are failing academic standards of learning and failing to graduate at an alarming rate, teachers are underpaid and disrespected, while business owners are unable to hire personnel with the skills necessary for success."
Mike Heather, Payson school board candidate
“The curriculum promoted by our federal Department of Education is targeted more to social engineering than traditional instruction. Under that diabolical and destructive dictum, our country has devolved from the number one educational system in the world to a second-class monolith that is failing our students, our economy and our family values."
Elvia Guerrero, Payson school board candidate
Board member Joanne Conlin, with tongue lodged firmly in cheek, said, “I’m just hoping the legislature will fund everything – and life will be good.”
"I look forward to bringing new ideas and teaching parents that it is ok to advocate for your kids. We often see too many kids lacking parent involvement and I would like to change that by bringing awareness to parents and keeping the parent/teacher involvement throughout a student’s history in the school so that kids do not feel left behind or get lost in our system.”
Katy Taylor, Payson school board candidate
"The communities within the boundaries of the Payson Unified School District have been over-taxed and under-served. Seniors are having the security of home ownership placed at risk by the ever-increasing tax burden, families are impacted by the absence of traditional moral and ethical values presented by classroom and district programs, students are failing academic standards of learning and failing to graduate at an alarming rate, teachers are underpaid and disrespected, while business owners are unable to hire personnel with the skills necessary for success."
Mike Heather, Payson school board candidate
“The curriculum promoted by our federal Department of Education is targeted more to social engineering than traditional instruction. Under that diabolical and destructive dictum, our country has devolved from the number one educational system in the world to a second-class monolith that is failing our students, our economy and our family values."
Elvia Guerrero, Payson school board candidate
The five candidates vying for two open seats on the Payson school board offer a dramatic range of views on how schools are performing — from outspoken support for teachers to the belief that students are being subject to “diabolical” social engineering.
The district had a rough year in student test scores, graduation rates and other academic measures — most of which links to the enforced disruptions of the pandemic.
However, the district has also enjoyed a relatively strong budget year, thanks to millions of pandemic aid from the federal government.
The board meetings have remained peaceful. Few parents have complained about the complexities of the pandemic policies — with the district juggling shifting state and federal guidelines and a steady drumbeat of new cases among students and faculty.
Incumbent board member Joanne Conlin is seeking reelection, promising to focus on rebuilding test scores, financial accountability and transparency.
Accountant and fifth-generation Gila County resident Katy Taylor is offering strong support for the district, teachers and existing board policies.
The election has also drawn two critics of the district.
Medical technologist Elvia Guerrero is sharply critical of district and federal COVID interventions and says schools have engaged in destructive “social engineering.”
Michael Heather agrees, saying that schools are spending too much money outside the classroom and that the district’s curriculum engages in “sexual grooming” in its sex education efforts and equates the district’s popular AVID program with critical race theory.
Susan Ward falls somewhere in between, saying the district should do more to foster vocational education, build up programs in cooperation with Eastern Arizona College-Payson.
The Payson Roundup asked each of the five candidates by email to talk about why they’re running and what they hope to accomplish. Here’s what they said:
One of the most active current school board members, Conlin has consistently supported Superintendent Linda Gibson — but also remains the board member most likely to raise questions, challenge policies and get into the nitty gritty of district polices. She’s also the director of the Payson Senior Center.
She and her husband have lived in their “forever home” in Payson since 2003 — and have lived in Arizona since the early 1970s. She had a 40-year career in finance, human resources and commercial construction before retiring to Payson.
She said her top issues remain student achievement, accountability, fiscal responsibility, and transparency.
“I am seeking reelection to help continue the work our board and district have set in motion over the last few years. Throughout my tenure on the school board, I have spent countless hours talking with educators and PUSD staff, and attending conferences and webinars to better understand budgets, how we can help our children thrive, and how to ensure our district can excel. I am confident my combined experiences and knowledge will bring about good decisions for the safety and well-being of our children and staff, fiscally sound budgets, and accountability at all levels of the district.
“The next few years are important to the district. We have moved out of COVID and have set the tools in place to help analyze student progress. We have a new strategic plan that needs metrics to measure our successes and challenges. I am a data-driven person who combines empirical data with subjective input to come up with plans for improvement. We need to study what is working and know when to change course. With the help of our local police department, we have started analysis and some implementation of new safety and security measures. We need a plan for what we can achieve on our small budget that is impactful and what can be done in the future when funding is available.
“There are many great things happening at PUSD. Importantly, the kiddos are back in school in person. Through the worst of the pandemic, we were fortunate to have the resources in place — thanks to the hard work of the board — to preserve our critical staff. We have uniform tools across the district in place to monitor and measure our students’ progress and success.”
“Of course, we face challenges. Student achievement slowed with COVID, but we are back on track this year to see positive academic movement and engagement. In Payson, we have a housing shortage that has made it that difficult to attract talented staff from out of town. Our buildings are in need of updating. School funding, while better, is still inadequate. There is much to celebrate at PUSD and I believe that every challenge that comes our way will make us a stronger, more successful district.
A sixth generation Gila County resident and the daughter of a teacher, Taylor owns a contracting business along with her husband of 23 years, Justin. She also owns a local accounting firm with her sister. Raised on a ranch in the Sierra Anchas, her family (the Conways) has owned the Greenback Valley Ranch since 1872. She said she married her high school sweetheart — and graduated from Payson High School in 1998. The couple has three children. Makiah attends the University of Arizona, Mayzee recently got married and lives in Snowflake and Kelten is a junior in high school. All of her kids were involved in sports and other programs.
“I have a deep history here and love this county and this town. I have always had a passion for education, and it has always been something that I have taught my kids that education comes first in everything they do. I just recently went back to school at EAC and graduated with a business administration degree in May. It is never too late to go back to school and have an education, no matter what life has thrown at you.”
She said she’s always been involved with her kids’ schools and teachers. “Some may say a little overboard, but I always wanted the best for my kids and for other kids as well. I have a passion for the SPED department, especially because my own kids utilized parts of this program and I look forward to bringing new ideas and teaching parents that it is OK to advocate for your kids. We often see too many kids lacking parent involvement and I would like to change that by bringing awareness to parents and keeping the parent/teacher involvement throughout a student’s history in the school so that kids do not feel left behind or get lost in our system.”
She said she wants to bring that experience to the school board — as well as her expertise in finance and accounting. That means “making sure we are spending the money we receive wisely and benefiting our kids that will lead them to a bright future. Kids are our future and like the old saying ‘it takes a community to raise a child’ it is my goal to honor this. I will advocate for your children, your grandchildren, and every other child in this community to the best of my ability, so they can conquer this world and, in the end, know that they can be the best they can be.”
She praised the administration and the current board — as well as the teaching staff.
“(Superintendent) Linda Gibson is doing an amazing job. I think any kid is blessed to go to any Payson school and know that they will be safe and cared for not only in the classroom but outside of the class as well. I have nothing negative to say about the schools and if you had any experience in a classroom, you would see how hard it is to be a teacher or an administrator and thank them every day for what they do. It truly is a thankless job!”
Elvia Guerrero is a first-generation American, whose father instilled a drive to succeed. She’s a radiologic technologist, who was laid off from Banner Health when she refused to take the COVID vaccine. This inspired her shift into politics, in the belief that students are subject to “diabolical and destructive social engineering”
“My father instilled in us a formula for success. ‘In this country, if you want to have value and meaning, you must study and work hard.’ In our family, those were not just words, but a way of life. Although school wasn’t my favorite activity, I took to heart my father’s words and graduated from Central Arizona College in Apache Junction as a radiologic technologist in the winter of 2013.”
She worked for Banner Payson for five years until the pandemic hit. “As a medical professional, I was proud of the quality service I was providing to our community. The corporate business administrators and their prioritizing of the financial considerations over medical necessities reached a critical point with the Covid pandemic. After a very stressful period of research and prayerful deliberations, I made the heart wrenching decision to not take the mRna injection and my whole world was turned upside down. My employee badge was taken from me by my supervisor for non-compliance and I walked off the hospital property. With a knot in my throat, I praised God. I was even MORE proud of myself at that moment than ever before.”
She said she’s dismayed that so many students “fall through the cracks of the system.”
“The curriculum promoted by our federal Department of Education is targeted more to social engineering than traditional instruction. Under that diabolical and destructive dictum, our country has devolved from the number one educational system in the world to a second-class monolith that is failing our students, our economy and our family values.
“As an American success story, I feel it is my duty to give back to the next generation by being a small part of restoring our nation to its rightful place in the world. My first priority will be to restore the authority of parents in determining the best and highest education for their children. Currently, the federal bureaucrats have illegitimately taken on the assignment to parent our students; to require activities and programs of moral indoctrination. Their imprimaturs are inserted into the education system by doling out millions of dollars in inappropriate bribes to local schools. This aberration by the all-knowing preceptors has created a system that ignores the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic buttressed with vocational training opportunities. I will be the eyes of the parents, the voice of the students, and the guardian for the taxpayers.”
Mike Heather is a sharp critic of the school board, maintaining that schools aren’t doing a good job of serving students. He wants to return to a five-day school week, require physical education for graduation as well as personal finance classes, shop classes and home economics. He opposes “social-emotional learning” and “sexual grooming.”
Heather says the district’s popular AVID program is equivalent to critical race theory. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, a national program intended to motivate students to excel and help them set goals and develop constructive relationships. Critical race theory is a university-based effort to examine the influence of systemic racism in American history and institutions. The Arizona Legislature has barred the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 schools, and Payson schools have never taught critical race theory in the classroom.
Heather owned and ran a mold-making shop for 38 years and attended ASU on a swimming scholarship. He bought a house in Payson in 2018. He served on the board of directors for a nonprofit organization with 60,000 members for 23 years and was a disaster team leader for the American Red Cross for six years.
“If the children of today are to achieve their dream to be tomorrow’s doctors, writers, plumbers or astronauts, it is incumbent on us to provide them with a world class education experience that focuses on reading, writing, arithmetic and mentoring them how to think instead of what to think. Our current system does not allow them to form good decision-making skills that will be necessary for success throughout their adult lives. Public schools have improperly taken on the role of parent in the guise of instruction — indoctrination instead of education.
“Our students have had to endure life-changing experiences like never before. They have been masked, locked down, isolated and threatened by governmental mandates. In addition, elementary school students have been subjected to social engineering policies, sexual grooming, and events in direct conflict with their family and community mores. The psychological impacts are showing themselves in high suicide rates, out-of-control drug use, lack of discipline and loss of self-respect.
“The communities within the boundaries of the Payson Unified School District have been over-taxed and underserved. Seniors are having the security of home ownership placed at risk by the ever-increasing tax burden, families are impacted by the absence of traditional moral and ethical values presented by classroom and district programs, students are failing academic standards of learning and failing to graduate at an alarming rate.
“Teachers are underpaid and disrespected, while business owners are unable to hire personnel with the skills necessary for success.
“I will be the champion for parent and student rights and advocate for a reallocation of the massive revenues to the teachers and classrooms.
“Beside classroom issues, the board thinks far too highly of itself. Threatening guests to the board meetings with defamation suits in their code of conduct is reprehensible. The board is elected servants of the people and should be able to handle bad reviews of the actions of the board. Certainly, being civil in a complaint is expected and constructive. Respect can only be earned, not demanded.”
It’s unclear what he’s referring to in this last statement, as the Payson School Board meetings have been almost entirely free of the kinds of conflicts between the board and people speaking at the meetings – which has roiled school board meetings in some Valley districts when parents showed up to oppose COVID restrictions.
Ward did not respond to the Roundup’s email request for information.
She posted a candidate’s statement on the Gila County Schools website that read in part, “Susan is a dedicated wife and mother of three adult children. She has a heart for service and has spent the last 25 years advocating for children, not just her own, but those who had no voice. As a member of the Payson School Board, Susan will be committed to our students, encouraging each one of them to DREAM BIG!”
To Contact a Payson School Board Candidate:
Elvia Guerrero elviaguerrero55@yahoo.com
Joanne Conlin joanneconlin@gmail.com
Katy Taylor justinnkaty@gmail.com
Michael Heather mike@mrhmold.com
Susan Ward susan4payson@gmail.com
Contact the writer at paleshire@payson.com
Contact the writer at paleshire@payson.com
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Avoid obscene, hateful, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Be Nice. No name-calling, racism, sexism or any sort of -ism degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article. Real names only!
Click 'Letters to the Editor' section headline above for full selection of latest letters to the editor
Click 'Guest Comment' section headline above for full selection of latest guest comments
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.