I am married and a mother of four children. My oldest graduated with high honors from Maricopa High School this past May and is now attending Arizona State University with a scholarship. I have two children attending Pima Butte Elementary and my youngest will start there in the fall. I have been a resident of Maricopa since 2005, and I am an active member of this community, volunteering with several organizations and events.
I am a parent first; and as a parent I want my children to have the best possible education available. I want all of the children of this district to succeed. I have witnessed the struggles that our district has faced and have seen the improvements that have been made. I believe there is much more to be done and I know that I am being called to “roll up my sleeves” and be a part of the solution. I am committed to serving this community and bringing a parent’s perspective to the board.
We need to “raise the bar” academically for our students, improve communication with all stakeholders of our district, continue to hold all parties accountable – and achieve all of this while being fiscally responsible.
I believe that our teachers are one of the biggest assets this district has and we need to support them. We need to update our curriculum and technology, offer more courses at the secondary schools, hire qualified staff, provide teachers with the resources that are needed, establish a truly “gifted” program for our excelling students, meet all of the needs of our special education students, and engage the community in our schools’ activities.
I know that we can have an excelling school district by working together. It is going to take “out of the box” thinking, listening to all stakeholders, voicing your concerns, offering up solutions, and sharing our community resources. Everyone who is a part of our Maricopa community is a stakeholder of our district. It is time to get involved. I am committed to making our schools the best that they can be and I am asking for your vote on Nov. 2.
Patricia Coutré is a candidate for school board.
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