Restore common sense to Scottsdale Unified board
OPINION — Dr. Jennifer Johnson is the union-backed, Menzel-aligned progressive candidate for the SUSD Governing Board in the 2026 election.
A career educator, she campaigns on the slogan “Experience Matters.” That is true — but parents’ experience with a public education system led by professional educators, like Dr. Johnson, also matters.
Americans’ satisfaction with K–12 education has fallen to 32%, the lowest level in Gallup’s 27-year trend, while dissatisfaction has reached a record 67%; only 8% are completely satisfied. These figures point to widespread concern about public education and growing demand for reform and alternatives. The survey is consistent with the results shown in 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress.
Similar concerns are evident in SUSD: academic performance has continued to decline under Menzel, parents are withdrawing their children, and the district is closing schools. Yet Dr. Johnson’s website states, “SUSD is already recognized as a leader in academic achievement, and I am committed to ensuring that success continues for all students.”
A leader in academic achievement? In FY2025, fewer than half of SUSD eighth graders were proficient in math (49%) or science (47%). Among 11th graders, 55% were proficient in math and only 22% in science. If Dr. Johnson, an experienced education professional, considers these results evidence of leadership, SUSD cannot afford to elect her, another union-backed Menzel supporter, to the board.
Yes, experience matters, and for decades Americans have experienced a steady decline in public education under the influence of teachers’ unions and so-called education experts. We must elect Amy Carney and Jeanie Beasley to restore common sense and genuine academic achievement in SUSD.
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