Rohrs, Kurt

Meet the Candidate

Running For:
School Board
District:
Chandler Unified School District
Phone:
(480) 688-5317
Age:
64
Occupation:
Financial Advisor
Education:
MS Chemistry, MBA Finance
Biographical Info:

Kurt Rohrs has been a Chandler resident since 1995. He is a dedicated parent to his three children who have all been educated in the Chandler School District.

Kurt has a passion for quality education and is a regular speaker at Chandler Unified School District Board meetings. He has worked with the District on their Citizen’s Budget Committee for fifteen years serving as Chairperson on two occasions. He also has worked extensively with kids as a coach for Soccer, Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Golf as he raised his own children. Kurt volunteers with ICAN to help kids with their homework after school and is a certified Substitute Teacher working regularly in CUSD schools.

Kurt is also active on the Public Policy Committee of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and interacts regularly with civic leaders in the City of Chandler, Maricopa County, and throughout the state of Arizona. He is also a member of the Sun Lakes Rotary Club and works on the Club’s effort to help distribute dictionaries to every third-grader in the District.

Kurt attained a graduate degree in Chemistry and an MBA in Finance. He spent eighteen years as a Corporate Executive in the High Tech industry and travelled extensively around the world working closely with people of many cultures. He currently runs his own small business in Chandler as a Financial Advisor.

Statement:

KEY ISSUES:

1. Political and Social Activism has no place in our schools. Teachers, given their unique position of authority, have no right to impose their personal views on our children.

2. Let Teachers Teach. The District must provide a safe and supportive environment for Teachers to practice their craft free from coercion from special interest groups.

3. Involve Parents. Schools are an important part of the Community. Parents should be welcomed in classrooms to assist Teachers with the Education of their children.

4. Educational Fundamentals should be the primary focus of curriculum. Reading and Math achievement must improve for all Students.

5. Eliminate Child Sexualization Education (CSE) in our schools. Sexually explicit material should not be presented in classrooms. Children should not be encouraged to engage in sexual activity.

6. Sound Financial Budgets. Don’t waste taxpayer money.

Survey

Response Legend

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

Question Response Comments/Notes
1. Requiring school officials, including teachers, to inform parents about their child’s social, mental, emotional, or physical health S* Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children. They must be fully informed on all aspects of their child's development.
2. Allowing parents to opt their children out of activities or lessons they find offensive to their personal, moral, or religious beliefs S* This is a fundamental right guaranteed by several of our Constitution's Bill of Rights amendments.
3. Increasing state and local taxes to provide more funding for schools and school facility projects O* Concentration should be on School Finance Reform to funds are spent more effectively.
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs. S* Parents have the ultimate say in what their children are exposed to in school.
5. Allowing all parents to use tax credits, vouchers, or education savings accounts to enable children to attend any public, charter, private, homeschool, or online academy S* As a District elected official, we should welcome the competition, it should drive us to better. We should concentrate on making CUSD the District of choice for most families.
6. Requiring full-day kindergarten for all students S* The earlier that we can get our little ones to practice reading and other skills, the better they should be prepared for their future education.
7. Mandating sex education classes for 5th-12th grade students O* This has been expanded to become a massive effort on the sexualization of children. It needs to be reformed before being mandated..
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. masters degrees) S* We need dual track career paths in Education. We shouldn't lose experienced Techers from the classroom just because the are attracted by higher pay if they become Administrators.
9. Implementing policies to allow students and faculty to use the restroom, locker room, and shower room that aligns with their gender identity O* This creates so many privacy concerns that it is not worth pursuing.
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools. O* These seemingly innocuous programs have been hijacked to drive specific political and social agendas to vulnerable children. This is not the role of Public Education.
11. Increasing academic (curriculum) transparency by requiring each public school to post online for parents and the public a list of all instructional materials being used in the classroom. S* If you don't want to disclose it, you probably shouldn't be teaching it.