Steve Gallardo calls for Senate hearings about MAS audit

by David Safier

Now this is interesting. Yesterday the Republic wrote a story about Huppenthal's MAS decision, parroting his take on the audit. The problem was, Huppenthal pulled out the criticisms from the report, which were minor compared to the very positive conclusions he conveniently forgot to mention.

A few minutes ago, the Republic atoned for its earlier piece by tearing Huppenthal apart in the opening sentences.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal's finding in a two-page document that a Tucson Unified School District ethnic studies program was illegal is contradicted by a 120-page audit that has cost the state $110,000.

Announcing his conclusion Wednesday, Huppenthal implied that the audit backed his finding.

That's how it's done. If a politician tries to play you for a sucker, make him pay.

Democratic State Senator Steve Gallardo wants to make the most of the disconnect between the audit report and Huppenthal's edict. He's calling for a Senate hearing.

After hearing Thursday that Huppenthal's conclusion was the direct opposite of the auditors', Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, and a member of a west Phoenix school board, called for Senate hearings into the audit and Huppenthal's final decision on the legality of the Mexican American Studies program.

"Huppenthal has a lot of explaining to do," said Gallardo, who has supported the ethnic studies courses. "He has jeopardized millions of dollars in funding for the Tucson Unified School District."

The article concludes with a disturbing statement from Mark Stegeman. If the sense I get from this — that he's become so bitter toward the people connected with the MAS program, he wants to see them punished — then he has lost all sense of objectivity and should take one giant step back from the whole situation. The term "recusal" comes to mind.

Listen to how Stegeman implies the audit findings should be dismissed and Huppenthal's minions should keep digging for incriminating evidence about the program.

Tucson district governing board President Mark Stegeman said the contradiction [between the audit and Huppenthal's decision] made little difference to him.

"It doesn't actually bother me that much, because the instructors in the program have been complaining about the auditor all along," Stegeman said. "It seems to me at this point that they all agree that the auditors were not very thorough. So I think it's OK in this case for him (Huppenthal) to get additional information.

"It doesn't bother me if he gets information from other sources – if the information is true."

My literary critically trained ears hear venom dripping from Stegeman's every word.