Every election year, education is a hot topic for candidates and voters, but due to the controversial COVID-19 mitigation efforts including school shutdowns, student quarantines, and failing student performance there is a heightened interest.
Much of that increased interest comes as a result of parents and taxpayers getting a closer, and often times upsetting, look into the classrooms through online learning and websites like Campusreform.org and Libsoftiktok.com.
School board elections are among the more important races, but down ballot races rarely get the attention they deserve. For non-teachers’ union associated candidates, funding is hard to come and thus opportunities to share their message with voters are rare.
So, when Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) candidate, Heather Rooks, received an invitation to a public debate on July 28th, from Yourvalley.net’s “Peoria Independent” reporter, asking all candidates if they would be interested in participating a public forum, she was thrilled.
On Aug. 11, reporter Phillip Haldiman sent out an email to all candidates confirming the forum would take place at the District’s main office on Tuesday Aug. 30th. Rooks responded back asking Haldiman for details, to which he responded, “it will be open to the public.”
On Friday, August 26th, 2022, just days before the public event, Haldiman, notified the PUSD candidates the event would be closed to the public, but candidates were each allowed to invite only 10 friends and family.
The sudden change caused confusion and concern for District residents, including Rooks.
Although Rooks has been a victim of harassment that has forced her to file reports with local law enforcement authorities, her primary concern was with safety, and she requested that security be present.
To ensure candidates felt safe, local community members offered to organize and pay for the presence of police officers. According to Rooks, this solution was offered to the “Peoria Independent.” The outlet quickly declined the offer, and informed her that the event was now going to be virtual.
This sudden change left many community members even more confused and frustrated. That frustration was evident on the Facebook Peoria community page when the editor-in-chief of the “Peoria Independent,” Patrick O’Grady, claimed the PUSD candidate forum had always been a virtual event.
Unfortunately for O’Grady, Haldiman stated on August 14th in an email that the forum was open to the public. The email also outlined details of the event and topics to be discussed. At no time was any indication given that the event would be virtual and only those residents with internet access have access to the “public” debate.
On Saturday, August 27th, the “Peoria Independent” left a bizarre message for readers. It read only: “The Peoria Unified School District governing board candidate forum planned by the Peoria Independent for Aug. 30 has been canceled. An article explaining the cancellation will follow.”