By Michelle Watson After attending a graduation ceremony recently, I found myself thinking not just about the graduates and their futures, but about the teachers who helped get them there. At a time when there is an ever-changing landscape in education that dominates the headlines, it’s worth remembering something simpler and far more personal: teachers change lives every single day … Read More
Scottsdale Community College Just Did Something Worth Celebrating: Tackling the Affordability Crisis
In a higher education landscape defined by soaring tuition bills and graduates drowning in debt, Scottsdale Community College made history this month. On May 14, SCC held its first-ever commencement ceremony conferring Bachelor of Business Administration degrees, graduating a pioneering cohort from a program that launched just one year ago. The ceremony took place at Salt River Fields at Talking … Read More
An AP&G Exclusive: Our Interview with East Valley Institute of Technology Superintendent Dr. Wilson
Dr. Wilson, thank you so much for your time. As the cost of traditional four-year colleges and cumulative student loan debt continues to balloon, non-traditional educational routes are becoming more and more salient, and none locally have the reputation and track record of the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT). You’ve led EVIT for over 7 years through significant changes … Read More
Where There’s Smoke: One Pervert at SUSD Ends Up Being Multiple. Is This a Real Problem?
In what now seems to be a recurring theme, Scottsdale Unified School District faces another troubling chapter in its ongoing struggles with employee misconduct. In just the past three months, three district employees have lost their positions over allegations of inappropriate behavior involving minors. This isn’t merely another bureaucratic misstep; it’s a pattern that demands serious attention from parents and … Read More
Chaparral’s Future Ready Conference Showcases Scottsdale Schools’ Commitment to Excellence
When 480 Career and Technical Education students gathered at Chaparral High School for the 2025 Future Ready Conference, they weren’t just attending another school event: they were experiencing the kind of transformative educational opportunity that defines excellence in Scottsdale Unified School District. The full-day conference, presented by SUSD’s CTE department in partnership with Scottsdale Rotary, brought students face-to-face with real-world … Read More
SUSD Assistant Principal Scandal: What Can You Do to Protect Your Children?
The resignation of Saguaro High School Athletic Director Lucas Ackerson following allegations of inappropriate messaging with a middle school student has sent shockwaves through the Scottsdale community. While Scottsdale police determined there wasn’t sufficient evidence for criminal charges, the incident represents a deeply troubling breach of trust that every parent must take seriously. The student’s father, speaking at the school board meeting, … Read More
Concerns About Transparency at SUSD with Latest Vote: Are They Warranted?
By Ronald Sampson The Scottsdale Unified School District’s 3-2 vote to close Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon School has left the community deeply divided, and the emotional public meeting that preceded it raised important questions about process and transparency. While the district faces legitimate fiscal pressures, the concerns voiced by board members Carine Werner and Amy Carney, both of whom voted against … Read More
Scottsdale’s Other Side of Bad Charlie Kirk Politics: This is NOT the Way
By Alexander Lomax I apparently couldn’t go more than a week without some reactionary bullocks regarding Scottsdale and Charlie Kirk came across my screen. Literally just last week I wrote this piece where I questioned why Scottsdale officials were considering a memorial for Charlie Kirk. And just like Isaac Newton said, with every action comes an equal and opposite reaction. … Read More
When Results Speak Louder Than Politics: SUSD’s Academic Success Story
By Alexander Lomax Scottsdale Unified School District has found itself under intense scrutiny lately, particularly from Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. But when the latest state test scores arrived, the numbers told a story that’s hard to dispute: SUSD students are thriving academically. With 62% of students passing English Language Arts assessments and 58% passing math across grades … Read More
Tom Horne vs. SUSD: When Education Policy Meets Political Theater
By Ronald Sampson Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has once again trained his sights on Scottsdale Unified School District, this time criticizing a community flyer for a “Girls in Gear” cycling event that invited girls, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth to participate. His diagnosis? SUSD is promoting “woke ideology” that’s driving families away and causing declining enrollment. Let’s be … Read More