CHINO VALLEY, ARIZONA — Tonight, educators and community members in the Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) rallied in support of Carrie Zambrano, a CVUSD Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year who was placed on administrative leave earlier this fall after becoming the target of an orchestrated online harassment campaign.
Public speakers at this evening’s CVUSD board meeting (livestreamed here) spoke unanimously in support of Ms. Zambrano.
“I’ve lived in Chino Valley for 32 years and served this community in many ways — as a teacher of history, government, and economics, a basketball coach, and an administrator. Let me be clear: Carrie Zambrano did nothing to warrant termination. Firing her over private Facebook posts made on her own time is a clear violation of her First Amendment rights. Ms. Zambrano is the target of a modern-day witch hunt — driven by mistruths, fear, and unreliable social media,” said Mike Fogel, a retired Chino Valley teacher and former member of the CVUSD Governing Board.
“Chino Valley is more than a school district — it is a family that comes together to build a brighter tomorrow for every child who walks through our doors. Over my nineteen years in CVUSD, I’ve been proud that every lesson plan and each late night grading papers has fueled the dreams of my students and the entire Chino Valley community. Educators give our all to this community — and now, one of our own needs the community to have her back. Carrie Zambrano is a beloved teacher who has been unfairly targeted by bullies who want to intimidate teachers and suppress our freedom of speech. CVUSD’s decision about her future will send a powerful message about how our district values educators,” said Robin Bond, President of the Chino Valley Education Association.
“Political activists should not be making hiring and firing decisions for Arizona school districts,” said Marisol Garcia, President of the Arizona Education Association. “Great teachers — who are already overworked and underpaid — should not risk their livelihoods for expressing personal views in private settings. CVUSD needs to follow due process and make sure that Carrie Zambrano is treated fairly under board policy and state law.”