Hey there, my ‘boys,’ and in some cases, my ‘gals,’ I hope you’re keeping cool this summer!
Things always kind of slow down in Arizona in the summertime. The legislative session is over, and many people in the local political scene in AZ can breathe a sigh of relief. Other governing bodies still meet over the summer months, including school boards, but typically, the agendas are light, and the meetings are short.
Not so in Peoria (PUSD), Secular FAM! Their summer meetings have stretched to five or six hours. I mean, sure, they’re not eight or nine hours like they are during the school year now with President Rooks holding the gavel, but six hour meetings tend to be an indicator of poor leadership.
Since these meetings are so poorly planned and managed, I decided to take a look at the PUSD school board members’ digital footprint to see what their professional backgrounds are. Usually, the best place to check out someone’s resume is on LinkedIn, so that’s where I went first.
JEANNE CASTEEN has a bachelor’s degree in human communication and history from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at ASU and a master’s in education, also from ASU. Jeanne has over 11 years of experience teaching in Maricopa County’s public schools. In 2011, Jeanne completed the Emerge Arizona program and in 2012 became a school board member of the Creighton School District. She served as Board President from 2016 through 2020. In 2020, Ms. Casteen ran for Maricopa County School Superintendent, and came within 12,000 votes of winning. She has been awarded the Arizona School Public Relations Association Award for Excellence in Advocacy and Political Contributions to Education as well as the Arizona School Board Association’s All-Arizona School Board Member Award.
Author: Jeanne Casteen, Secular AZ Executive Director
JEANNE CASTEEN has a bachelor’s degree in human communication and history from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at ASU and a master’s in education, also from ASU. Jeanne has over 11 years of experience teaching in Maricopa County’s public schools. In 2011, Jeanne completed the Emerge Arizona program and in 2012 became a school board member of the Creighton School District. She served as Board President from 2016 through 2020. In 2020, Ms. Casteen ran for Maricopa County School Superintendent, and came within 12,000 votes of winning. She has been awarded the Arizona School Public Relations Association Award for Excellence in Advocacy and Political Contributions to Education as well as the Arizona School Board Association’s All-Arizona School Board Member Award. View all posts by Jeanne Casteen, Secular AZ Executive Director →
