Public commenters urge partnership on early literacy and seek clarity on KTA art position

Two members of the public addressed the board during the March 25 call‑to‑the‑public portion.

Gabriel Campos introduced himself as a representative of the Reading Alliance, an organization that places rigorously trained young men as tutors for ages 3 through third grade. Campos said tutors are 18–26 years old, receive sustained training, and are currently embedded in several Maricopa County districts. He told the board his organization’s internal data showed a substantial improvement in literacy among students who worked with tutors from the beginning to the middle of the school year; Campos described that change as a 450% increase in literacy rate for that cohort and said the group is available to discuss partnerships.

Kendra Stenberg, who identified herself as a current Kyrene employee and the art teacher at Kyrene Traditional Academy, said she recently learned her position was open for hire. Stenberg said she is working toward full certification and has roughly 15 years of art‑education experience. She told the board that students at KTA had experienced a series of short‑term art teachers and that her students were concerned about continuity. Stenberg said she created an Artist of the Month program aligned with the district’s "Portrait of a Kyrene Kid" attributes and asked for follow‑up from district staff.

Superintendent Laura Tenas and district staff told both speakers the district would follow up. Dr. Lane and other staff members were cited as points of contact for the Reading Alliance conversation; the superintendent’s office said it would contact Stenberg about staffing and next steps.

Why it matters: The Reading Alliance pitch would, if pursued, represent an outside tutoring partnership focused on early literacy. The KTA teacher’s comment raised a personnel and continuity concern at a specific campus; district staff committed to follow up with the teacher.