{"id":6981,"date":"2023-03-05T17:06:25","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T00:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/?p=6981"},"modified":"2023-03-07T08:17:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T15:17:30","slug":"6981-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/6981-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Drama in Phoenix Union While a Board Member Climbs the Political Ladder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On Friday Arizona Democrats announced State Senator Lela Alston was appointed to a leadership position in the Arizona Senate.  While she was attending the photo op, the school district of which she is an elected board member was in turmoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"748\" height=\"767\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/lela-dem-leadership.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/lela-dem-leadership.jpg 748w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/lela-dem-leadership-293x300.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 748px) 100vw, 748px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The local media has ignored the decline of Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) as it promotes an &#8220;inclusive&#8221; environment for most alphabet agendas.  Academic achievement has been ignored, and the Blackrock\/Vanguard media is too busy tweeting about what Republicans are tweeting about instead of doing investigative journalism.  Meanwhile, while some of the adults at PXU are earning awards and traveling around the country often at the expense of the taxpayers, students and staff are paralyzed in fear of the next fight on one of the campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!selectors.core.file.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-travel.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of pxu-travel.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-db179a37-3657-4ac0-b65c-f1e7050bd8ce\" href=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-travel.pdf\">pxu-travel<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-travel.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-db179a37-3657-4ac0-b65c-f1e7050bd8ce\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay attention to the federal dollars applied to travel.   Taxpaying citizens are under the impression federal dollars are to go to the classroom to close academic gaps, not fly around the country for resume building.   Also, while teachers are away subsitutes must be paid which isn&#8217;t the most efficient use of funds, but never mind any common sense.  Remember this when Phoenix Union asks for a bond override election soon.  Phoenix Union is developing many young political activists to bash the Republicans in the Legislature for all school-related problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seriously, there was another scary incident on a Phoenix Union campus last week.  We hear schools are gun-free zones.  Well, not necessarily.  At Cesar Chavez High School, a student brought a gun to school and played show and tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"666\" height=\"903\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-1.jpg 666w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-1-221x300.jpg 221w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"613\" height=\"893\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-2.jpg 613w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-2-206x300.jpg 206w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Did the students learn the above gesture in one of the Social Emotional Learning sessions?  As long as everyone is their authentic selves&#8230;&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"668\" height=\"887\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-3.jpg 668w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-gunman-3-226x300.jpg 226w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And there was this screenshot below from North High School on March 2, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LelaAlstonAz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@LelaAlstonAz<\/a> was just chosen for leadership in the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/AZLeg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AZLeg<\/a> Democrat caucus.  Meanwhile, this is going on at North High School, in Phoenix Union where Alston is a board member.  Hopefully <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RealTomHorne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RealTomHorne<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/azedschools?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@azedschools<\/a> can get some real security on campus ILO social workers. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VV6iHegJqn\">pic.twitter.com\/VV6iHegJqn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NotInOurSchools (@nopinkschool) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nopinkschool\/status\/1631404721314611200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 2, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How can this be?  Phoenix Union is working so hard on school safety.  Back in December, the district started some safety committee <strong><em>listening<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>sessions<\/em><\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"552\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-2-1024x552.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-2-1024x552.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-2-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-2-768x414.jpg 768w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-2-1536x828.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-2.jpg 1782w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"353\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session.jpg 353w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-listening-session-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While Thomas Navarro is busy listening and planning the last session, students are fighting and bringing guns and drugs to school.  The video below is from the Maryvale area in February, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/90a139ead88140e388c42ab00cc2574d-4-1.mov\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s not forget the neighbors who live near Phoenix Union campuses.  Here is audio from the February 2, 2023 governing board meeting.  Where is the Phoenix Police Department during all of these law-breaking episodes? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/d3icS16t.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Why are there no consequences when even the teachers are brave enough to speak up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-1.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to the students who were tasked to bad mouth police while asking for more mental health staff.  Is the organization Puente AZ who some of the speakers represent funded through mental health dollars?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/pxu-2.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/jaden-fuente-pxu.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This community member is part of Poder in Action.  More to come on that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-student-pxu.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many adults who spoke at the PXU governing board meeting on March 2nd were in favor of at least extending the current contract with Phoenix Police for three months.  This includes staff members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is really going on with the safety committee? The committee was hand-picked, which is common when governments want a particular outcome.  In the interview below, Katie Gipson McLean, the committee&#8217;s leader, admitted they wouldn&#8217;t have any results until after the March 4th meeting.  Well, Ms. Gipson McLean, we already see the results playing out in real time.  Note she does not want school resource officers on campus.  No need to protect the children from the guns, fist fights, and drugs!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Katie Gipson McLean is the chairwoman of the Phoenix Union High School District&#39;s Safety Committee. She joins the show to talk about how they&#39;re keeping schools safe and how the district interacts with parents.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xLoYW1llkn\">https:\/\/t.co\/xLoYW1llkn<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Arizona\u2019s Morning News on 92.3 (@AZMorningNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AZMorningNews\/status\/1625244169529618441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 13, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Side note:  Katie Gipson McLean was endorsed by Save Our Schools Arizona (the lobbyists against school and <a href=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/planned-parenthood-and-anti-school-choice-people-are-one-and-the-same\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3739\">life<\/a> choices) for Creighton Elementary Governing Board.  So kids, if you are lucky enough to be born, you don&#8217;t really deserve a choice to leave the dangerous classrooms at Phoenix Union according to Gipson McLean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"159\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gipson-creighton-1024x159.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gipson-creighton-1024x159.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gipson-creighton-300x47.jpg 300w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gipson-creighton-768x119.jpg 768w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gipson-creighton.jpg 1402w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Creighton Elementary Schools is a feeder district to PXU, thus, committee-chair Katie is sending her district&#8217;s kiddoes in Creighton right into the guns and drugs down the street at Phoenix Union campuses.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of Phoenix Union&#8217;s newest board members is Ceyshe Napa.  Her background is telling and may indicate what the Safety Committee is really all about.  Poder in Action is another lobbying group, born out of hatred for the United States and somehow particularly well-funded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"324\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-mission-statement-1024x324.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-mission-statement-1024x324.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-mission-statement-300x95.jpg 300w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-mission-statement-768x243.jpg 768w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-mission-statement.jpg 1258w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We have been pretty rough on Superintendent Dr. Chad Gestson.  However, after Board Member Napa presented the administration with two pages of (Poder in Action) demands, Dr. Gestson was caught off guard.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gestson-1.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There were many comments back and forth about the list of demands, police presence, contract renewals, etc., more than we will get into here.  But there was one statement Dr. Gestson made which caught our attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/gestson-2.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Gestson must rate because not all community members get their Phoenix Union public records requests filled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to Poder in Action, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.causeiq.com\/organizations\/view_990\/462284158\/939f4a98d82eea5bc074486c616cc05a\">this<\/a> is the 2019 990 with Ceyshe Napa as one of the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"586\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-napa-1-1024x586.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-napa-1-1024x586.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-napa-1-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-napa-1-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-napa-1.jpg 1093w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is Poder&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/462284158\">2020<\/a> 990.  Look at the income&#8211;plenty of money to train youngsters how to be community organizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"772\" height=\"772\" src=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2.jpg 772w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2-230x230.jpg 230w, https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/poder-990-2-365x365.jpg 365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While Phoenix Union&#8217;s administration, governing board, and safety committee argue and discuss how to fix the safety issues the district has tried to keep under the radar, students and staff lose.  CRT, SEL, LGBTQsexxx is to be accepted on campus.  Guns, fights, and drugs are the result of the lack of safety officers and accountability.  Many of the students aren&#8217;t ready for a career, trade, or college while well-funded lobbyists control life and death decisions.  Instead of solving problems, adminstration is most concerned with who is leaking the threats online.  Here&#8217;s your answer PXU, it&#8217;s the students who are telling your story.  Start educating and protecting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Friday Arizona Democrats announced State Senator Lela Alston was appointed to a leadership position in the Arizona Senate. While she was attending the photo op, the school district of which she is an elected board member was in turmoil.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[453,320,565],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6981"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6981"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7017,"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6981\/revisions\/7017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/notinourschools.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}