|
|
|
|
Legislator profile - Representative Catherine Miranda A native Arizonan who grew up in the heart of south Phoenix, Miranda explains: "Sports was my life. There were three girls and one boy in my family. My brother turned me into his little brother so he could have someone to play sports with. I was 100 percent tomboy." The brother apparently picked the right sister. Miranda was the only girl who played baseball in her little league, where she: had a .500 batting percentage; made it a point to hit a home run in every game; and earned a position on the all-star team despite obvious male bias. As good as Miranda was on the diamond, she was even better on the basketball court. She once scored 34 points in a high school basketball game while college scouts were watching. She was even offered a full-ride basketball scholarship to Arizona State University. Her athletic successes, however, did not come without a cost. Having undergone multiple surgeries in high school, Miranda's body endured too much punishment for her to pursue athletics to the next level. She is confident that she would be in the WNBA now if her sports career hadn't been shortened by the surgeon's knife. Miranda does credit her sports experience for the development of strong leadership skills. "I learned when I need to be aggressive," she explains, "and I learned when I should pull back. I discovered and honed my ability to take charge and lead a team." Team Miranda, the representative's nuclear family, arrived in Phoenix in the 1940's. Miranda's maternal grandparents came to the United States from Spain, and her mother was born in Superior. Her father's family hailed from Texas, and he was born in Los Angeles. Miranda's parents gravitated toward Phoenix, where her mother worked at AiResearch and her father worked in construction, helping to build Phoenix landmarks such as the Ocotillo Library and the Salvation Army's local flagship facility. Miranda attended elementary school in the Roosevelt School District, in the heart of the very legislative district that she now represents. She was also a member of the last graduating class from East High School. A proud Longhorn (the school was located just north of the Phoenix-Tovrea stockyards in an area known for its ranching heritage), Miranda participated in student rallies to protest the planned school closure. That may have represented her first serious foray into political activism. Though East High did shut down, Miranda's interest in education never waned. After her mother died following Miranda's high school graduation, the future lawmaker worked her way up through the ranks of Phoenix Union High School District administration. She began as an attendance clerk at South Mountain High School, became a secretary to the assistant principal and then secretary to the principal. During the course of her work, she observed many teachers and developed her own vision of the ideal educator. To turn that vision into reality, she attended ASU as an adult with children to earn a teaching degree at age 36. With degree in hand, she continued her climb up the educational ladder, first as a classroom teacher, then as an assistant principal and ultimately as a member of the board of the Roosevelt School District. Along the way, she earned a master's degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University, and she helped found the Manzana Foundation, which prepares and transitions students for post-secondary education. Miranda's commitment to the improvement of education policy is reflected in her legislative service. Asked by the Arizona Capitol Times about the ideal legislation she would develop if assured of its passage, Miranda explained that she would, "create a seamless education system with longer effective instruction time." She continued, "K-8 schools would all be effectively linked to their high school's curriculum and vision, and high schools would effectively be linked to our three Arizona colleges' curriculum and vision." Miranda, who represents Phoenix and Guadalupe, is also a staunch defender of local decision-making authority. "Why would we invest time at the Legislature punishing cities," she rhetorically asks, "when they have been fiscally responsible while the State has not? It's seems like a desperate power grab by those who should pay more attention to getting the State's own house in order." Though Miranda was not born into a political family, she is most assuredly in one now. Her husband of five years is former Arizona lawmaker Ben Miranda. They met while she was teaching elementary school and he was serving in the Legislature. The distaff Miranda fondly recalls that, "the principal invited Ben, who was a member of the board, to read to children during Dr. Seuss week." The representative kept returning to class, apparently interested in more than just the children's education. Mr. Miranda served as his wife's campaign manager when she ran for the House in 2010. "Ben was tough," Miranda recalls. "He told me that it was my job to knock on doors and that he would attend to the details of the campaign. But as an educator, I had to micromanage. I needed to check the grammar in our brochures and select the pictures to use. In the end, I managed to win despite his interference," she laughs. Although Miranda has not mapped out her future in detail, the warm and gracious legislator knows that, whatever she's doing politically or professionally, education will remain her focus. She could see herself involved in higher education policy at ASU or perhaps continuing her advocacy of education in the Arizona Senate. But wherever she goes and whatever she does, one thing is certain: she'll continue to swing for the fences and be ever competitive in the game of life. And that's a slam dunk. |
|
|
Legislative Bulletin is published by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. Forward your comments or suggestions to league@azleague.org. |
