Winder, Susan

Meet the Candidate

Running For:
School Board
District:
Paradise Valley Unified School District
Phone:
(248) 974-6918
Age:
not answering as it doesn't pertain to being a school board member
Occupation:
Retired teacher, school counselor, principal and college instructor
Education:
BS in Elementary Education, MEd in Guidance and Couseling and ABD (all but dissertation) in Curriculum and instruction
Family:
2 children, 4 grand children
Religion:
not answering as doesn't pertain to being a school board member
Biographical Info:

I have two grandchildren who attended Scottsdale Unified School District. After getting involved with them in Scottsdale Schools I realized how in troubled Arizona Public Schools were. This prompted me to get involved in the school district in which I lived. I have attended their school board meetings for over 2 years. Several people encouraged me to run for school board so I took that leap. According to US News and World Report Arizona schools rank this year 44th our of 50 schools in achievement. This is not acceptable for our kids. My goal is to see that test scores are raised.

I have 2 children. One is a cardio thorasic anesthesologist and the other a molecular genetic technologist. I have 4 grand children. As a school principal in Michigan my school was recognized as an exemplary school and we were invited to put a team together to do workshops throughout the state to share how we accomplished this. I was also part of a visiting team for NCA (north central accredittaion group) to accredit a middle school in Michigan.

Statement:

I am running for office to greatly improve teaching, learning an achievement. In addition I want to ensure tranparency for all stake holders. It is time that Arizona schools focus on achievement and not get involved in all the cotrovery out there now.

Endorsements:

AZ Women of Action

Survey

Response Legend

  • SSupports
  • OOpposes
  • *Comment
  • −Declined to respond
  • †Declined to respond, Position based on citation

Question Response Comments/Notes
1. Requiring district and charter school officials, including teachers, to inform parents about their child’s social, mental, emotional, or physical health. S* Children belong to their parents. Parent send them to us to be educated. To leave out parents in any decisions or discusses with their students is not acceptable!
2. Allowing parents to opt their children out of activities or lessons that offend their personal, moral, or religious beliefs. S
3. Increasing state and local taxes to provide more funding for schools and school facility projects. O* School districts need to do a better job managing their money. Many have millions just sitting there.
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs. S* Again these children belong to their parents thus they raise them and should be involved in all decisions made by the school system regarding their children.
5. Allowing all parents to use tax credits and publicly funded empowerment scholarship accounts to enable their children to attend any private, homeschool, or online academy of their choice. S* School want to chastise parents for doing this: howevere, state test scores were better I know many parents would return to public schools. In addition if schools got rid of all the controversy around title IX parents would return their students to public schools.
6. Making available books and instructional materials that include sexually explicit images and themes in school classrooms and libraries. O
7. Acquiring parental consent for school faculty and staff to refer to students by pronouns that do not align with the student’s birth sex. S
8. Allocating teacher pay raises based upon merit rather than providing uniform salary schedule increases based upon years of teaching or additional credentialing (e.g. master’s degrees) O* There is no way to establish such a system that can be fair and not prejudicial. Prinicpals should focus on having their staff work toward raising achievement and state test scores
9. Implementing policies to allow students and faculty to use the restroom, locker room, and shower room based on self-identification rather than biological sex. O* Even Title IX doesn't require this. It only required to make a single bathroom available to them. Right now there 29 law suits across the country surrounding Title IX. It will be several years before it all gets ironed out. At this point in time school districts can opt our to Title IX.
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools. O* It doesn't belong in the public schools. In addition staff are not qualified to deal with these topics. Gender dysporia is in the DSM manual and should be handled with an IEP or 504 plan which is how other topics in the DSM manual are handled.
11. Requiring each district and charter school to post online a list of all curriculum and instructional materials being used in the classroom. S