U.S. Representative Martha McSally has agreed to participate in a publicity event today at Catalina High School. The event, according to TUSD sources, is part of Superintendent H.T. Sanchez’s continued campaign against Republican Governor Doug Ducey and State legislators.
According to District’s media notification about the visit: “She will be there to learn more about the programs, which will be in jeopardy when the state budget takes effect for the 2016-2017 school year.”
According to sources, McSally did not reach out to the elected members of the school board regarding the event. Officials first learned of the event late Sunday night when one of the many members of TUSD public relations team, Michelle Valenzuela, apologized “for the late notice on this,” explaining that her “email didn’t get out last week.”
Sanchez has been masterful in crafting public relations events. Last week, when the school board adopted May 6 as School Nurses Day, he had nurses dressed in lab coats and stethoscopes reminiscent of President Obama’s health care roll out from the Rose Garden. He scrambled from the dias and instructed the PR team’s photographer to capture the bizarre scene. The photo was immediately tweeted by another member of the crack staff.
McSally, who only arrived in Tucson shortly before running for office and has little familiarity with the school districts in her Congressional District, is already in campaign mode. She will likely face Democrat State Rep. Bruce Wheeler in 2016. Wheeler is best know for his email to one TUSD school board member in which he asked the board member to refrain from airing the districts dirty laundry because it made increasing funding for the district a more difficult task.
Photo of Supt Sanchez w #TUSD School RN’s after district adopts May 6 as School Nurses Day. @schoolnurses #tusdgvbrd pic.twitter.com/ZDZmwwDlQa
— Tucson Unified (@tucsonunified) May 6, 2015