Smart Schools. Healthy Communities. Responsible Water Use.
About Christine Scianna
Christine Scianna was born at Good Samaritan Hospital (Now, Banner – University Medical Center) in Phoenix. Her parents moved Christine and her brother from Tempe to North Phoenix just before her fifth birthday. While growing up, she attended Washington Elementary School and Glendale Union High School districts. Christine has a BA in Psychology from ASU, a post bachelor’s in education, ESL and Science Certification and a Master of Science in Education for Special Needs Science and Curriculum.
Christine completed practicums in both Deer Valley and Peoria unified school districts, and in 2003, finished her student teaching at Ironwood Elementary, where she attended as a child. She was hired during the 2003-04 school year to teach fifth grade in Glendale Elementary School District, and after moving to Surprise in 2005, started working for Dysart School District during the 2005-06 school year.
She taught grades 5 and 6 before transitioning to seventh- and eighth-grade science in 2011. She also created technology and science clubs and wrote social studies curriculum. She spent more than three years working on U.S. Department of Education cognitive science studies and even coached softball for a season.
As teachers often must work second and third jobs to make financial ends meet, Christine worked at the Arizona Cardinals’ football stadium as a security guard, including during the 2015 Super Bowl. It was the plight of teachers needing multiple jobs, and her district having frozen wages for six years that led to Christine becoming involved in the Red for Ed movement in 2018. The movement asked state legislators to fund decent pay and benefits for Arizona educators.
After struggling with her daughter’s numerous behavioral and health issues, due to non-verbal autism, she found herself dealing with numerous problems related to caregivers being unreliable and underqualified, which left Christine with several challenges regarding her daughter’s care. Christine understands the distinct challenges of working full time as a single parent and caring for a child with profound autism, who needs constant care.
Since 2019, Christine has been an advocate for families impacted by autism and spoken to the state legislature about bills to protect vulnerable and special needs adults in Arizona.
She is a member of the bipartisan group, Reclaim Our Arizona Representation (ROAR). This non-partisan, grassroots coalition of parents, caregivers, advocates and community members is united by one goal: to amplify the voices of everyday Arizonans and hold our elected officials accountable. The group believes in transparency, equity, and a government that works for the people, not against them.
After our lawmakers began discussing massive cuts that would affect the disabled community, Christine stood with other families at House and Senate committee meetings and in the gallery during floor sessions.
She has supported the special needs community for both kids and adults, dependent on DDD and ALTECS. Christine was present when, right before a committee vote on a bipartisan bill, House Speaker Steve Montenegro, a representative of Legislative District 29, where she is running, added three representatives to the committee to vote down the bill at the last minute. She was also there when a bill passed, following those legislative efforts against the disabled community
After Christine phoned and sent letters asking her U.S. representatives and senators to vote against the republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill because of its devastating effects on the disabled community, education, healthcare, land use and natural resources, it passed on July 4, 2025, alerting Christine that it is time to take a more direct approach in government and inspiring her run for the Arizona House of Representatives.
Christine continues to advocate for those who need help with services and resources and simply listening to families struggling with kids with special needs. Her principal areas of concern are healthcare, especially protecting and expanding Medicaid and Medicare, Education and making sure we invest in our schools and students’ futures and land management and natural resources, most importantly commercial water use. Christine wants what is best for Arizona families and to protect Arizona itself because it is her home and she cannot imagine a better place or better people.
Christine has two daughters, a stepdaughter and stepson, and resides with her partner in L.D. 29, having lived in Surprise for 20 years.