The saga of Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Scott Menzel, his past “woke” interview and the controversy it has generated has gotten a lot of coverage both in the mainstream media and on this blog. But a recent development at a Scottsdale school demonstrates that “woke-ism” clearly is not the norm in Scottsdale schools. Unfortunately, not even the Holocaust is … Read More
Superintendent Menzel Saved By Strong Support
It has been a tumultuous past month or so for Scottsdale Unified School District superintendent Scott Menzel. After Fox News uncovered a 2019 interview where Menzel seems to support ideas that many would consider “woke”, he has been the target of Republican legislators and a cause de celebre for local Democrats (you can get up to speed on the entire … Read More
The Battle Lines are Drawn: Scottsdale Legislative Reps and SUSD Superintendent Menzel Trade Blows
Note: this post has been edited to reflect that Tammy Caputi changed her voter registration to Independent in 2018, and that Jason Alexander is a social media advisor for her, not a political advisor. The fallout from Scottsdale Unified School District’s Superintendent Scott Menzel and his “woke” comments from a 2019 interview have recently stolen a lot of oxygen from … Read More
School Funding Deadline is Near: Are Our Legislators Playing Brinksmanship?
As many parents of school-age children know, Arizona schools have a major looming deadline coming up. Revenue to our schools has increased significantly, as has the population, but due to an old constitutional rule regarding increasing spending caps many school districts will need to drastically cut their budgets unless this antiquated cap is lifted. In Arizona, this issue could turn … Read More
Guest Editorial: Old Statements from Superintendent Scott Menzel are Released. Did He Fool Us All?
By Ronald Sampson Have you ever felt like someone you knew was living a lie? That you would talk them up but then you realized that you had made a mistake? I am now starting to feel that way about Scottsdale Unified School District superintendent Scott Menzel. This blog has covered Menzel quite a bit, and frankly, mostly in a … Read More
Do We Have an Impending Schools Crisis in Scottsdale? 30% of SUSD Staff Gone Since Start of ‘21
Just last week we talked about how highly Scottsdale was ranked as a place to raise a family. Well life comes at you fast as the saying goes, and this week we came across a new challenge that may damage our status in future related rankings. According to the Scottsdale Independent, around 30% of SUSD’s staff has left for one … Read More
Amidst Continued Turmoil at SUSD, Scott Menzel Received a Much-Deserved Extension – We Are Fortunate
For it being one of the premier school districts in the state and perhaps the country, the Scottsdale Unified School District has had a rough go of it recently, as we have noted. It has become a hot-button and magnet for far-right activists for reasons which make no logical sense, and has even had the Q-Anon Congressional candidate stop by … Read More
A Potential Financial Doomsday for Scottsdale Schools: Why Our Legislature Needs to Act Now
Scottsdale Unified had its share of struggles last year; an incredibly onerous number of struggles. 2021 could easily be considered a Year From Hell for the district. 2022 is arriving with a struggle that is even more imposing than scandal and angry protestors however; it brings the potential of financial crisis. Due to a relatively arcane statute that is over … Read More
Menzel Proving His Value Again at Performance Pay Meeting: While Progressive Areas Decry Importance of Math, He Prioritizes It
Scottsdale Unified Superintendent Scott Menzel was recently on the hot seat in his recent assessment, where his performance pay came under light fire by board members perhaps trying to look tough in the face of potential recall elections and re-election campaigns. Superintendent Menzel recently showed why he deserves the benefit of nearly any doubt, and how he plans to help … Read More
SUSD Board is Feeling Heat, Putting Superintendent Menzel Through a Wringer
It’s been a strange last few months for Scottsdale Unified; between protests and swarms of angry parents to the Greenburg fiasco, it’s safe to say that all of SUSD’s leadership is under intense pressure. That may be manifesting itself in a conversation about compensation, as SUSD members are talking about changing metrics for Superintendent Scott Menzel’s pay. All this is … Read More
- Page 1 of 2
- 1
- 2