Durkin Named To PCC Board, Status Quo Intact

Over the years, the Office of the Pima County School Superintendent under Superintendent Linda Arzoumanian, has served primarily to protect the cronies who use the area schools to enhance their own power and feather their own nests. On Monday, Arzoumanian signaled that nothing has changed when she announced the selection of Martha Durkin, Tucson’s deputy city manager and a former deputy city attorney to fill the District 5 vacancy on the Board of Governors of Pima Community College.

Arzoumanian employed her opaque selection process with the help of her Community Advisory Committee. Committee members included: Ana Valenzuela Estrada, Yolanda Herrera, Phil Lopes, Mark Hinrichs, Alec Moreno, Mays Imad, Don Harp and TUSD’s H.T. Sánchez.

Before heading to the City of Tucson, Durkin served as the attorney for TUSD. Durkin left TUSD after the District was found to have violated Open meeting laws.

Arzoumanian refused a request that Sanchez  be removed from the Committee due to a conflict of interest. Applicant Dr. Francis Saitta, a former TUSD teacher, made the request arguing that Sanchez knew that Saitta had been placed on a “do not hire list” by the TUSD Administration. The retaliation against Saitta is currently under investigation by the Civil Rights Division of the Office of the Arizona Attorney General. In addition, Saitta currently has an age discrimination suit before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals against TUSD, and during the last TUSD Board Elections, in which Saitta was a candidate, he was very critical of Sanchez’s appointment/tenure and close association with TUSD’s Board president Adelita Grijalva indicating that both should be removed from their respective offices.

Durkin will begin her term upon taking the Oath of Office and will serve through December 2016. This position will be on the November 2016 General Election ballot for a special, two-year term. Durkin fills the seat left vacant by the resignation of Marty Cortez on June 29, 2015.

Durkin is up against other authentic education advocates including former state Senator Luis Gonzales, and community activist Cecilia Cruz.