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Arizona Elections 2018: David Schapira - Superintendent Of Public Instruction

David Schapira
Jackie Hai/KJZZ
David Schapira.

As we head toward Arizona’s August primary elections, KJZZ's The Show is inviting the candidates in contested races to talk about why they’re running and some of the key issues in their contests.

Former state legislator and educator David Schapira has served on the Tempe City Council for the last four years. He did not seek reelection for that position — and now — he’s running for superintendent of public instruction.

In the Democratic primary, he’s facing off against Kathy Hoffman, a speech therapist in the Peoria Unified School District and, he says, he’s in the race to make sure his daughters’ generation has the same opportunities in Arizona’s schools as his grandparents’ did.

The third-generation Arizonan has taught at his alma mater, North Canyon High School in Phoenix, as well as at Arizona State University. He’s also worked as a high-school administrator at the East Valley Institute of Technology and served in both the state House and Senate.

Now, in this race, he says he’s the candidate with the experience necessary to do the job.

Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ's The Show, is an award-winning journalist whose work has impacted communities large and small, exposing injustices and giving a voice to the voiceless and marginalized.