🏛️ Jail Renovation vs. Rebuild: Pima County Debates Future of Corrections
💼 Adelita Grijalva Addresses Social Media Controversy 🚌 RTA Negotiations: Ensuring Fair Funding for Tucson 🔒 TUSD's Innovative Approach to Classroom Phone Storage
Based on the 9/25/24 Buckmaster Show on KVOI-1030AM.
🙊 Notable quotes from the show
"I disagree. I think the majority of our students are very respectful. I think they're very engaged." - Dr. Gabriel Trujillo, responding to Tom Horne's assessment of classroom behavior issues
"I believe that cell phones are tremendously disruptive. I think that they're an incredible distraction." - Dr. Gabriel Trujillo on cell phone use in schools
"We were thinking the 100-degree days that all of them were gone for the year. Mother nature has ways of pulling the rug out from under us." - Tom Fairbanks on unseasonable heat
"I will make you a deal when I will admit my wrongdoing when Trump apologizes for the racist, misogynistic comments that he's made." - Adelita Grijalva on her controversial Facebook post
⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
📚🏫 The Tucson school district is making big changes! They're giving parents who work for schools more time off when they have a baby. They're also trying to stop kids from using phones too much in class. The schools are getting new air conditioners because it's really hot outside. In Pima County, they're making it easier for people to vote and building more houses that don't cost too much money. They're also talking about fixing the jail instead of building a new one. 🗳️🏘️
🗝️ Takeaways
🗳️ Pima County to launch pima.vote website for comprehensive voting information
👶 TUSD approves 12 weeks of paid parental leave, first in Arizona for school districts
📱 TUSD considering restrictive cell phone policies during instructional time
🏫 Superintendent Trujillo disagrees with the state assessment of widespread classroom behavior issues
🚨 Social media threats causing disruptions and absences in TUSD schools
🏘️ Pima County's $5 million annual investment created 1,300 affordable homes in 3 years
📻 What They Discussed
The Buckmaster Show, hosted by Bill Buckmaster, aired its midweek edition on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. The show featured two prominent local officials as guests:
Adelita Grijalva, Chairwoman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and
Dr. Gabriel Trujillo, Superintendent of Tucson Unified School District.
Both guests discussed important local issues affecting Pima County and the Tucson education system.
🗳️ Early Voting and Election Preparations
Adelita Grijalva provided detailed information about the upcoming early voting process in Pima County. She explained that ballots will be mailed out on October 6th, with early voting sites opening on October 9th. Grijalva highlighted the importance of voter participation, noting that in the primary election, only 20% of registered voters who received early ballots actually returned them. This means that primary elections were decided by a small fraction of eligible voters.
To improve voter engagement and provide comprehensive information, Grijalva announced the launch of a new website, pima.vote, scheduled to go live in early October. This site will serve as a one-stop resource for voters, offering information on registration deadlines, voting locations, and important dates in the election calendar.
Grijalva also mentioned that this year's ballot will be particularly long, consisting of four pages (front and back) and several propositions that could potentially amend the Arizona state constitution. She emphasized the importance of educating voters on these issues before casting their ballots.
📱 Social Media Controversy and Public Response
The interview touched on a recent controversy surrounding a Facebook post shared by Grijalva. The post featured a sign critical of former President Trump, which sparked backlash from some members of the public. Grijalva explained that the post was made on her personal Facebook page and that she had not created the sign herself but merely shared an image of it.
In response to the controversy, Grijalva reduced the privacy settings on her post but did not remove it or apologize for sharing it. She addressed the issue at a recent board meeting, where some attendees expressed their disapproval but left before she could respond. Grijalva used this incident to highlight public officials' challenges in navigating social media and personal expression while in office.
🏢 Pima County Jail and Affordable Housing
Grijalva discussed ongoing debates about the future of the Pima County Jail. She expressed skepticism about the need for a completely new facility, suggesting that renovations to the existing structure might be sufficient. Grijalva emphasized the importance of reducing the jail population, particularly for non-violent offenders and exploring alternatives such as transition centers and improved mental health support.
Grijalva highlighted Pima County's efforts to address affordable housing. She mentioned that the county has dedicated $5 million per year to affordable housing initiatives, which has resulted in the creation of 1,300 affordable homes over the past three years. However, she acknowledged that more work needs to be done in this area.
🚗 Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Negotiations
Grijalva provided an update on ongoing negotiations regarding the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) plan. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that the City of Tucson receives an equitable share of funds and projects, particularly given that a significant portion of her district lies within the city limits. Grijalva stressed the need for infrastructure improvements in Tucson and expressed her commitment to supporting a plan that addresses these needs fairly.
👨👩👧👦 Paid Parental Leave for TUSD Employees
Dr. Gabriel Trujillo announced a groundbreaking policy for Tucson Unified School District: approving 12 weeks of paid parental leave for all employees who have worked for the district for at least one calendar year. This policy, which Trujillo claims is a first for school districts in Arizona, covers maternity, paternity, adoption, guardianship, and even situations involving pregnancy complications or miscarriages.
Trujillo emphasized the importance of this policy for recruiting new talent and retaining current employees. He explained that previously, employees had to exhaust their sick, vacation, and personal days to take time off for family-related matters. The new policy aims to provide adequate time for parents to bond with their children and for mothers to recover from childbirth without the added stress of lost income or depleted leave time.
🏫 Classroom Behavior and Teacher Retention
Trujillo addressed comments made by Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne regarding classroom behavior issues driving teachers away from the profession.
Trujillo strongly disagreed with this assessment, stating that most TUSD students are respectful and engaged in their education. He acknowledged that typical adolescent behaviors such as tardiness, absenteeism, and occasional discipline issues do occur, but emphasized that these are not the norm and do not create the chaotic environment described by Horne.
🚨 Social Media Threats and School Security
The superintendent discussed recent challenges the district has faced with social media threats causing panic and leading to increased absences. Trujillo explained that many of these threats are posted outside of school hours on devices not controlled by the district, making it difficult for school officials to respond quickly. He praised the Tucson Police Department for their swift action in identifying and apprehending individuals responsible for making false threats.
Trujillo acknowledged the need for faster communication with parents during these incidents and outlined efforts to improve the district's response time. He also noted the financial impact of these threats, as decreased attendance can affect the district's funding, which is based on average daily attendance.
🌡️ HVAC Upgrades and Classroom Cooling Solutions
Given the unseasonably high temperatures in Tucson, Trujillo discussed the district's ongoing efforts to upgrade HVAC systems in schools. He explained that the recent $480 million bond will fund the replacement and modernization of heating and cooling systems in 65 schools. However, due to the age of many TUSD buildings, these upgrades require custom solutions and will take 12-14 months to complete.
To address immediate cooling needs, especially in classrooms experiencing AC outages, Trujillo announced that the district will purchase portable AC units for each school. These units can be quickly deployed to classrooms as needed, providing a temporary solution while the larger HVAC upgrades are in progress.
📵 Cell Phone Policies in Schools
Trujillo shared his views on cell phone use in schools, agreeing with Superintendent Horne that phones can be tremendously disruptive to the learning environment. However, Trujillo advocated for a more nuanced approach than a total ban. He suggested prohibiting cell phone use during instructional time but allowing students to use their devices during breaks and lunch periods.
The superintendent highlighted a pilot program at Sabino High School where students store their phones in clear, see-through containers during class time. Early reports indicate that this approach has increased student engagement and focus. Trujillo emphasized the need to balance the potential educational uses of smartphones with the negative impacts they can have on students' interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and ability to collaborate with peers.
🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary
Climate Justice and School Infrastructure
Discussing HVAC upgrades in Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) schools highlights the intersection of climate justice and education equity. As temperatures in Tucson reach record highs, it's clear that climate change is disproportionately affecting working-class and minority students who attend schools with inadequate cooling systems. The need for "custom solutions" due to the age of TUSD buildings underscores years of underinvestment in schools serving predominantly Latino and other minority communities.
Dr. Gabriel Trujillo's statement, "The heat is fighting back viciously. It will not go quietly into the fall," inadvertently touches on the urgent need for climate action.
However, the show failed to address the root causes of climate change or discuss how schools could implement sustainable, energy-efficient solutions that would benefit students and the environment.
Criminal Justice Reform Sidelined
The brief mention of debates surrounding the Pima County Jail renovation versus rebuilding glosses over the critical need for comprehensive criminal justice reform. Grijalva's comment about reducing the jail population for non-violent offenders is a positive step.
Still, the discussion failed to address systemic racism in the criminal justice system, the school-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately affects Latino and Black youth, or alternatives to incarceration that could better serve the community.
Digital Divide and Educational Equity
While Dr. Trujillo's concerns about cell phone use in classrooms are valid, the discussion overlooked the potential of technology to bridge educational gaps for underserved students.
Many Latino and low-income students rely on smartphones for internet access at home.
A more nuanced policy that addresses both the challenges and opportunities presented by technology in education is needed, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach that may further disadvantage students without reliable internet access at home.
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👯 People Mentioned
Bill Buckmaster - Host of the Buckmaster Show
Tom Fairbanks - Co-host or regular contributor to the show
Adelita Grijalva - Chairwoman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors
Dr. Gabriel Trujillo - Superintendent of Tucson Unified School District
Tom Horne - Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dr. Ravi Shah - Mentioned by Trujillo as an example of an engaged father
Kevin Amadon - Principal of Sabino High School, implementing cell phone storage policy
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