‍Maricopa Dems Stand Behind Dr. Tara Armstead and School Board Members Who Share Its Values

PHOENIX - On Tuesday, the only Black Litchfield Elementary School District Board Member, Dr. Tara Armstead, resigned after only five months in the position. She explains her decision came after months of verbal abuse and veiled racist attacks.

Maricopa County Democratic Party Executive Director, Ne’Lexia Galloway, releases the following:

“When school boards lose people like Dr. Armstead, they lose subject matter experts who generously donate their time for the greater good of their community. Fellow board members and district administrators ignored her experience, knowledge, and educational background and instead targeted her due to her skin color. It’s time we champion school board members who share our values - especially school board members of color. These courageous members of our community sacrifice their time, energy, and expertise to ensure all children access quality education.  

In Arizona, public education funding continues to rank amongst the lowest across the country. Teachers are being driven out of the state by poor salaries. Due to our Governor’s failure to institute a statewide school mask mandate, parents and their children are put at risk. Enough is enough. We must take action to fully support public education and the brave school board members who graciously give their time to protect students. In 2022, we need all hands on deck to adequately fund our schools while advocating for school board members committed to protecting public school teachers and their students.”

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The Maricopa County Democratic Party (MCDP) works to elect Democrats across Maricopa County. We recruit, train, and promote Democratic candidates to ensure Democratic values shape policy across the county and state.

Find out more information, please visit www.maricopadems.org.