Beasley, Jeanne

Meet the Candidate

Running For:

School Board

District:

Scottsdale Unified School District

Age:

Occupation:

Litigation Paralegal

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies

Family:

Married to my husband, Jim, for 20 years. Together, we have a blended family of five children. All of my three children were educated in SUSD schools.

Religion:

Catholic

Biographical Info:

Jeanne Beasley is a wife, mother, longtime Scottsdale resident, and committed community advocate. For nearly 30 years, she has called Scottsdale home and has dedicated her time and experience to serving her community. Her involvement in education, the legal community, and local government reflects her belief in giving back, making a difference, and helping ensure Scottsdale remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Jeanne spent many hours volunteering in the classroom while her three children attended Scottsdale Unified School District. Later, she became a member of the District’s Audit Committee, where she works with other committee members and district staff to review audits covering areas such as human resources, transportation, and insurance, among others. Jeanne collaborates with committee members and district staff to ensure that audit findings are addressed and that tax dollars are used as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Jeanne has worked as a litigation paralegal at the same law firm for more than 20 years. Drawing on her extensive legal experience, she also serves on the City of Scottsdale’s Judicial Appointments Advisory Board. Along with other Board members, Jeanne helps ensure that the Scottsdale City Court maintains a highly qualified and experienced panel of judges to serve the community.

Recently, Jeanne obtained her substitute teaching certificate, along with the required coaching certifications, to pursue her lifelong passion of working with students and making a positive impact on their lives. She looks forward to being in the classroom and on the playing fields, where she can mentor, encourage, and support students as they learn and grow.

Statement:

As a longtime Scottsdale resident with a deep interest in the education of children, I began attending Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board meetings five years ago. What began as a desire to better understand how taxpayer dollars are spent on education evolved into a strong commitment to serve my community and ultimately led me to run for a seat on the Governing Board.

My priorities are ensuring academic achievement, responsible fiscal decision-making, and strong thriving neighborhood schools. I am committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and effectively to support students, teachers, and staff.

Scottsdale Unified must be prepared to compete with the growing number of educational options available to families. I want to work collaboratively with district staff, educators, parents, and other education providers to identify innovative solutions that strengthen the district and ensure its long-term sustainability.

Survey

Response Legend

SSupports
OOpposes
*Comment
−Declined to respond
†Declined to respond, Position based on citation

Question	Response	Comments/Notes
1. Requiring district and charter school officials, including teachers, to inform parents about their child’s social, mental, emotional, or physical health.	S
2. Allowing parents to opt their children out of activities or lessons that offend their personal, moral, or religious beliefs.	S
3. Increasing state and local taxes to provide more funding for schools and school facility projects.	−*	I would carefully evaluate any tax increase based on demonstrated need, taxpayer impact, and whether funds directly benefit students and the district.
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs.	S
5. Allowing all parents to use tax credits and publicly funded empowerment scholarship accounts to enable their children to attend any private, homeschool, or online academy of their choice.	−*	While respecting families’ educational choices, my priority is ensuring our public schools provide an excellent education and remain a strong, trusted choice for families.
6. Making available books and instructional materials that include sexually explicit images and themes in school classrooms and libraries.	O
7. Acquiring parental consent for school faculty and staff to refer to students by pronouns that do not align with the student’s birth sex.	O
8. Allocating teacher pay raises based upon merit rather than providing uniform salary schedule increases based upon years of teaching or additional credentialing (e.g. master’s degrees).	−*	Teacher compensation should reward excellence, experience, and performance through a fair, transparent system with clear, measurable criteria and fiscally responsible implementation.
9. Implementing policies to allow students and faculty to use the restroom, locker room, and shower room based on self-identification rather than biological sex.	O
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools.	O
11. Requiring each district and charter school to post online a list of all curriculum and instructional materials being used in the classroom.	S