• As Superintendent of the Deer Valley Unified School District, I wanted to take a few moments to relay DVUSD’s commitment regarding social equity and justice for our students and staff of color. Specifically, I would like to challenge our school system to continue to work together for the betterment of our African-American community.

    The recent events taking place in Phoenix and across our country following the devastating and senseless death of George Floyd, makes us feel pain and grief for Mr. Floyd’s family. Since his death, we have seen a massive wave of outrage, protests, and eventually hope for a brighter future.

    Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Life's most persistent and urgent question, is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ”

    For the Deer Valley Unified School District, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are being true to the words we use in our core values and our mission. We do not stand for racism or inequality in any form.

    Our first core value is respect, treating each other with dignity. Are we treating our black and minority students and staff with dignity each day? We must…

    Our mission in Deer Valley is to provide extraordinary opportunities to every learner. Are we providing access to every opportunity, increasing the probability of success? We must…

    DVUSD commits itself to the success of our African-American students, staff, and families of color. We want all of our students to succeed, and work every day towards that end. DVUSD is committed to stand against those forces that go against this mission of lifting others up for a brighter future. We need to ask ourselves every day, do our actions achieve our mission for our students who feel disconnected to our school and community?

    This is the time to make sure that our words and actions align -- for the future success of our minority students and families within our Deer Valley community. DVUSD is an #extraordinary District; let us make sure we are committed to continue to be the source of safety, opportunity, and success for our African-American students, staff, and families of color. When we work together against racism and injustice, we become a stronger community with a brighter future.