Arizona Has More than 1.1 million K-12 Students

It’s Time to Put them First

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Equal Access

Every day A Child Doesn’t Have Access to A better Learning Environment, is a Day We are failing.

Modify the existing open enrollment system so Arizona families can easily apply to attend the school of their choice, regardless of attendance boundaries, with transparent, simple enrollment processes.

Expand transportation options for students to access more school and learning options by incentivizing district and charter schools to explore transportation innovations and efficiencies, such as parent flat-rate programs, rideshares, and transportation resource sharing.

Student Funding

Flexibility

Students achieve when their school has flexibility and room to respond to the unique needs and circumstances of the students they serve.

Autonomy

School leaders need more autonomy over budgets and freedom to lead from schedules and salaries to hiring and firing.

Modernize

Time to update our outdated funding system with one that reduces per-student inequities for all school models and fosters innovation to ensure that students’ needs are truly met.

Innovation is no Longer Optional

  • Remove the red tape preventing innovation from taking root.
  • Give school leaders the autonomy needed to create unique, effective learning environments.
  • No one model or system of schooling can have a monopoly over opportunity.

Transparent Results

Public Data is Essential, Not a Nice-To-Have

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents deserve clear information now more than ever about their child’s progress and school’s performance – both academically and where dollars were spent.

This is the time to challenge the status quo. We can no longer sit idly by while students languish in a school where they will not thrive.

-Emily Anne Gullickson, Founder
Great Leaders Strong Schools

Leadership

Bipartisan advocates for community-driven K-12 education policies where students are the top priority. 

Governing Board Members

Ariel Johnson

Executive Director DC Charter School Action

Armando Ruiz

CEO Servant Leader
Espiritu Schools

Luke Ragland

Senior Vice President
The Daniels Fund

Learn More

Staff

President
Kevin Youngblood
@AZGreatLeaders

Kevin Youngblood is the President of Great Leaders Strong Schools and CEO of its sister organization CEO of A for Arizona.

Youngblood is a driver of new school innovation, recently leading development within the Arizona microschool movement and founding Calvary Christian School in Carl, Georgia in the 1980s before education options were widespread. He co-launched the Grand Canyon University Canyon Ventures Program, which assists start-up founders from ideation stage to one million in revenue in the shortest period possible and led as the Entrepreneur in Residence from 2019 – 2022.

Youngblood also has an extensive executive and innovator background as founder of Odysseyware, Inc., educational software which was created to diagnose and prescribe learning challenges for at-risk youth in public district and charter schools.

Youngblood’s community engagement includes serving most recently as Chairman of the Local First Arizona Foundation and as a governing board member for ASU Center for Entrepreneurship and Chairman of Pinnacle Forum – Arizona Chapter. Earlier, he served in United States Marine Corps Reserves in Operation Desert Storm earning 8 medals and commendations. Youngblood was also a city councilman and mayor of Carl, Georgia. He and his wife of 37 years live in Ahwatukee. They have three adult children and one grandchild.

Executive Vice President
Katie Dauphinais
@AZGreatLeaders

Katie Dauphinais serves as the Executive Vice President for Great Leaders Strong Schools and sister organization A for Arizona.  
 
Katie has over a decade of experience in public policy, advocacy, and political operations. Prior to joining the team, Katie served as the Western Regional Legislative Director for ExcelinEd, where she led advocacy efforts on behalf of the organization in eight states in the Mountain West and served as a key partner to GLSS. During her tenure, she passed over two dozen bills that resulted in new options and millions of dollars serving over 1.2 million students across the region. 
 
Her professional experience includes senior staff roles on campaigns such as John McCain’s re-election in 2016, federal constituent work for Senator Kyl and Senator Flake, government affairs roles at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry and University of Arizona where she worked on issues such as higher education, immigration, transportation and infrastructure, trade, science and space technology.  Additionally, as Federal Affairs Director for the Arizona Chamber, she acted as a liaison for the White House on behalf of the Chamber in a successful coalition effort to pass the United States, Canada and Mexico Agreement (USMCA) and Drought Contingency Plan in 2020.   
 
Katie graduated from Arizona State University and is a member of the Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service organization, AEI’s Millennial Cohort as well as a graduate of the Oklahoma Leadership Exchange Academy. She is a member of the current Policy Innovators in Education (PIE) Network’s Leadership Institute cohort.

Director Of Strategic Initiatives
Tuesday Elias
@AZGreatLeaders


Tuesday is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Great Leaders Strong Schools and its sister organization A for Arizona. Bringing unique expertise in state and local government and multi-organizational project management, she embodies an enthusiastic and results-oriented mindset.

Prior to joining Great Leaders Strong Schools, Tuesday spent three years in the Office of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. She began her profession on the Governor’s Legislative team, quickly moving to the Policy team and capping her tenure off on the Operations team. Tuesday quickly learned Arizona’s legislative landscape and what it takes to move landmark policy from start to finish. She led or assisted with multi-agency and Executive initiatives, including annual Strategic Planning and Budgeting, Arizona Capitol Copper Dome Restoration Project, AZHiresVets!, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, State of Arizona Leaders Connect Program, and the 2023 Gubernatorial Transition Process.

Most notably, Tuesday managed and led Governor Ducey’s AZ OnTrack Summer Camp, chaired by Lisa Graham Keegan. As a direct result of statewide collaboration and first-in-the-nation approaches, thousands of Arizona students and families in all 15 counties received an academic and adventurous summer camp experience at no cost.

As a fourth-generation Arizonan, Lumberjack alumna, and former student who benefited from the state’s robust school choice options, Tuesday remains devoted to continuing the Arizona tradition of leading the nation on school choice and bringing high-quality educational freedom to students in the State of Arizona and across the country.

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