Profile of a Perfect (Even a Reluctant) Woman of Action!
Can you list more than a few worthy reasons you’re frustrated with your government, your workplace, or your kids’ schools?... Now can you list any truly worthy reasons why you can’t do something to fix them? If we’re honest, you can do SOMETHING in at least ONE area that bugs you. And it would, indeed make at least a small, but significant, difference!
We’re inspired by so many of you Arizona Women of Action!! This week we asked Alison Klotnia (a busy woman probably like you) to tell us WHY she got fired up and decided to take on her local school district. How did she figure it out? What were the hurdles? And how did she feel when her battle plan came together?
Alison is the perfect example of a regular person who decided to get off the bench and do her part. She took time to fight a worthy battle—to hold her elected officials accountable-- and defend her family and community from bad policy and wasteful spending of our taxes.
What’s bugging you in your community? Just think of the satisfaction of seeing YOUR part make that difference. Even more importantly—just think of the example and impression you’ll make on your kids or others who are inspired to do THEIR part! ~ Kim
The Reluctant Activist
I’m a former public-school teacher.
I’m a busy mom.
I work outside the home.
I hate confrontation.
I don’t have all the answers.
Sound familiar?
My journey started at a local school board meeting, after my last child graduated from high school. With the encouragement and support of friends and community members, we started attending monthly meetings. There weren’t many of us. Let’s be honest, school board meetings are in the evening, during the week. They can be boring, and they are long. But they are also informative.
The night Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) announced they were taking the Maintenance and Operations Override to the public for a vote, a year early, at the cost of $400,000.00, I knew I had to get involved. I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like, but it was time to send a message to the district: “If you want more money, we want better results”.
The district’s 2023 tagline is “Because Kids”. But according to their own data, the kids are not doing well. Most are barely graduating proficient in English, Math or Science. Half of the school-age students within the district attend schools outside the district. There are plenty of excuses provided by SUSD: “It’s expensive to live within the district’s boundaries”, “People are moving”, and “People are having fewer kids”.
There was one glaring reason never seriously addressed or considered -- Parents are unhappy with the product. Parents want a say in what is being taught in the classrooms. Parents want their kids learning core curriculum--not rainbows, butterflies and propaganda. If SUSD won’t provide academic excellence, then AZ parents have choices, and they are exercising that choice in record numbers.
“No Confidence, No Trust, No More!” was born.
A few of us banned together and said, “Let’s figure out how to send a clear message to SUSD”. We researched what the difference was between a bond and an override. We looked at our own property tax forms and were stunned to learn that nearly 68% of our property taxes were going to (our failing) schools. We engaged neighbors, reminding them they have a vested interest in this tax continuation. We looked up how other districts were pushing back on bonds and M&Os. One mom even made a video and shared on social media!
Mesa had a well-organized plan. Their LD chair was more than willing to share her knowledge. A Paradise Valley group also was a wealth of information. We researched city ordinances and rules that governed political campaigns. We engaged our local legislative district, LD 4, to help inform local precinct committeemen, gather volunteers and ask for donations. EZAZ.org, Scottsdale Unites, and the Goldwater Institute provided us with valuable information regarding student outcomes. Arizona Women of Action stepped up and gave us the means and the platform to move this from an idea to a reality.
I am so grateful to all these organizations for their support. They have helped turn this reluctant activist into a budding worrier.
Alison Klotnia,
Scottsdale wife, working mom,
Arizona Woman of Action