Debe Campos-Fleenor
Debe Campos-Fleenor was a candidate for at-large representative on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board in Arizona. She ran for election and lost in the November 4, 2014, general election.
Campos-Fleenor ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2012. While the board is a nonpartisan political body, Campos-Fleenor is a Republican.[1]
Elections
2014
Incumbents Michael Hicks and Adelita Grijalva faced a wide field of challengers in the November 4, 2014, general election. Don Cotton, Jen Darland, Betts Putnam-Hidalgo, Debe Campos-Fleenor, Francis Saitta, Rene Bernal and Miguel Cuevas ran to unseat the at-large board members.[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Adelita Grijalva Incumbent |
19.5% | 34,347 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Hicks Incumbent |
16.3% | 28,708 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jen Darland | 16% | 28,191 | |
| Nonpartisan | Don Cotton | 10.7% | 18,944 | |
| Nonpartisan | Debe Campos-Fleenor | 10% | 17,647 | |
| Nonpartisan | Betts Putnam-Hidalgo | 9.6% | 16,927 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rene Bernal | 8.7% | 15,424 | |
| Nonpartisan | Miguel Cuevas | 6.6% | 11,581 | |
| Nonpartisan | Francis Saitta | 2.2% | 3,952 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.3% | 585 | |
| Total Votes | 176,306 | |||
| Source: Pima County Elections, "Official Results," accessed December 30, 2014 | ||||
Funding
As of October 28, 2014, Campos-Fleenor had reported $12,753.30 in contributions and $2,893.89 in expenditures according to the Pima County Elections Department, which left her campaign with $9,859.41 on hand.[3]
Endorsements
Campos-Fleenor was endorsed by the following individuals:[4]
- Mark Stegeman, TUSD Governing Board
- Ray Carroll, Pima County Board of Supervisors member
- Rep. Ethan Orr (R-9)
- Former Sen. Linda Lopez (D-2)
- Robert Graham, Arizona Republican Party Chair
- Bruce Ash, Republican National Committee Member
- Bob Westerman, former Arizona Republican Party Chair
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Kristel Ann Foster |
13% | 41,372 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark Stegeman Incumbent |
12.4% | 39,538 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cam S. Juarez |
10.6% | 33,863 | |
| Nonpartisan | Miguel Cuevas Incumbent | 9.6% | 30,757 | |
| Nonpartisan | Debe Campos-Fleenor | 9% | 28,776 | |
| Nonpartisan | John A. Hunnicutt | 8.9% | 28,326 | |
| Nonpartisan | Betts Putnam-Hidalgo | 8.1% | 25,802 | |
| Nonpartisan | Don Cotton | 7.7% | 24,418 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ralph E. Ellinwood | 7% | 22,287 | |
| Nonpartisan | Alexandre Sugiyama | 6.5% | 20,609 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Medler | 4.7% | 14,874 | |
| Nonpartisan | Menelik Bakari | 2.2% | 6,993 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 1,406 | |
| Total Votes | 319,021 | |||
| Source: Pima County Elections Department, "General Election November 6, 2012, Results," accessed August 29, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2014
Campos-Fleenor provided the following statement in English and Spanish to the Pima County School Superintendent's office:
| “ | El contrato de los maestros del TUSD necesita reforma. Tiene 69 páginas, más numerosos apéndices de complicadas, ineficaces y fosilizadas reglas. Lentifican la contratación, especifican tablas de compensación rígidas y enrevesadas, y se basan en la antigüedad para determinar qué maestros son transferidos a otras escuelas o relevados. Su complejidad administrativa reduce los fondos disponibles para la enseñanza al tiempo que ayuda a pocos maestros .
El TUSD gasta menos de la mitad de sus fondos en la enseñanza, mientras que los otros distritos grandes de Arizona consiguen el 55-61%. La junta ha rechazado repetidamente propuestas para requerir incluso pequeños aumentos en la porción del presupuesto para la enseñanza. Yo podría proporcionar el tercer voto para hacer que ello ocurriera finalmente. Incontables familias han dejado el TUSD debido a preocupaciones sobre la intimidación y la seguridad de sus hijos. Maestros se han ido porque no sienten el apoyo que necesitan para mantener un ambiente productivo en las clases. La actual junta ha ignorado estas tendencias y ha suavizado más la políticas disciplinarias. Esto debe cambiar. Yo apoyaré las recientes propuestas para poner un máximo de 20 estudiantes en las clases K-1. En el pasado el TUSD tenía un máximo de 18 estudiantes en las clase del jardín de niños y en el primer grado, pero las recientes juntas han permitido que eso se escapara al crecer los gastos administrativos. Solamente un cambio en la junta puede cambiar esta cultura de bajas expectativas. Pasar a los estudiantes de grado a grado sea lo que sea lo que haya aprendido produce altos índices de dejar la escuela y una inadecuada preparación para el trabajo o la universidad. La actual junta va en la dirección equivocada, eliminando recientemente el logro estudiantil de los criterios para evaluar al superintendente. La creación del presupuesto del TUSD se ha hecho incluso menos transparente durante los últimos varios años. El comité de auditoría del TUSD y dos auditorías externas todas han recomendado que el distrito contrate un auditor interno que reporte directamente a la junta. ¿Por qué ha tenido miedo la junta en actuar conforme a esta recomendación? No es complicado, pero requiere cambio. Reelegir a las mismas personas solamente proporcionará los mismos resultados. Ya es la hora de cambiar y la hora de poner al TUSD otra vez en el mapa.[5] |
” |
| —Debe Campos-Fleenor (2014)[6] | ||
| “ | TUSD’s teachers’ contract needs reform. It is 69 pages, plus numerous addendums of complicated, inefficient, and fossilized rules. They slow hiring, specify rigid and convoluted compensation schedules, and rely on seniority to determine which teachers are transferred to other schools or released. Their administrative complexity reduces the funds available for instruction while helping few teachers.
TUSD spends less than half of its funds on instruction, while all other large Arizona districts achieve 55-61%. The board has repeatedly rejected proposals to require even small increases in the instructional share of the budget. I could provide the third vote to make it finally happen. Countless families have left TUSD because of concerns about bullying and their children’s safety. Teachers have left because they do not feel the support that they need to maintain a productive classroom environment. The current board has ignored these trends and further loosened disciplinary policies. This must change. I would support recent proposals to cap K-1 classes at 20 students. In the past TUSD had a cap of 18 students in kindergarten and first grade classes, but recent boards have allowed that to slip away as administrative spending has grown. Only a change in the board can change this culture of low expectations. Passing students from grade-to-grade regardless of what they have learned produces high dropout rates and inadequate preparation for work or college. The current board is going in the wrong direction, by recently removing student achievement from the criteria for evaluating the superintendent. TUSD’s budgeting has become even less transparent over the last several years. TUSD’s audit committee and two separate external audits have all recommended that the district hire an internal auditor who reports directly to the board. Why has the board been afraid to act on this recommendation? It’s not complicated, but it requires change. Reelecting the same people will only provide the same results. It’s time for change and time to put TUSD back on the map.[5] |
” |
| —Debe Campos-Fleenor (2014)[6] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Debe + Campos + Fleenor + Tucson + Unified + School + District"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Blog for Arizona, "5 of 7 Democratic TUSD board candidates to speak at DGT," September 13, 2014
- ↑ Pima County School Superintendent's Office, "Official list of 2014 governing board candidates," accessed August 18, 2014
- ↑ Pima County Elections Department, "Welcome to Campaign Finance Web," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ Debe Campos-Fleenor TUSD School Board, "Endorsements," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pima County School Superintendent, "GOVERNING BOARD CANDIDATE STATEMENT TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1: DEBE CAMPOS-FLEENOR," accessed September 30, 2014
| 2014 Tucson Unified School District Elections | |
| Pima County, Arizona | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Michael Hicks • Incumbent, Adelita Grijalva • Don Cotton • Jen Darland • Betts Putnam-Hidalgo • Debe Campos-Fleenor • Francis Saitta • Rene Bernal • Miguel Cuevas |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
