Ziola, Mary Jane

Meet the Candidate

Running For:
School Board
District:
Dysart Unified School District
Phone:
(402) 616-0177
Age:
68
Occupation:
Retired
Education:
Bellevue College
Religion:
Catholic
Biographical Info:

I moved to Arizona in July 2016 after retiring from the Union Pacific Railroad Co. in Omaha, Nebraska. I worked as an Administrative Assistant in the Marketing and Operating Departments for 40 years and attended Bellevue College for business classes.

I volunteered as a Teacher’s Aid for a Kindergarten class at Thompson Ranch Elementary School. I taught religion classes at my parish. I mentored an 8 year old girl for four years at a Girls Club. I have volunteered at the West Valley Food Bank and at various pregnancy centers helping mothers in crisis pregnancies to care for their babies.

I enjoy sports, pickleball, golf, playing piano, guitar, swimming, hiking, and outdoor activities.

As a retired person, I have the time to devote to being a school board member. I would like to help the Dysart schools be the best they can be in educating our students so they can have a rewarding and successful life.

Statement:

I have always believed students should have a quality education to be successful in life. I believe teachers should focus on teaching the fundamentals Reading, Writing, Math, Science, History and Civics. I don’t believe teachers should promote ideologies that divide our society or parents might find offensive to their moral and religious beliefs.

I believe in school choice for parents, but I am concerned about the quality of education for all students in public schools to build up our communities.

Safety in the schools is another very important issue.

I want to make sure our tax dollars are being spent wisely to raise the quality of education in the Dysart School District. Right now, only about 45% of the students are proficient in math and reading. This must be improved.

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. O* I believe teachers should concentrate on educating their students in the fundamental classes of Reading, Writing, Math, Science, History and Civics.
2. Allowing parents to opt their children out of activities or lessons that offend their personal, moral, or religious beliefs. S* Parents are the primary educators of their children.
3. Increasing state and local taxes to provide more funding for schools and school facility projects. O* I believe in using our taxpayer money more wisely to improve the quality of education for students. 50% of the Arizona state budget is already allocated for school education.
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs. S* I don't believe schools should be teaching or promoting any sexually related activities in schools.
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* I am for School Choice for parents.
6. Making available books and instructional materials that include sexually explicit images and themes in school classrooms and libraries. O* Schools need to get back to teaching the basics Reading, Writing, Math, Science, History and Civics. I am against all sexually explicit materials in schools.
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 am opposed to school staff using pronouns that do not align with the student's birth sex.
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* I believe teacher pay raises based upon merit will incentivize teachers to do their best for their students.
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* Biological males and females need to have separate restrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms.
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools. O* Schools should not be teaching ideologies that divide our society and parents might find offensive to their religious and moral beliefs.
11. Requiring each district and charter school to post online a list of all curriculum and instructional materials being used in the classroom. S* Parents should be able to see exactly what is being taught in their children's classrooms.