Public Comments - 03/25/2025 Governing Board Meeting

Public Comment 1

Submitted by: Jeri Dow

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Hi, I am wondering what the board plans to do with the dismantling of the department of education and how you plan to handle equity, funding, and disabilities services in our district to ensure all students have the support they need?

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Public Comment 2

Submitted by: Melissa

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: How will the potential defunding / dismantling of the Department of Education per President Trump's executive order impact things such as: staff retention, class sizes, quality of educators in the district? Further, how do we continue to provide crucial supports for students with disabilities / IEP's / 504's who depend on Federal funding for services?

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Public Comment 3

Submitted by: stella pavoni

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: No

Comment: To ensure that the district keeps its librarians, because they are essential workers.

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Public Comment 4

Submitted by: Angela

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: While it seems like retention rate is great for keeping teachers, there seem to be at least 2 days a month where substitutes are used. compared to other districts this seems high.

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Public Comment 5

Submitted by: Lauren Eaton

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: As a teacher in GPS, and as a parent of kids who attend GPS schools, I worry about the silent erasure of librarians. CVHS will be losing a dedicated librarian, Sara Flaherty, because the position is being dissolved. At what cost? According to robust research, a certified school librarian impacts student achievement more than: per pupil spending, teacher/pupil ratio, and community adult education level (The School Library Impact Studies). What can be done to keep librarians in GPS high schools?

Why are certified librarians in high school considered dispensable? Arizona requires its prisons to have full service media centers/libraries, and the majority of the county prisons choose to have these libraries or media centers staffed by certified librarians (2024 Maricopa County job posting). What does it say about GPS if we deem a resource like librarians unnecessary for our high school students, when it is declared by the state of Arizona a democratic, human right for convicted felons?