A little over 100 people attended the one and only community forum, to meet the one and only candidate for the position as TUSD’s new superintendent. Dr. H. T. Sanchez answered general questions in the hastily planned event.
Mostly made up of Tucson Education Association members, the small crowd at Catalina High School was not allowed to ask questions directly of Sanchez. The public was asked to submit questions, and then the evening’s moderator selected those that would elicit answers from a range of topics previously determined by the Board.
As a result, a handful of long time district stakeholders left the event early, but not before lodging objection with Board staff. Before they left, one group of women told Board staff that they would not participate in the “charade.”
They left in reaction primarily to Sanchez’s vague answer about the District’s desegregation order. Sanchez said that the desegregation case “is matter of honoring the dignity of those whose dignity, at one time, was violated. It’s about understanding what it takes to restore what they feel was lost.”
One community representative said Sanchez missed the mark. “This has nothing to do with hurt feelings, or bringing everyone to the table; we’ve been at the table for years. It’s about educating kids.”
Sanchez answered a wide range of questions in vague generalities with a few specific answers to questions relating specifically to TUSD.
Sanchez told the audience that he was opposed to charter schools.”Anything they offer, we can offer better. I believe we do offer a better product.” The response angered some University High School supporters, who want the District’s highly performing school to become a charter.
Sanchez offered platitudes such as President Obama’s statement that “education is the civil right of the 21st century.” However, he raised concerns when he said that the issue is “not about equal access – we already have that. It’s about equitable outcomes.” Just this year, rather than reduce administrative costs, the District closed 11 schools, and it is believed that they are heading toward more big box schools, as the District continues to lose students to charter schools and neighboring school districts.
“There’s something noble in wanting to make sure every American knows at least these things, but we should never allow ourselves to be limited by those things. It’s the floor, not the ceiling,” Sanchez said of Common Core standards.
Sanchez’s comment that “a teacher’s job is not to indoctrinate students, but to empower young people to think critically so they can come to their own conclusions” was directed at claims that the past Mexican American Studies teachers indoctrinated students.. He then said Mexican American Studies should be in the curriculum, “but so does everybody else’s story.”
Sanchez did not offer any insight into how he would reform the dysfunctional district and said he did not have the “silver bullet.”
Sanchez, who has run a smaller district in Odessa, Texas since March of this year said he believed he believed “that I’m not here by accident. I believe there’s a reason I’m here. My experiences match up with many of the challenges that are here.”
Sanchez offered little insight into what specifically qualified him for the position. He admitted that he knew little about TUSD; saying that his stay in Tucson hasn’t been long enough to formulate an informed opinion.
The community appeared to share that sentiment. One attendee said that since there was one only one candidate, Sanchez could not be compared to anyone else.
According to sources in Texas and District insiders, Sanchez told the Board that if he was not the only candidate for the job, he was not interested in the job.
Still, former Governing Board candidate John Hunnicutt said Sanchez, “He is a pretty impressive young man and I wish him the best of luck to avoid being eaten by Dr Romero and his cronies, Dr. Pedicone couldn’t with his years of experience.”
It is assumed that Sanchez will be offered the position quickly in order to facilitate the early exit of the District’s current superintendent.