Chandler school board should reconsider land acknowledgement

OPINION — To the Members of the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board: I am writing as a Chandler resident who is deeply concerned about the direction of our school district and, specifically, the increasing emphasis on symbolic and politically charged initiatives rather than the academic excellence our children deserve.

I respect Native American history, culture, and the importance of teaching that history accurately and thoughtfully. CUSD already publicly recognizes and respects our Indigenous community and the tribes historically connected to this area.

My concern is not with teaching history or respecting Native American students. My concern is with institutionalizing a land acknowledgment that singles out one group rather than affirming the dignity, history, and potential of every student in our district.

Why not simply acknowledge all students and all families? Our schools should be places that bring children together around a common purpose—not divide them according to ancestry, ethnicity, grievance, or political ideology.

Every culture has a history. Every family has a story.

People of every race and background have experienced hardship, sacrifice, discrimination, and adversity. I am equally concerned that these debates distract from what I believe should be CUSD's overriding priority: academic excellence.

Parents send their children to school to become strong readers, writers, critical thinkers, and mathematically competent young adults. We should be demanding exceptional proficiency in these fundamental skills and relentlessly examining where students are falling behind.

Reading, writing, arithmetic, repetition, discipline, accountability, and measurable academic outcomes should command far more of our attention.

At a time when families have increasing educational choices, CUSD should be asking an important question: What will make families choose our schools and remain in them?

I grew up in a moderate Democratic family and attended public schools at a time when I did not feel that political ideology was part of my classroom experience. The emphasis was education.

I want that same opportunity for today's children and for my grandchildren.

I am also a Christian, and I respectfully disagree with suggestions that a land acknowledgment is somehow biblically required. My faith teaches me to value every person, encourage hard work, pursue truth, and treat others with dignity.

I do not believe unity is achieved by elevating one group's historical suffering above another's or by teaching children to view one another primarily through the lens of group identity.

This isn't about erasing Native American history. Teach it. Teach it well. It is about whether a public school district should repeatedly single out one group for a ceremonial acknowledgment while claiming to represent everyone.

I urge the Board to reconsider this direction and instead adopt language that recognizes all CUSD students, families, cultures, and backgrounds equally. Make CUSD known for academic excellence.

Set ambitious literacy and mathematics goals. Strengthen the fundamentals. Listen not only to the people who attend every board meeting, but also to the thousands of working parents and grandparents who may never stand at that microphone.

And please do not mistake their absence for agreement. Families can speak through their actions as powerfully as they can from a microphone.

When parents choose another educational option, their feet are doing the talking. Their footsteps are leaving the doors of CUSD behind.

If families believe the district is no longer focused on the educational priorities they value, more may make that same choice in the future. That should concern every member of this Board.

Our public schools belong to the entire community. Let's unite our students around excellence, opportunity, hard work, mutual respect, and the belief that every child matters.

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