AZSW Endorses Rochelle Wells for Tempe Elem.

For the past 18 months I have had the honor to serve as a governing board member of the Tempe Elementary School District No. 3. As a parent of three children in middle school in this school district, I believe that I represent the daily life within the schools. My volunteer work in the schools and with Arizona PTA led me to see the needs of our students and our educational system. As a social worker, I understand that people are passionate about our schools.  I embrace the opportunity to listen to their concerns so that I can be an advocate for our students, teachers, and staff.

Our nation has had governing boards since 1642. The founders of our nation wanted to be sure that schools were controlled by local residents. Over the past 18 months, I have experienced first-hand that local control is still important today. How exciting it is when 150 people come to a board meeting to voice their concerns! School districts should be the basic structure of a democratic system. I am also grateful to the people who call me daily with their concerns—sometimes they give compliments. I believe that the partnership between the schools and the community is necessary in order to have successful schools and students.

I have chosen to run because I believe I can make a difference. I am a stay-at-home-mother who is willing to spend the time and energy to provide our children with an educational experience that we can be proud of and that will help secure their future. Today’s public school system is expected to provide a quality education to all its students despite many obstacles: the inadequate funding from the legislature and our federal government, the competition for funding from charter schools, private schools, and parochial schools, and the unfunded mandate of No Child Left Behind. Today’s educational leaders must use their leadership and advocacy skills to overcome these challenges. The training that I have received that I have received training from the Arizona School Boards Association and the National School Boards Association has been invaluable learning experience to strengthen my advocacy skills for students at the local, statewide, and national level.

If you would like to contact me, please visit my website: www.RochelleWells.com