Ms. DeKing is a highly qualified candidate for the CUSD Governing Board. She holds a BA in Government/Public Law from Claremont McKenna College, and she has strong education credentials: former CUSD autism classroom teacher, Director of Special Education for a large charter network, Arizona Department of Education IDEA investigator, and policy administrator at the Department of Economic Security. Her executive experience covers finance, budgeting, contracts, and planning. 

DeKing excels in special education and operations. Her classroom teaching, state-level oversight, and executive skills equip her to strengthen support for students with disabilities, improve teacher retention, address declining enrollment, and promote academic rigor, critical thinking, and career readiness. She supports school safety measures like retaining resource officers and updating cell phone policies to reduce distractions and bullying. Fiscally, she questions oversized budget requests amid enrollment drops.

Critics argue her parental rights focus and library stance could be polarizing or limit certain perspectives. However, most Chandler families appreciate her clear stance on school libraries: explicit sexual content does not belong in K-12 settings. Removing inappropriate books protects younger students while keeping quality, age-appropriate literature — a responsible position valued by conservative and moderate parents. Her depth of experience allows her to challenge the education establishment constructively and prioritize parental voice, academics, and common-sense policies.

Overall, DeKing’s rare combination of teaching, special education leadership, policy expertise, and executive experience makes her exceptionally well-prepared. Despite the 2024 health setback that halted her campaigning, her focus on academics, safety, fiscal prudence, and shielding students from explicit materials offers strong value for families seeking practical, effective school board governance. She deserves strong consideration and;

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We Do Recommend this candidate.