Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

TUCSON - Less than two months into his new job and John Pedicone is already moving at a rapid pace.

Pedicone says TUSD has fallen into the habit of encouraging people to think about their individual jobs and not the entire system.

Too many people are working in a culture of fear of losing their jobs.

He tells News 4 this is no time to make slow incremental changes.

John Pedicone says it's time to recreate TUSD, becoming a team dedicated to the students.

TUSD will get Federal and State funding for using the turnaround method to try to improve Rincon and Palo Verde High Schools. But Pedicone says that wasn't a big factor in the decision.

"It was less about the money than what we thought was the right application and intervention was and then with that comes some resources to try to do it," Pedicone said.

Dan Erickson is a Principal at Steele Elementary School, he's worried about the upcoming budget.

"Budgets are tight everywhere but you got to remember we're 51st out of 50 states in funding below dc and every other state so we've been cut the most and we've got the hardest challenge ahead of us."

"I won't argue whether 49th or 50th, it doesn't make any difference to me we're at the bottom and so we have to deal with that," said Erickson.

An accurate accounting won't be available until law makers pass an official budget.

Another priority for Pedicone is saving the Ethnic Studies Program.