Living in Arizona since his family moved to Tempe from New York in 1982, David Gordon has three degrees from Arizona State University and the University of Phoenix in History, Political Science, and Secondary School Administration. A highly qualified Social Studies instructor and Certified School Principal, Mr. Gordon owned his own charter school, Grand Canyon College Preparatory Academy from 1997-2016. The school served students in grades 6-12 in the East Valley of Maricopa County. Many of the graduates of GCP earned college credit for free while still attending high school, some completing the first year of college before graduating. Among the speakers at the school's graduations were noted figures in Arizona Politics like Harry Mitchell, David Schweikert, Juan Mendes, Andrew Sherwood, and John Huppenthal. Mr. Gordon also participated in the revisions of the Arizona History and Social Studies standards. In January 2017, Mr. Gordon started the political blog Twenty-First Century Progressive Bull Moose. It has a global following and routinely comments on the political events of the day. Mr. Gordon also helps administer the Facebook page Living Blue in Arizona. He is also a science fiction writer and has just completed two series. The first one, Jigsaw: Beginnings, Warheads, and Full Circle. All are available on Amazon. The second Jigsaw Series: History's Forgotten: Parts One, Two, and Three are also out on Amazon. The seventh book, Jigsaw: Powder Keg should be released in November 2023. Mr. Gordon is very happy to be asked to join the Blog for Arizona team and hopes to spread the progressive word to make Arizona a better place for everyone.
Kathy Hoffman is an advocate for special needs children, mainstreaming ELL students, and protecting students in the LGBTQ community.
Over drinks of iced tea and ice water, Democratic candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman passionately conveyed why she would be the best choice to lead our public schools starting in January 2019.
She is a native of Oregon who moved to Arizona and has taught special needs, and elementary age children in Tucson and the Valley. Ms. Hoffman said she was propelled to run by the Women’s Movement following the electoral college victory of Donald Trump and the ascension of Betsy DeVos, an opponent of public schools, to Secretary of Education.
She is competing with David Schapira in the Democratic primary.
An advocate for special needs children, mainstreaming ELL students in order to achieve immersion, and protecting the safety and rights of students in the LGBTQ community, Ms. Hoffman would pursue the following policies and positions if elected this November.
There were already hundreds of people at the State Capital in Phoenix a little more than an hour before the start of the March for Lives rally on March 24. Some 15,000 gathered when the rally started at 10:00 a.m.
Simultaneously, 8,000 marched in Tucson as one of 13 marches across Arizona Saturday, joining hundreds of concurrent marches across the U.S. protesting gun violence in schools and calling for gun-control laws.
The setting at the Capital was a farmers market of progressive political activity with activists, young and old, holding signs promoting life, gun control, and an end to the influence of the National Rifles Association.
There were also vendors representing Democratic and Progressive candidates and causes as well as a rigorous voter registration drive by the Maricopa Democratic Party and Next Gen. The Republican Party committed political malpractice by not even having one table for vendors to visit. It is not like this was a Trump rally where they had to fear for their lives.
Amid chants such as “Vote Them Out,” “We are change,” and “Must be banned,” the speakers, led by students like Jordan Harp offered a passionate appeal to the assembled crowd, calling for everyone to “March today and March Tomorrow” and to register to vote and participate in the process calling for sensible gun control reform.
Speaking with vendors and people in the crowd, all were unanimous in applauding the initiative of these high school students across the country. One person I spoke with, likened it to the rally’s protesting the Vietnam War when she was a child.
If the enthusiasm of rallies like these is an indicator, Democrats and Progressives should do well as long as they hold true to what they promote and sustain the momentum among their supporters.
David Gordon
David Gordon has three degrees from Arizona State University and the University of Phoenix in History, Political Science, and Secondary School Administration. Living in Arizona since his family moved to Tempe from New York in 1982, he is a highly qualified Social Studies instructor and Certified School Principal.
Mr. Gordon owned his own charter school, Grand Canyon College Preparatory Academy from 1997-2016. The school served students in grades 6-12 in the East Valley of Maricopa County. Many of the graduates of GCP earned college credit for free while still attending high school, some completing the first year of college before graduating.
Gordon also participated in the revisions of the Arizona History and Social Studies standards. In January 2017, Mr. Gordon started the political blog Twenty-First Century Progressive Bull Moose. It has a global following and routinely comments on the political events of the day. Mr. Gordon also helps administer the Facebook page Living Blue in Arizona.
