We’ve mentioned in this post that election fever is about to grip Gilbert Public Schools, well it is reaching fever pitch, folks. And it is getting ugly. One of the more contentious items is the use of signs by staff and teachers in their cars parked in district property.
The supporters of the Jill Humpherys and Dr. Charles Santa Cruz campaigns had this novel idea of using yard signs as sun shield for their cars while they are parked. Many have reviewed district policy and nothing seems to bar anyone from doing so within the policy for as long as the car is not parked permanently in the district parking lot.
Another idea the Humpherys/Sta. Cruz camp had was to use car window chalk to write a simple message on the car windows of their supporters:
2 Seats / 2 Votes: Humpherys / Sta. Cruz GPS Board
Now the Ron Bellus/Dawn Brimhall supporters have been crying foul about this. They are citing that Humpherys and Sta. Cruz supporters are violating district policy, just as much as Tom and Denise Green would like you to believe with their busted expose about Ms. Humpherys. Below is a post by the admin of a Facebook group aligned with Daryl Colvin and supporters of Bellus and Brimhall. As you can see, the said admin, H. Steven Johnson, is also an espouser of GPS Myth #1: Them darn no good Union! In it Mr. Johnson posted a screenshot of a post in Save our dedicated GPS employees Facebook page, wherein it talks about alleged Observer, Suzy Horvath offering to chalk car windows with the above message.
On a side note: We said alleged Observer, because it seems Mr. Johnson, Daryl Colvin, Steve Barton and company now thinks the Observer is Mrs. Horvath. That Mrs. Horvath sure is one busy lady. We don’t know if they’ve given up on the Blake Sacha is the Observer myth. We feel that they simply can’t fathom the fact that there is a “group” of more than one individual that actually “observes” their shenanigans. Oh well…
Per Mr. Johnson:
This violates District Policy – but they clearly do not care about following the rules, regulations, or policies. More Power to the Unions… To Hell with the Taxpayers and the silly rules…
As you can see board clerk/acting president Daryl Colvin chimed in noting:
Dr. Kishimoto is aware of this and will take measures to insure that GPS policy is enforced.
Uh-oh. Did El Clerkarente de Presidente just lay down the law?
It seems to be that way, as later we received a post on our Facebook page from our dear friend, Brimhall supporter but not campaign manager, Steve Barton:
Soon after that we saw several troubling posts in Social Media about Dr. Christina Kishimoto limiting the ability of school teachers and staff with regards to placing campaign signs in their cars, such as not having signs larger than an 8×11 sheet of paper.
This made us wonder, did Dr. K just succumb from the pressure coming from El Clerkarente de Presidente Colvin’s power trip? Did she forget the 1st amendment?
Yesterday, we got the answer. The following was a memo sent by Dr. K:
Superintendent: Christina M. Kishimoto, Ed.D.
GPS Governing Board President: Staci Burk
Clerk: Daryl Colvin
Members: Jill Humpherys, Lily Tram, Julie Smith
Memo to: All School District Employees
From: Dr. Christina Kishimoto
Re: Political Signage on Employees’ Personal Vehicles in School Parking Lots
Date: September 24, 2014
An issue has recently arisen regarding teachers and other staff members placing political campaign signs in and political campaign markings on their vehicles, while those vehicles are parked in the school parking lots during working hours for those staff members. The signs and markings advocate for candidates in the upcoming election. The District recognizes the First Amendment rights of its personnel and balances this against its overriding purpose of providing a non-partisan educational environment.
In Governing Board Policy GBI, the Governing Board has directed that school time of employees may not be used for political purposes and that no employee shall engage in political activities upon school property.
In Governing Board Policy KF, the Governing Board has also directed that school property shall not be used for posting political signs or other electioneering activities. The District is also required by Arizona law (A.R.S. 15-511) not to generally allow its resources, including its employees while on duty and its facilities, to be used to influence the outcome of any election.
In response to recent questions and complaints, the Administration sought to balance the competing interest by differentiating based upon the size of the signs in and markings on the staff’s private vehicles. After further consultation and consideration, the Administration has decided that passive political signage in, or political markings on, the staff’s private vehicles parked in school parking lots are allowable, so long as they do not interfere with the proper use of the parking lot.
For example, the vehicles cannot remain indefinitely in the school parking lot with such signage and markings as they might constitute an impermissible use of District resources and would violate the Board’s Policies. Employees should remove their vehicles within a reasonable time after they are no longer on duty.
I ask that school principals contact me for direction if any uncertain situations arise. This guidance is intended to support the rights of all GPS employees and it is my hope that it will be followed in a reasonable manner.
Should you have any additional questions or need further clarification, please contact Michelle Coen at 480-497-3342. 140 South Gilbert Road Gilbert, AZ 85296 Phone 480.497.3300 www.gilbertschools.net
This is yet another example of Dr. K placing common sense and the true meaning of the law above ideology. In each in every passing day, we are getting more impressed with our new superintendent and we hope that she continues to go down the pragmatic path despite the pressure from the likes of Daryl Colvin, Steve Barton and H. Steven Johnson.
Gilbert Public School Board Observer 
There is still a First Amendment conflict with the electioneering clause in the last sentence of GPS Policy KF: “Posting of political signs and other electioneering activities will not be permitted on school property at any time including Election Day at school sites used as polling places.” The Board or administration cannot prevent electioneering “at any time”, Especially on election day at polling locations which is in direct violation of ARS 16-411 section H.