MESA, Ariz. -- Sept. 12, 2024 -- The community is invited to Mesa Community College for a Mesa Public Schools Governing Board candidate forum on Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Navajo Room of the Kirk Student Center at the Southern & Dobson Campus, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa. A virtual attendance option is also available. Individuals should indicate interest in attending, virtually or in person, at this link. The forum may be watched live at youtube.com/mpsaztv.
This November three of the five Mesa Public Schools Governing Board seats are up for election. Voters will have the opportunity to select candidates on their ballots. Candidates running for the available seats on Mesa Public Schools Governing Board are Sharon Benson, Lacy Chaffee, Josh Chilton, Courtney Davis and Ed Steele.
Voter registration, coordinated by MCC’s Center for Community & Civic Engagement, will be available during the event. Voter registration deadline is Oct. 7.
Early ballots will be mailed Oct. 9. Visit the Maricopa County Elections Department website or call 602-506-1511 for more information.
Service-learning is a high impact instructional strategy that provides opportunities for students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world issues. “Students at MCC regularly engage in service-learning; education majors serve specifically within Mesa Public Schools. During their service they learn a great deal about the education profession by assisting mentor teachers in their classrooms and hosting STEAM activities for students and their families at elementary and middle schools,” said MCC K-12 Education faculty Tawn Hauptli, Ed.D.
Hauptli, who also serves as the advisor for MCC’s Educators Rising club, explained, “It was a field trip to a MPS Governing Board meeting that spurred the club members to want to learn more about the role Governing Board Members have in overseeing a school district. This is what led us to partner with MPS and the MCC’s Center for Community & Civic Engagement to host the forum to share this knowledge with the campus and great community.”
Additionally, Hauptli connected the current MPS Governing Board President, Ms. Marcie Hutchinson and MPS Superintendent, Dr. Andi Fourlis, with Dr. Eddie Webb, the director of MCC’s New Media Lab and English faculty. Webb recently interviewed the three for a New Media Lab Experience podcast, discussing the role of the Governing Board in creating policy for a school district. Listen to the podcast here.
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Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu, 480-461-7892
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for university transfer, career and technical programs, civic engagement, service-learning and innovative approaches to education. Host to more than 24,400 students annually, MCC offers degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations. On average MCC students provide 23,000 hours of community service annually. For more than 50 years, the college has served as a resource for education, workforce development and lifelong learning. MCC is transforming student success through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. MCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution. Nearly 50% of MCC students are the first in their families to attend college. MCC has the largest indigenous student population of all the Maricopa Community Colleges. The American Indian Institute serves students from 22 federally recognized Arizona tribes and out-of-state tribes. Our diverse student body includes hundreds of international students from around the world. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to attain their goals. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, on the traditional territories of the O'odham, Piipaash and Yavapai Peoples, MCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. Visit mesacc.edu to learn more.
MCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org.
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. MCCCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.