Mitzi Epstein
AZ Senate – LD12
Franklin is dedicated to our Kyrene community. As a former Kyrene Kid, he knows and cares about the schools and the people of our district. He has developed his professional and academic experiences to bring business skills and community values to support Kyrene students to reach their full potential. He will be a great and respectful communicator among taxpayers, businesses, and the professional educators in our Kyrene Community.
City of Tempe Mayor
I have known Franklin for nearly two decades. He is an accomplished leader who has served his community in capacities ranging from Kyrene’s Student Superintendent Council, the City of Tempe’s Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission to Congressional staffer. I am excited that Franklin has embarked on this journey to give back to the school district he attended as a student. I am honored to endorse Franklin Zyriek’s candidacy for the Kyrene School District’s Governing Board.
City of Chandler Council Member
Franklin has the skills to work with the City of Chandler and the Kyrene community to carefully consider new, adaptive uses for Kyrene’s campuses that will no longer host schools. At the same time, he has the business background to make hard decisions, ask tough questions, and pursue innovative measures to drive enrollment so Kyrene will not be faced with a similar situation down the road. I’m honored to endorse Franklin Zyriek for Kyrene Governing Board.
Patty Contreras
AZ House – LD12
Franklin is a great example of the next generation of leaders we want to shape our future. He is a good listener and thoughtful individual who gathers evidence and feedback before making a decision. Franklin will be an excellent Governing Board Member for the Kyrene School District.
City of Tempe
Vice Mayor
Franklin is the perfect example of a Tempe native giving back to the community. He attended Kyrene schools during his formative years and cares deeply about public education. I know he has the skills to find consensus and move Kyrene forward. I am honored to give Franklin my enthusiastic endorsement!
I am proud to endorse Franklin Zyriek for the Kyrene Governing Board. As a fellow graduate of Kyrene Schools, Franklin understands firsthand the strong foundation our district provides to students and families. His deep roots in the community, combined with his commitment to educational excellence, make him the right leader to help move Kyrene forward. Franklin recognizes the importance of maintaining high quality education programs that define the Kyrene district, while also preserving the well-rounded education our students deserve, including special area instruction like art and music. These programs are essential to developing creativity, confidence and a life long love of learning. I am confident Franklin will be a thoughtful and dedicated advocate for students, families, and educators and I wholeheartedly support his candidacy for the Kyrene Governing Board.
I admire Franklin for doing the homework necessary to serve on the Kyrene Governing Board. He has consistently attended Board meetings, study sessions, public hearings, and community events to better understand our District and its challenges. As a former Kyrene mom, I value his thoughtful perspective, dedication, and commitment to keeping Kyrene strong for future generations. I believe Franklin is the leader our community needs on the Kyrene Governing Board.
Franklin represents what we want our young people to do – step up and serve their community. As a former Kyrene Kid with a strong policy background, I know that Franklin is the leader Kyrene needs at this moment. He will listen to the community and partner with the City of Phoenix to explore appropriate new uses for Kyrene campuses in Ahwatukee while keeping families and neighborhoods safe. I am honored to endorse Franklin Zyriek for Kyrene Governing Board.
Franklin brings an important perspective as a next-generation Kyrene parent deeply invested in the future of our schools and community. He understands the connection between strong schools and a strong local economy and can help strengthen the partnership between Kyrene leadership and the business community. Franklin is committed to ensuring today’s Kyrene students gain the foundational skills to become tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and small business leaders.
Janeen Connolly
Arizona House – LD8
I am happy to know Franklin as a colleague and friend. He is impressive, has a wonderful family story connected to public education, and possesses a strong level of dedication and integrity. I’m proud of him for stepping up to run for the Kyrene School Board.
President, Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board
President Emerita, Rio Salado College
Franklin understands public education from the elementary to post-secondary levels. He will work to ensure that Kyrene Kids learn the skills they need to excel in the modern workplace. His business background will help Kyrene innovate by collaborating with local institutions such as Maricopa Community Colleges, large employers, and chambers of commerce by introducing Kyrene students to new fields and job opportunities.
City of Tempe
Council Member
Given his deep family ties to public education and his own experience as a Kyrene Kid, Franklin will ensure that all Kyrene students have the opportunity to succeed. As a former Kyrene parent, I know that Franklin has the skills and integrity to make well-informed decisions to benefit all of Kyrene and do what’s best for students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers.
City of Tempe Council Member
I am proud to endorse Franklin Zyriek for the Kyrene School District’s Governing Board. Franklin is a Kyrene graduate with deep family ties in elementary and higher education. This background, combined with his policy experience at the state and national levels, makes him uniquely qualified to serve the Kyrene community. Please join me in supporting Franklin!
As a fellow native Tempean, Franklin is the right person to guide Kyrene into the next chapter. Franklin brings a unique skill set as a policy expert with a family legacy in public education. Franklin will help Kyrene innovate and think outside the box to promote enrollment. He will also pursue new revenue streams for Kyrene by collaborating with the City of Tempe and other local governments.
As a former Kyrene teacher and governing board member, I know that Franklin has the required skills and temperament to do the job. He will listen to the concerns of parents, teachers, students, and the community to make decisions that best serve the Kyrene community. Franklin has also taken the time to get to know current and retired Kyrene teachers to hear their perspectives and worked with them to support Kyrene’s successful override election in 2025. I am proud to support Franklin for the Kyrene Governing Board.
I have gotten to know Franklin through his involvement in the Kiwanis Club of Tempe. He is an active community member who puts in the work to hear the perspectives of Kyrene parents, teachers, students, and staff. During this time of change for Kyrene, Franklin is the person Kyrene needs to guide the district into the future.
Franklin has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in education, in the arts and in school leadership ever since I have known him as a Kyrene Kid. I know that Franklin will bring this excellence to the entire Kyrene community with integrity, thoughtful decision-making and care. He is a “Point of Light”! I am proud to endorse Franklin Zyriek.
Franklin represents the type of leader Kyrene needs right now. His experience as a Kyrene student, combined with his professional background, enables him to bring new and innovative ideas to Kyrene to address issues ranging from enrollment to land use. As a former Kyrene Governing Board Member, I know Franklin will guide the District successfully into its next chapter.
From a very early time in his Freshman year of high school, I could see that Franklin had something special about him.I will start by stating the obvious. Franklin is of the highest moral character and models what he stands for. He walks the talk and it shows. As his Principal for 3 years at Marcos de Niza in Tempe, I can say Franklin Zyriek was a leader, a great student, a wonderful role model and showed early on what a bright future he had ahead of him. I am honored to endorse Franklin Zyriek for the Kyrene Governing Board. To say myself and the staff at MDN are proud of him is an understatement.
When I think of Franklin, the first word that comes to mind is integrity. As his Advanced Placement English teacher for two years at Marcos de Niza High School, I witnessed Franklin’s ever-present integrity daily. Through his behavior, his words, and his interactions with peers and faculty alike, Franklin revealed his commitment to honesty and excellence. Being a product of Kyrene and Tempe Union, he has a strong desire to best serve the students, parents, and staff. He will listen to concerns, thoroughly research issues, and make decisions with the utmost integrity. In short, he will follow the words of Marcus Aurelius, “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.” I cannot imagine a more valuable board member and am honored to endorse Franklin.
I am delighted and honored to endorse Franklin Zyriek for the Kyrene School District’s Governing Board. His family background in public education has instilled in him a legacy of commitment to the highest quality of elementary, secondary, and university education. He understands exactly the skills and innovative techniques that can help Kyrene students, families, and faculty thrive. His post-baccalaureate experiences and career choices have provided him with the insights and knowledge to best help Kyrene navigate 21st-Century demands and opportunities. I first entered the teaching profession in 1966, taught elementary through post-doctorate studies, and have been honored on state, national, and international levels. This broad perspective has led me to give my enthusiastic endorsement of Franklin Zyriek for Kyrene!
I am honored to endorse Franklin Zyriek for the Kyrene School District Governing Board. It’s great to see the next generation of educational leaders step up to take their place in our Kyrene community. Making decisions for this community is a serious and challenging position to take on. Franklin has the Kyrene experience and the background needed to navigate the challenges facing public schools today. As a retired educator with many years of K-8 classroom and administrative experience as well as a previous School Superintendent, I recognize that Franklin possesses the skills necessary to be a successful Governing Board member. Please join me in supporting Franklin Zyriek for the Kyrene School District Governing Board.
I come from a community where education changed families—including my own. Kyrene’s students and teachers deserve leaders like Franklin who understand what’s at stake and fight for equitable access and real opportunity. Franklin will lead boldly for all of them.