New TCUSD board member wins highest number of votes
Linda Honahni re-elected to TCUSD Governing Board
TUBA CITY-It was a landslide victory for new Tuba City Unified School District (TCUSD) school board member Mary Worker, who was elected to the board in elections held two weeks ago.
Worker who is a first time board member to TCUSD received 36.97% of the overall votes cast in a four-way race. Worker garnered 1,503 votes, followed by current board member, Linda Honahni coming in second with 1,003 votes.
Former board member Priscilla Kanaswood came in with 808 votes and newcomer Marisa Greeson managed to obtain 725 votes. There were an additional 26 write-in votes.
Worker, a popular community member in Tuba City, is an active advocate for students and staff members. She can be seen at just about every TC District related event and fund-raiser.
Worker's campaign platform was based on her supportive advocacy for students and teachers in all areas of academics, sports and extra-curricular activities.
All of Worker's children have attended the TCUSD schools from kindergarten through graduation, and it was through these individual school associations that she saw how improvements could be made and how policy can be changed to expand the quality of both educational and academic choices not just for her own children, but for the children of both the Tuba City and Moencopi communities.
Worker is a member of the Navajo Nation, a native of the Coalmine area and is from the Manygoats and Todachiini clans. She currently has two students enrolled at TC District.
Her son, Rick Worker, is a senior and high-achieving cross-country runner. Her daughter, Jessica ("Jake") is a junior at TC High.
Worker explained, "My main interest is running for the TCUSD Governing Board is to assist the teachers in develop[ing] changes in current policy and guidelines that could improve their skills and help them [streamline] their teaching skills to…improve student scores and achievement."
She added, "I would like to be able to help the teachers do their jobs more effectively and have them assist in making decisions that would allow them more professional development opportunities…that would result in higher student achievement and test scores."
She also quipped, "I am 'old school' when it comes to teaching methods but I am living proof, that 'old school' still works."
Worker added that she has always been interested and involved with the community and has been able to help on a number of local community projects, including the new library at Tuba City and the little Bashas' student store at Eagle's Nest Intermediate School, as well as serving on the Navajo Nation Math and Science Technology Board.
She summed it up by stating, "My heart is and has always been with our students and teachers, I plan to support them to the best of my ability during my term of board office at TCUSD."
Linda Honahni, an enrolled member of the Sioux Tribe, is a longtime resident of the Upper Moencopi Village. She is married to a Hopi tribal member. She came in second in this year's board race, besting both Kanaswood and Greeson for the secondary vacant governing board slot.
Honahni also has children who have gone through the TCUSD system. She currently serves as the Clerk of the TCUSD Governing Board, and in her daytime capacity, she is the current Director of the Upper Village of Moencopi's Elderly Center. Honahni is a college graduate, bringing much experience and patient nurturing in her policy development duties.
Worker and Honahni will serve until 2008, when their positions and the other three current board positions are up for re-election.
SUBMIT FEEDBACK
Click Below to: