Endorsements

Speech made on August 24th @ Foothills Library

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Hi everyone, thanks for inviting me to speak today.  My name is Sucheta Shah. I am a Phoenix native, a single parent, and I have lived in the district since 2001. I grew up in public schools and have always been a strong supporter of public education. Over the years, I have watched Cave Creek Unified School District grow and build new schools, and now, unfortunately, 2 of them are closed. Both of my children grew up in this district and my youngest is a senior, and my eldest graduated in 2022.

I am running for the Governing Board because I am willing to stand up for what is right, even when that means challenging people I know or asking difficult questions. I also understand firsthand some of the struggles Cave Creek Unified School District families have faced. My son was denied accommodations for his medical conditions 6 times and 4 times for ADHD. After he entered high school, I hired an attorney and was finally able to secure a 504 plan for him. My daughter faced serious bullying in middle school because she became clinically depressed. The assistant principal failed to adequately address it, I withdrew her from Sonoran Trails for eighth grade at the strong recommendation of her school counselor. But she was bullied at the charter school as well in a different manner. She returned to Cactus Shadows for high school. These experiences are why I am particularly committed to conducting an in-depth evaluation of our Exceptional Student Services and ensuring families receive the support they need, as well as analyzing and possibly improving our exit surveys to address student withdrawals.

At the same time, my experiences with Cave Creek Unified School District have also allowed me to build tremendous relationships with our teachers, staff, students, and families. I have volunteered in classrooms at Horseshoe Trails for 12 years and served for more than seven years on three PTO Executive Boards and with Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation. I have served as Treasurer, Vice Chair, and President, and I am currently in my third year, and final year as Cactus Shadows PTO President.

Those relationships have also meant that staff and community members have trusted me with difficult concerns. When I became aware of issues involving the treatment of staff and student rights, I began speaking publicly at Governing Board meetings and presenting documentation of concerns that I believed placed the district at risk. Despite attempts to discourage me from speaking out, I continued. I was later asked by the superintendent to participate in a legal investigation related to those concerns. The individuals of concern are no longer in our district. I share this because it demonstrates something important about how I will serve: I will not back down when I believe standing up is necessary to protect our students, staff, and district.

The district now has several new administrators who are making positive changes, and I want to help build on that momentum. With more than 10 years of professional experience in higher education on both the instructional and operations sides, I can bring new ideas and energy for retaining our current families, bringing students back to the district, and attracting new families to our schools.

Cave Creek Unified School District has tremendous academic and athletic success. We need to do a better job championing those accomplishments, telling our story, and giving families compelling reasons to choose Cave Creek Unified. I want to help make that happen while ensuring every decision we make keeps students, educators, accountability, and the long-term strength of our district at the center.