As a Paradise Valley resident for 25 years and a former teacher, I care deeply about the tone of our community conversations. What happens at our school board meetings and in our local public square reflects not only how we address challenges, but also who we are as neighbors.
I do not fault Senator Carine Werner for not attending the last Scottsdale School Board meeting in person. I have personally witnessed the constant vitriol and vile attacks directed at her and fellow board member Amy Carney. This dangerous rhetoric in our community must stop.
The recent meeting was not about seeking solutions or fostering understanding; it was about public shaming and political theater. Werner’s absence was not avoidance of accountability but rather a refusal to legitimize a hostile environment that does nothing to move our district — or our community — forward. For that, she has my support…