Smithson, Jason

Meet the Candidate

Running For:

School Board

District:

Mesa Unified School District

Age:

Occupation:

Small Business Owner

Family:

1 child

Biographical Info:

I am a small business owner, public education advocate, and candidate for the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board. As the father of a child with autism attending Mesa Public Schools, I have spent years advocating for students, families, and educators, with a particular focus on special education, transparency, fiscal responsibility, school safety, and academic achievement. I am actively involved in the education community through parent and state-level advisory roles and believe strong public schools require accountability, open communication, and genuine partnership with families.

Statement:

I am running for the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board because I believe our students, educators, and families deserve leadership that listens, asks tough questions, and is willing to challenge the status quo when something is not working. As a parent of a child with autism in Mesa Public Schools, I have seen both the incredible things happening in our classrooms and the areas where we must do better. I want to help rebuild trust through transparency, strengthen academic outcomes, protect taxpayer dollars through responsible spending, support and retain great educators, and make sure parents have a meaningful voice in their children’s education. I am not running because I believe Mesa Public Schools is failing; I am running because I believe in its potential and know that accepting “good enough” will never get us where our students deserve to be.

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*	I support this because parents deserve to be informed about their child’s well being and empowered to make decisions in their child’s best interest.
2. Allowing parents to opt their children out of activities or lessons that offend their personal, moral, or religious beliefs.	S*	Parents should have the right to guide their child’s education when lessons or activities conflict with their family’s deeply held values or beliefs.
3. Increasing state and local taxes to provide more funding for schools and school facility projects.	O*	I oppose raising taxes without accountability, but would support targeted funding when a clear need exists, spending is transparent, and taxpayers see measurable results.
4. Requiring signed permission from a parent before a student may participate in any sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs.	S*	Parents should be fully informed and provide consent before their child participates in sexuality related instruction, activities, or clubs at school.
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.	S*	I support empowering parents to choose the educational environment that best meets their child’s individual needs, while ensuring accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars.
6. Making available books and instructional materials that include sexually explicit images and themes in school classrooms and libraries.	O*	I oppose exposing students to age inappropriate sexually explicit content while supporting access to educational materials that are age appropriate and serve a legitimate academic purpose.
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.	S*	I support this because parents should be informed and involved in significant decisions involving their child’s identity and how schools address them.
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).	S*	I support rewarding effective educators for measurable impact and excellence. Merit based raises recognize performance, encourage innovation, and prioritize results that benefit students.
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*	I’m concerned about student privacy, safety, and maintaining sex-separated spaces, particularly in locker rooms and showers.
10. Teaching what is known as diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI); social, emotional learning (SEL); or critical race theory (CRT) in public schools.	O*	I oppose programs that prioritize ideology over academics. Schools should focus on core skills, critical thinking, character, and treating every student fairly as an individual.
11. Requiring each district and charter school to post online a list of all curriculum and instructional materials being used in the classroom.	S*	I support curriculum transparency because parents deserve to know what their children are being taught and have easy access to instructional materials.