Janelle Wood
AZ
Janelle Wood is a longtime Roosevelt-area resident who runs micro schools and has advocated for Valley students for more than 10 years. She says she would bring new ways to engage students, keep them safe, and stop bullying.
Where Janelle Wood stands, based on their records
Supports
Government Efficiency (2 records), Public Safety and Crime Control (2 records), Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (5 records),
Opposes
Government Spending Reduction (8 records)
Track record
Track record — Government Efficiency
Government Efficiency · 2 support
Presented the education savings account parent-handbook committee's work to Arizona's Board of Education. She backed faster reimbursements below $2,000 and risk-based audits, rather than hard purchase caps.
March 24, 2025Supports Government Efficiency
Source: abc15.com
Voted to approve the Charter Board's fiscal 2023 request for added state funding for modernizing technology, two lawyers, contract auditors and fully funding its 24 staff positions.
August 9, 2021Supports Government Efficiency
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Track record — Government Spending Reduction
Government Spending Reduction · 8 oppose
Coauthored a Common Sense Institute report defending open enrollment, charter schools and Arizona's state-funded education savings accounts.
March 13, 2025Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: commonsenseinstituteus.org
Led Black Mothers Forum when it received a state grant to develop an app for parent carpools serving microschool students.
January 18, 2024Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: files.eric.ed.gov
Testified for Texas House Bill 1's state-funded education savings accounts, higher public-school funding and teacher pay. She represented Black Mothers Forum.
November 9, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: hro.house.texas.gov
Organized an Arizona Capitol rally defending state-funded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts against ending the voucher program. It paid families' private-education expenses.
March 1, 2023Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: cronkitenews.azpbs.org
Led Black Mothers Forum when Arizona awarded $3.5 million to develop up to 50 microschools for children from minority communities.
August 17, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: thetombstonenews.com
Voted to approve the Charter Board's fiscal 2023 request for added state funding for modernizing technology, two lawyers, contract auditors and fully funding its 24 staff positions.
August 9, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Testified in support of creating Phoenix's new city-funded Office of Accountability and Transparency for independent review and investigation of police misconduct.
May 19, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: phoenix.legistar.com
Submitted Phoenix budget comments supporting a diversity, equity and inclusion office and unarmed responders for noncriminal calls.
April 20, 2021Opposes Government Spending Reduction
Source: phoenix.gov
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 2 support
Testified in support of creating Phoenix's new city-funded Office of Accountability and Transparency for independent review and investigation of police misconduct.
May 19, 2021Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: phoenix.legistar.com
Urged regular professionalism training for Tempe police officers and community participation in police training at the city's public-safety task force.
October 13, 2020Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: tempe.gov
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 5 support
Testified in support of creating Phoenix's new city-funded Office of Accountability and Transparency for independent review and investigation of police misconduct.
May 19, 2021Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: phoenix.legistar.com
Submitted Phoenix budget comments supporting a diversity, equity and inclusion office and unarmed responders for noncriminal calls.
April 20, 2021Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: phoenix.gov
Urged regular professionalism training for Tempe police officers and community participation in police training at the city's public-safety task force.
October 13, 2020Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: tempe.gov
Met Governor Doug Ducey on behalf of Black mothers. She requested police-investigation information for Dion Johnson's family and challenged police violence against unarmed Black people.
June 10, 2020Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: abc15.com
Submitted comments in an Arizona Supreme Court rulemaking process supporting more impartial and inclusive jury selection.
May 1, 2020Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: rulesforum.azcourts.gov
Track record — Public Education Quality
Public Education Quality · 10 support
Led Black Mothers Forum's change from Prenda to EdMentum lessons in the 2022–23 school year. Its microschools lengthened the day from four to six hours and added direct teaching.
January 18, 2024Supports Public Education Quality
Source: files.eric.ed.gov
Testified for Texas House Bill 1's state-funded education savings accounts, higher public-school funding and teacher pay. She represented Black Mothers Forum.
November 9, 2023Supports Public Education Quality
Source: hro.house.texas.gov
Led Black Mothers Forum's adaptation of Prenda microschools with two learning coaches per class and lessons reflecting Black students' culture. A university study documented these changes.
April 15, 2022Supports Public Education Quality
Source: crpe.org
Voted to deny Arizona Collaborative Learning and Perform to Learn charter applications because they failed application standards.
December 16, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to withhold 10% of Institute for Transformative Education's state aid until it supplied its fiscal 2021 audit. This was a temporary compliance hold.
November 22, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to authorize staff advocacy for wider fingerprint checks, ending early charter renewals and clearer charter-revocation deadlines.
November 22, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Led Black Mothers Forum when Arizona awarded $3.5 million to develop up to 50 microschools for children from minority communities.
August 17, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: thetombstonenews.com
Voted to require corrective plans after repeated audit and open-meeting violations. The rules kept past corrective findings in schools' public records.
August 9, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to adopt three financial-risk levels for charter schools on probation and require school boards to accept their audits through public votes.
August 9, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to reject Compass' change to a dropout-recovery program and Eastpointe's student-limit increase because they lacked evidence of academic success.
May 10, 2021Supports Public Education Quality
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 4 support
Met Governor Doug Ducey on behalf of Black mothers. She requested police-investigation information for Dion Johnson's family and challenged police violence against unarmed Black people.
June 10, 2020Supports Civil Rights
Source: abc15.com
Submitted comments in an Arizona Supreme Court rulemaking process supporting more impartial and inclusive jury selection.
May 1, 2020Supports Civil Rights
Source: rulesforum.azcourts.gov
Challenged Chandler schools' response to racial bullying as a Black Mothers Forum representative at a public school-board meeting.
February 14, 2018Supports Civil Rights
Source: fox10phoenix.com
Joined the ACLU of Arizona's demand that Great Hearts charter schools end discriminatory hair rules after a Black student was expelled over her braids.
February 6, 2018Supports Civil Rights
Source: acluaz.org
Track record — General
General · 35 records
Received the Arizona Nurses Association political committee's endorsement for the 2022 Senate District 11 Democratic primary.
September 30, 2026
Source: aznurse.org
Participated in Leading for Change's 2019–20 fellowship for civic and political leaders.
September 30, 2026
Source: azleadingforchange.org
Served as a McLeod Society Fellow, a private leadership program for education leaders.
January 15, 2026
Source: chooseschools.org
Joined the board of Freedom to Choose Schools, a private education organization.
July 29, 2025
Source: chooseschools.org
Coauthored a Common Sense Institute report examining unequal discipline and educational experiences for Black, Brown and special-needs students in Arizona district schools.
August 28, 2024
Source: commonsenseinstituteus.org
Led Peoria High basketball families' public demand for staff changes after a coach's arrest. She criticized the district's response and sought safer supervision.
April 25, 2024
Source: abc15.com
A university research study of Black Mothers Forum's schools under her leadership documented teacher turnover, preparation challenges and difficulty reporting separate academic results.
January 18, 2024
Source: files.eric.ed.gov
Led Black Mothers Forum's network of ten microschools. The schools used small classes and two learning coaches to support students.
August 18, 2023
Source: abc15.com
Participated in a Center on Reinventing Public Education panel about Black-led learning environments and educational alternatives.
November 14, 2022
Source: crpe.org
Coauthored and published the ebook Anatomy of a Black Mother through Adam Colwell WriteWorks.
October 18, 2022
Source: books.apple.com
Led Black Mothers Forum when it was selected as a 2022 Yass Prize semifinalist for its microschool program.
October 12, 2022
Source: yassprize.org
Served on Roosevelt School District's community steering committee for its strategic plan. This was an advisory role, separate from the governing board.
June 15, 2022
Source: core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
Voted to pursue a compliance agreement with Phoenix Education Management after finding charter and legal violations, rather than immediately begin charter revocation.
January 10, 2022
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to approve new schools for American Leadership Academy and Humanities and Sciences Academy of the United States. The second approval drew one dissent.
January 10, 2022
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to approve Goodwill's Excel Center Encanto for grades nine through twelve, with a 350-student limit.
December 16, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to replace Triumphant Learning Center's proposed charter revocation with a compliance agreement. It required a compliance employee and an operations or transition plan.
December 16, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to approve Legacy Traditional School San Tan for kindergarten through eighth grade, with a 1,440-student limit.
November 22, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to begin revoking Fountain Hills Charter School's charter because it was no longer operating a school.
October 18, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to end Pinnacle Education Kino's charter on December 31, 2021. The board rejected an administrative judge's recommendation and approved termination 9–1.
October 18, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to approve a new Arizona Autism charter school and raise the organization's student limit from 600 to 850.
September 13, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Presented Black Mothers Forum's microschool program to the Governor's Council on Child Safety and Family Empowerment.
September 9, 2021
Source: goyff.az.gov
Voted to give the Charter Board president authority to accept a school's voluntary surrender of its charter, subject to a staff report.
August 9, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to revoke Victory High School's charter after it failed to meet its compliance agreement. The closure took effect June 30, 2021.
June 7, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to expand a BASIS school from kindergarten through fifth grade to kindergarten through twelfth grade. Its student limit rose from 540 to 935.
May 10, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to raise Arizona Education Solutions' student limit from 1,258 to 2,185. The board approved the increase 7–1.
May 10, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Voted to raise Legacy Traditional School Surprise's student limit from 2,050 to 7,200.
May 10, 2021
Source: drive.usercontent.google.com
Submitted Phoenix budget comments supporting a diversity, equity and inclusion office and unarmed responders for noncriminal calls.
April 20, 2021
Source: phoenix.gov
Voted to approve online instruction on a probationary basis at Eduprize, Ombudsman and West Gilbert charter schools.
April 12, 2021
Source: drive.google.com
Began service as a public member of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. Her first meeting was April 12, 2021.
April 12, 2021
Source: drive.google.com
Voted to require CITY Center for Collaborative Learning to correct violations of employee fingerprint checks through a compliance agreement.
April 12, 2021
Source: drive.google.com
Voted to waive in-person student-count checks at 55 financially monitored charter schools during COVID-19. Other financial checks continued.
April 12, 2021
Source: drive.google.com
Founded Black Mothers Forum in 2016 and led its support for families facing school discipline and police incidents. Its work included referrals and attending court with families.
February 15, 2021
Source: azpbs.org
Helped write the Arizona Department of Education's family-engagement resource guide as a Black Mothers Forum member of its advisory council.
January 20, 2021
Source: azed.gov
Asked Tempe's public-safety task force for police-training outcome data and explanations of the use-of-force review board's accountability.
December 2, 2020
Source: tempe.gov
Was selected for the spring 2013 Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy. She was board chair and executive director of the Global Training Institute for Women.
February 27, 2013
Source: flinn.org
Past race Janelle Wood ran in:
- Roosevelt Elementary School District Governing Board Member · November 3, 2026 · Roosevelt Elementary District, Arizona