Tony Pantera

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Tony Pantera
Image of Tony Pantera
Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large
Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 8, 2022

Contact

Tony Pantera is an at-large member of the Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.

Pantera ran for election for an at-large seat of the Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Pantera completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2022

See also: Paradise Valley Unified School District, Arizona, elections (2022)

General election

General election for Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large (2 seats)

Sandra Christensen and Tony Pantera defeated incumbent Susan Matura, Eddy Jackson, and Sheryl Evenson in the general election for Paradise Valley Unified School District, At-large on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sandra Christensen
Sandra Christensen (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
24.2
 
34,247
Image of Tony Pantera
Tony Pantera (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
23.5
 
33,242
Image of Susan Matura
Susan Matura (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
21.1
 
29,881
Image of Eddy Jackson
Eddy Jackson (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
20.1
 
28,481
Image of Sheryl Evenson
Sheryl Evenson (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
10.7
 
15,130
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
575

Total votes: 141,556
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Tony Pantera completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pantera's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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My name is Tony Pantera. I have recently retired after teaching 43 years in the Paradise Valley Unified School District. I have taught special education resource, third grade, fifth grade and gifted students during that time. I have lived in the district for over 30 years. My children and grandson attended schools within the district. I am involved in my community through organizations like the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks Lodge 335, American Legion Post 117 Pat Tillman post, Phoenix Pulaski Club, Boy Scout Troop 224 and St. Luke's Catholic Church. I have also had leadership position within my local teacher association and served on numerous district committees. I come from a family of educators. My father was head of guidance counselors in the Scottsdale school system, one of my brothers was a high school teacher in Mesa and my other brother work at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute. My entire adult life has been one of seeking and sharing knowledge. My family benefitted from being part of this community. I'm running to give back to the district that gave us so much. I want to preserve its promise to offer a journey of excellence to All students.
  • Having been part of the district for a long time. I know its history and the people who work and live here. I have a broad understanding of the different cultures and populations within our borders. I can weigh the merits of any decision the board is contemplating against how it would affect ALL the students in our diverse community. This is my community and I've been and continue to be a part of it.
  • I am a strong advocate for public schools. Public schools are the backbone of our society. Most of our students attend public schools. As a board member I will do all in my power to encourage parents to choose our district. This will require we keep our schools safe, both physically and emotionally. Our staff must be well trained and supported. By supported, I mean paid a wage that does not require them to get second or third jobs, treat them like professionals and give them the resources they need. A safe environment complete with a skilled motivated staff is the most conductive for learning. These kinds of schools keep public schools strong.
  • Parent involvement has to drive what we do on the school board. The board must create avenues of communication with its parents to make sure that decisions made take into account the needs of ALL the types of families we have. I want to increase the power of community schools. Community schools can be a unifying hub in the neighborhoods where they reside. They encourage parents to share ideas and cultures with each other so as to create a school where ALL students can benefit. Parents must be on every district committee to make sure proposals that come to the board are ones that truly represent the needs of ALL concerned. Not all of our families are the same nor are our students. This will help ensure equity throughout the district.
It has been increasingly difficult to hire teachers and other support staff within the district. This shortage found in just about every position, makes it hard to full fill the PVUSD promise. We need policies in place that encourage highly qualified individuals to want to choose a career in education. These policies go beyond just paying staff a living wage, although that is critical. We must also support our staff and let them know that their school board will do whatever it takes to help them do their jobs.

We must lobby those who make decisions in regard to this. This includes being forthcoming with the community about budgeting. Transparency in this helps them to see that even being as efficient with the funds the district receives, it is not enough to encourage people to want to work in education.   

We must tell those who create laws regarding teaching to quit piling more restrictive and punitive measures on teachers and staff. They need laws that not only protect children, but also encourage adults to make the decision to work in a school district. We need laws that don't invite excessive litigation thus siphoning off monies that could go to schools to fight legal battles.

Public schools need to be public. We should not have monies going to schools that not ALL students in the district can attend. Not all students can attend a private school even if they have a voucher nor can they if they do not comply with a particular school's statement of faith.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also


External links

Footnotes