Lemmon, James

Meet the Candidate

Running For:
School Board
District:
Tempe School District
Phone:
(602) 509-5012
Age:
74
Occupation:
Geologist at ADOT
Education:
Bachelor's and Associate degrees in geology from Colorado Mesa University. Master's degree from ASU in geography.
Biographical Info:

Lived in Tempe 47 years. Widowed after 45 years of marriage.
US Army 4 years – earned Army Commendation Medal for service in Vietnam.
Previously taught as adjunct faculty at Maricopa Community Colleges and upper division level at ASU.
Continue to guest lecture at public elementary schools, colleges, and ASU.
Frequently present at transportation technical seminars and geologic conferences.
Have served on TD#3 Governing Board 20 years.

Statement:

I continue to serve on the TD#3 Governing Board because I believe in service above self. I have strived to maintain continuity within the district and mentor newer Board Members as we rebuild our numerous small neighborhood school campuses and collectively work together with our superintendent towards improving academic outcomes for all students.

Endorsements:

Save Our Schools AZ

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. −
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. S
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs. S
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. O
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. O
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
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
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools. S* I support teaching DEI and SEL at the appropriate grade level because I believe if students see or hear something that harms another student, adult or animal, they should learn that they should feel quilt for not saying something to an adult. The bullying issues around the Gilbert Goons tragedy is a prime example of failure to teach and embrace SEL because some student's parents are not teaching and implementing those critical values at home. I oppose teaching CRT at the elementary and high school level.
11. Requiring each district and charter school to post online a list of all curriculum and instructional materials being used in the classroom. O* Some of the best teachers I have seen bring in supplemental materials - in my case geologic specimens and tools for students to see, feel, weigh and manipulate. It would be very difficult and extremely laborious for the teacher to update those types of instructional materials continuously. Current devastating hurricanes, forest fires, earthquakes and floods are other examples of real time events not in the textbooks or curriculum. Public schools do post online all the curriculum used in the classroom. Parents and education subject matter committees review all the proposed new texts prior to the district acquiring those texts. Those review policies and procedures should continue.