Nikkie Whaley recall, Washington Elementary School District, Arizona (2023)
| Washington Elementary School District recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in Arizona Arizona recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Nikkie Whaley from her position on the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board in Arizona did not go to a vote in 2023. The effort failed to qualify for the ballot.[1]
The recall effort began in April 2023. At the time the recall petition was filed, Whaley was serving as president of the board. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters would have had to collect 8,776 signatures by August 1, 2023.[2][3]
The recall effort started after the board voted unanimously to end a student teaching contract with Arizona Christian University.[4][5]
Whaley was appointed to the five-member board in March 2017 and elected to a two-year term in 2018. She was re-elected to a four-year term on the board on November 3, 2020, where she received the second-most votes (23.1%) in the at-large race for three seats.[3]
Recall supporters
The recall petition listed the following grounds for recall:[5]
| “ | Nikkie Whaley put the education of the children in the Washington Elementary School District in jeopardy by ascribing to a hateful, anti-Christian narrative. Despite a successful relationship with Arizona Christian University spanning eleven years, and no complaints about the student teachers from this school, Ms. Whaley approved an agenda to end this successful relationship based on what she perceived as a "potential" mindset and her personal beliefs. Student teachers from Arizona Christian University, have gone on to become successful teachers in the district. Now, because of the unjustified attacks based solely on religion, the district is faced with additional teacher shortages and a fiscal impact because of a discrimination lawsuit against the Board. Since this ill-advised decision by the Board, more than seven administrators and twenty-five teachers have resigned, some specifically in response to this discriminatory decision. For these reasons, it is imperative that Ms. Whaley be recalled, and a suitable replacement be found to fill her position on the Washington Elementary School Board.[6] | ” |
In response to the vote to end the student teaching contract, a spokesperson for Arizona Christian University said it was an attack on the university's commitment to Christian values. "The school board's recent decision to ban ACU students from serving as student teachers was done for one reason only: our University's commitment to our Christian convictions," the spokesperson said in a statement. "That's wrong, it’s unlawful, and it will only hurt the district’s students."[4]
Recall opponents
When announcing that the board would be ending the student teaching contract with Arizona Christian University, Whaley said the university's "policies do not align with our commitment to create a safe place for our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and community."[4] The university's mission statement includes a commitment to promote "traditional sexual morality and lifelong marriage between one man and one woman."[7]
"This is not a rejection of any particular faith as we remain open to partnering with faith-based organizations that share our commitment to equity and inclusion," Whaley said.[4]
Whaley said she did not agree with the portrayal of cutting ties with Arizona Christian University as being anti-Christian. "For me, this is not a concern about Christianity," Whaley said. "There are plenty of Christian denominations who are LGBTQ-friendly."[8]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Arizona
The recall petition application was filed with the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent on April 3, 2023. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters would have had to collect 8,776 signatures by August 1, 2023.[2]
About the district
Washington Elementary School District is located in Maricopa County, Arizona. It is classified as a large city school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 22,682 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised 32 schools.[9]
During the 2018-2019 school year, 75.9% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 14.9% were English language learners, and 16.1% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP).[10]
| Racial Demographics, 2018-2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Washington Elementary School District (%) | Arizona K-12 students (%) |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| Black | 9.4 | 5.5 |
| Hispanic | 53.5 | 45.6 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Two or More Races | 3.8 | 3.3 |
| White | 26.5 | 37.8 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
2023 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 48 school board recall efforts against 97 board members in 2023. Sixteen of those board members faced recall elections. The recall elections were held on January 10, 2023, August 1, 2023, August 8, 2023, August 29, 2023, November 7, 2023, and December 12, 2023. The school board recall success rate was 13.4%.
The chart below details the status of 2023 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- Washington Elementary School District, Arizona
- Washington Elementary School District, Arizona, elections (2022)
- Washington Elementary School District, Arizona, elections (2020)
- Washington Elementary School District elections (2018)
- Washington Elementary School District elections (2016)
- Washington Elementary School District elections (2014)
- Recall campaigns in Arizona
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Washington Elementary School District
- Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent
Footnotes
- ↑ Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "Recalls for the Current Year," accessed August 3, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "Recalls for the Current Year," accessed April 21, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Washington Elementary School District, "Meet the Governing Board," accessed April 21, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 ABC 12, "School board votes to stop hiring from Christian college, says beliefs make people unsafe," March 3, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "Application for Recall Petition Serial Number: Nikkie Whaley, Washington Elementary School District #6," accessed April 21, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Arizona Christian University, "Mission," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ LGBTQ Nation, "School district defends decision to end partnership with anti-LGBTQ+ Christian university," March 7, 2023
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021
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