Todd, Michael

Meet the Candidate

Running For:

School Board

District:

Liberty Elementary School District

Phone:

(602) 614-7700

Age:

Occupation:

Sales/Marketing

Education:

Bachelors - Human Communication - Arizona State University

Biographical Info:

Michael Todd has been a resident of the Liberty Elementary School District since 2003. Michael’s Daughter Bailey attended Liberty Elementary School District throughout her entire elementary education years. Michael has worked in and around public safety his entire life, working as a firefighter, at the States Public Safety Interoperable Communications Office, and two medical helicopter companies. Being certified as an Emergency Medical Technician at the age of 17 he was one of the youngest in the state. Michael won the National Star of Life Award in Washington DC at the age of 21. Michael now works in the fire apparatus manufacturing industry. Mr. Todd is the current School Board President for Liberty Elementary School District. Under Mr. Todd’s leadership, the board has hired one of the top school superintendents in the state. The board is actively improving its discipline and curriculum models and has put new emphasis on student proficiency and success. The district is currently building a new transportation facility as well as its 8th school. The district has consistently received high marks from the Auditor General’s Office for its financial responsibility and is a leader in the state for its allocation of money being spent in the classroom. The Liberty School District, under Mr. Todd’s leadership has one of the highest retention and recruitment rates for teachers in the state. With a laser focus on student success, customer service and financial accountability, Michael looks forward to representing the constituents of the Liberty Elementary School District.

Statement:

I am seeking re-election to the Liberty Elementary School District Board because I am committed to making a difference in children’s lives. I believe the education is paramount in every persons life. Without a solid education foundation, it is tough to succeed in life. Today’s children are tomorrow’s future, and I believe we must do everything we can to protect our country’s future. I have worked extremely hard while serving on the board to change the culture of our district to a positive place to learn and work. Through my leadership and dedication, we have attracted many highly qualified teachers to our district. Board members have a long history of being absent from the district. The job is much more than just attending a meeting or two a month. I have spent countless hours working to make our district the top district in the State. I have been involved in the district since 2003. My daughter is now in college which positions me to have an fair and open mind for the entire district and not feel any pressure to “protect” my childs school. Simply put I have no favorites, I am simply serving the district as a whole and will do whatever it takes to ensure each of our campus’s are successful.

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*	I am very supportive of parents being made aware of everything that involves their child. There is zero reason why a parent should be kept in the dark about anything their child is doing.
2. Allowing parents to opt their children out of activities or lessons that offend their personal, moral, or religious beliefs.	S*	A parent should absolutely have the right to be involved and make decisions for the child's education. I fully support parent's rights and will do everyting to protect them.
3. Increasing state and local taxes to provide more funding for schools and school facility projects.	−*	I believe that our funding models for schools is outdated. With that being said, I am a fiscal conservative and believe that the financial responsibility of school districts is critical. We must maximize every dollar to its full potential. To have highly qualified teachers comes at a cost. Costs continue to rise for schools to function. With school funding, schools must be expected to perform at high levels. Our state proficiency rates are an embarrassment. I believe we must develop a program that holds the education system accountable. We can no longer have schools that are not performing continue with the status quo. They must be accountable.
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs.	S*	Requiring signed permission slips helps to ensure parents are aware of what their child is doing at school. A child has to ask permission of their parents to do anything outside of school, why would they not be required to ask the same permission for things they are doing in school?
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*	Although I support this, I realize the problem is many public schools are not performing adequately which is causing parents to look elsewhere for their child education. The better solution is to have a properly funded education system that has accountability as a requirement. This system is currently splitting the pie of tax payers dollars, which makes it harder on the system. The true answer is accountability. If a teacher or school is not performing properly then certifications of the teachers and campus leadership should be removed. If a doctor fails a patient they lose their license, yet when an educator fails a student over and over, nothing happens.
6. Making available books and instructional materials that include sexually explicit images and themes in school classrooms and libraries.	O*	There is no need for these things in or around classrooms.
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*	I support parent rights and believe that if a student is requesting this a parent should be aware.
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)	S*	We must hold the education system as a whole accountable. Currently, there is no accountability and it's very difficult to cancel a teacher contract if they are not performing. This is one of the few professions where raises automatically come regardless of your performance
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*	Boys do not belong in a girl's restroom, and girls do not belong in a boy's restroom.
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools.	O*	I do not support this.
11. Requiring each district and charter school to post online a list of all curriculum and instructional materials being used in the classroom.	S*	I full support this.