Christopher King

Christopher King served in the U.S. Air Force from 1992 to 2012. He earned an associate degree from Cochise College in 2016, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in 2017, and a graduate degree from the University of Arizona in 2019. His career experience includes working as a U.S. Army Master Instructor.[1]

King has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]

Veterans of Foreign Wars

American Legion

International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators

Air Force Sergeants Association,

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 20 plus year veteran of the U.S. Air Force who served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. I have served as a governing board member of the Vail Unified School District since Jan 2021. My wife and I are 20 year Vail School District residents whose children graduated from Vail schools. I am a proponent of lifelong learning and do my best to model that for my children, grandchildren, students, and coworkers. I am a two-time graduate of the Community College of the Air Force, three-time graduate of Cochise College, two-time graduate of University of Arizona (Bachelors and Masters degrees), and am pursuing a second Masters degree in Education from Liberty University. I was raised in a military household and got to travel the world before settling down in Arizona in 2001. My wife and I have attended the same church for the last 17 years where we both serve in different capacities and my son-in-law was recently ordained as a minister. Additionally, I serve as an in-house substitute teacher for a local middle and high school. I also currently serve as the Pima County Co-Director for the Arizona School Boards Association representing the 17 public school districts at the state level.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Safety - As a retired bomb technician, I know that safety is a basic for everyone. Parents want to know their children are safe when they go to school. Students want to feel safe while they are at school and staff want a safe working environment. It is incumbent upon board members to leverage all of their resources to ensure safety is provided to all of the people we are responsible for and to.Community - School board members are part of the community in which they serve. We are your neighbors and are the most accessible elected/appointed officials to the community. We will see you at the grocery store, ice cream shop, or church. (specific names left out) As elected/appointed officials, we represent all members of the community on the school board.Respect - As elected/appointed officials, we represent all members of the community from parents, students, staff, and the general population. We must listen to all members of the community and respect their positions. This does not mean we flip flop our personal values. I model this by providing my contact information to parents, teachers, staff, and community members so they can have methods of direct contact to discuss issues important to them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Safety of students, teachers, and staff - As discussed above, safety is a basic need for everyone. This includes the ability to reach out for help when it is needed.

Literacy - Students need to be able to read to be successful. They need to be provided the tools and techniques to achieve their goals.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Benjamin Franklin. He was one of the founding fathers, a creative genius, and world traveler.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

There are several books to help understand my philosophies.

Never Eat Alone - Keith Ferrazzi - This book discusses the power of networking. As school board members, we understand the need for a good large network which helps us to collaborate and develop new ideas.

Good to Great - Jim Collins - This book on leadership helps us understand that people may or may not be the right fit for a given position and they may need to be reassigned within an organization or they may need to be helped to another profession if they are not a positive contributing member of the organization. Additionally, this books addresses how to establish positive, long lasting culture within an organization.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity needs to be the primary characteristic. That means doing the right thing regardless of the personal cost. Additionally, it means owning your mistakes and we all make them so don't be afraid to apologize.

Service is another characteristic elected officials need to have and model consistently. As an elected official, we cannot forget who we work for.

Self-improvement is very important for elected officials. As elected officials, we don't know everything and we cannot be afraid to say so nor can we be afraid or unwilling to learn. This helps officials make better decisions.

Neutrality is another characteristic officials should be able to carry with them into the board room. While this allows board members to have their own opinions and values, it also permits them to be able to hear evidence and information they may not have previously been privy to.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Intellect, tenacity, integrity, humility, compassion, lifelong learner, servant leader, present,

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

As a school board member, there are three statutory core responsibilities which consist of approving a budget, approving curriculum, and supervision of the superintendent.

As school board members, you're also part of the community and need to be seen as such.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want God, my wife, children, and grandchildren to be proud of me.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Elvis Presley's death. I was 5

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Yard work in the neighborhood. I had it every summer, fall, and winter starting at the age of 7 til I was 15 and we moved.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Webster's Dictionary - It holds the secret to every book printed. If you read the introductory pages or instruction manual to the dictionary, it unlocks the secrets contained within.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Buggs Bunny

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Stubbornness - There are times where I cannot get out of my own way to see the right answer.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The primary job of a school board member is as a member of collaborative board to provide strategic direction and guidance to the superintendent without micromanaging the daily operations of the district. This means ensuring the most efficient and effective use of taxpayer funds. Approval of curriculum is another primary responsibility of a school board member. I model this by reading all books which come of our district literary review committee.

Who are your constituents?

Our constituents are the parents, teachers, employees taxpayers, and students of the Vail School District.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

This is accomplished by providing the environment where everyone is afforded an equal opportunity to thrive. This can be done by ensuring the necessary resources are provided at all levels..

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

As a school board member, we are involved with various groups and stakeholders in the surrounding community. We engage with parents, taxpayers, companies, and organizations including higher education providers, faith based groups, community services, charities, etc. Any organization or entity which provides parent approved services will be welcome. One area where many of these entities congregate is the chamber of commerce.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Good teaching is the instruction which provides all students the opportunity to take away the most information in a way that is meaningful to them. This type of teaching is typically presented in the three standard learning styles, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. When this type of teaching is presented, students will be exposed to the learning style which is their strongest in addition to the others to promote growth in those areas. This type of teaching can be measured by both formal and informal observations. This will be supported through professional development of the teachers and their colleagues

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

I would like to expand curriculum in the areas of American History/civics and career technical education. As informed and responsible citizens, we need to ensure students have the best education possible in the area of civics. This starts with a thorough and unbiased education in American History/civics.

Additionally, there are several trades which technical education could start in middle and high school. These are currently careers where students can be gainfully employed upon graduation of high school.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

The primary strategy to ensure schools are properly funded is through building relationships with the key stakeholders responsible for funding which consist of our state legislators. By being an active school board member with our legislators, we can work collaboratively to reduce or remove any and all unfunded mandates which are applied to school districts. Additionally, through personal professional development keeping a keen eye aware for grants and scholarships which may be available for schools and students.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

As a combat veteran, I have witnessed the worst humans can do to one another and those experiences are what drive me to ensure students have a safe place to attend school. Additionally, we need to ensure our staff have the best training available to provide safe environments for themselves and students.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Since the invention of the front facing camera on cell phones there has been an epidemic increase in the diagnosis of mental health issues. Ensuring faculty and staff have access to appropriate health insurance which includes mental health support is paramount. The district has several agreements with providers who can provide services for students only with parental consent.

Additionally, provide training for staff and parents on the potentially detrimental effects social media and technology play in today's society.

Tell us your favorite joke.

My favorite joke is:

Q: Why did the soldier flush the toilet?

A: It was his doody!

I told this joke one day when I was substitute teaching in high school and it changed the life of one of my students. I wrote about it and more in my book, "Never Underestimate the Power of a DadJoke"

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

One policy I am proud to have worked on with the district mental health coordinators is the post traumatic event policy which delineates what steps to be taken in the event of a traumatic event i.e. severe injury or illness, death of student/staff/family member, or suicide. As a political subdivision, I would like to see the number of policies reduced or streamlined to make them easier to read and understand.

A policy I would like to work on would be to conduct annual training on the dangers of mental health issues related to social media and technology.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

An ideal learning environment is the one which works best for the students and this can take infinite approaches. The most important aspect of the environment is the teacher who models professionalism and respect which is returned by the student(s).

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

I was elected after the pandemic started. Knowing what we know now, I believe the district would have made different decisions regarding school closures and personal protective equipment. Ensuring the physical and mental health of the students was and continues to be a priority for me.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

I currently volunteer as a reading coach in our schools. I also regularly attend joint site council meetings and various other community events to engage with parents.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

One strategy I have used is similar to the TV show Undercover Boss. Our district hosts new teacher induction every year before school starts. I have attended the full course twice and have sat in on opening day several times. This allows me to successfully and intelligently discuss what our district offers in terms of professional development and benefits. Furthermore, attendance at important events for faculty, staff, and administration is crucial to modeling support of those who are the daily decision makers.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

All transactions should be readily available and reviewable. Political subdivisions i.e. school districts are accountable to various echelons of government from the city to the federal levels.

Christopher King did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.