About Jeff...

Our History

Jeff has been teaching special education since 2004. It is not just a career but a calling that he still answers to this day. His teaching career started right here in Cave Creek, at Desert Willow Elementary. After 5 years, he moved over to Sonoran Trails where he taught for 3 more years. He has changed teaching positions a few times since then, but Cave Creek Unified School District has alway been home. That is why this education advocate decided to return to Cave Creek, this time as a school board member. Giving back to the community where he and his family have lived since 1999 and the district that started his teaching career, is a joy and a responsibility he takes very seriously. 

Our philosophy

Jeff has been on the Cave Creek Governing Board since January, 2021. Jeff ran in 2020 because he believes that educators need to be on school boards. That voice, from someone currently in the classroom, dealing with the challenges and triumphs teaching brings, is extremely important. This is especially true when public education in Arizona is constantly being mistrusted, threatened, belittled, abused and underfunded... especially by those that have been elected to serve the people of Arizona. Providing an excellent education from public schools, the choice of the vast majority of Arizona's family, is the most important duty of state government. Teachers need to be treated (and compensated) as the respected, highly-skilled professionals they are.  Students - every student - needs to feel safe, protected and appreciated when they step into their school. Every aspect of the whole child needs to be sufficiently addressed to best enable them to perform at a consistent high level. School personnel, at every level and at every position, needs to be appreciated for the dedication and commitment they bring to this incredible profession.  It must be - always - students first and foremost in every decision, every day. That brings great rewards to everyone - from the students to their entire community.

On The Board

Since being elected in 2020 and taking a seat on the Governing Board in January, 2021,  I have - as a Board member: 
- faced continued issues with a post-COVID world
- demanded protection of our youngest and most vulnerable students in the pre-vaccine COVID days 
- found ways to increase our educator's pay - despite inadequate funding from the legislature
- emphasized the importance of making sure ALL students are equally protected with specificity in our CCUSD policies
- tried - unsucessfully - to get a bond passed to help finance very important material needs within our district
- tried - unsuccessfully - to get an override passed to help increase the pay of our incredible teachers (currently at the bottom 15% in Arizona) and was the only board member to knock doors in support of this effort
- worked to support and reward educator loyalty through stipends for years with the district and working in hard-to-find positiions
- worked as a team to make sure we are - in every meeting /every agenda item - keeping students and teachers at the forefront of our decisions.
- worked through the sudden departure of our Superintendent and worked as a cohesive team to address this issue and hire an excellent, 20+ year CCUSD veteran as our current Superintendent . 
- worked with the Board President to address the need for social/emotional support for the students that are attending all of our schools, with particular emphasis on middle and high school students.