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Ashley Craven (Oak Ridge Schools, At-large, Tennessee, candidate 2024)
Ashley Craven (Democratic Party) ran for election to Oak Ridge Schools, At-large in Tennessee.[1]
Elections
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ashley Craven completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Craven's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I come from a family deeply rooted in public schools and community service. My parents, both retired teachers from Greeneville, TN, instilled in me the value of education and service.
Professionally, I serve as a Project Specialist and in the veterinary industry. My role demands meticulous attention to detail, organizational skills, and adaptability - qualities I bring to every aspect of my life.
In my personal life, I am proud to be a mom and step-mom to three amazing children. My husband and I navigate the joys and challenges of blended family life with patience, communication, and a shared commitment to prioritizing our children’s well-being.
Committed to giving back to my community, I serve on the Oak Ridge Traffic Safety Advisory Board and work with the Anderson County Community Mediation Services to support never-married parents in custody agreements. My family and I are active members of First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge, where we contribute our time and energy to serving on committees and working with ministries such as Social Concerns and the Christmas Shoppes.
I am driven by a passion for service and a desire to make a positive impact in Oak Ridge, which is why I am seeking election to the Oak Ridge Board of Education
- Our community is growing and with it, our student population. Elementary expansion is the top priority on the growth plan with Linden being the primary focus for building a new facility. Following that, the other elementary schools will need expanding to accommodate grades K-5. Jefferson and Robertsville would house the students in grades 6-8. This will allow for the growth plan to be as minimally disruptive as possible to current students and their families. My goal is to make sure every student has the best environment for learning that we can provide.
- Our schools need to be prepared to meet the diverse needs of a diverse student population. Students that will have different learning capabilities, different reading levels, different cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds, different types of parental involvement, and different needs. Learning happens in an environment where students feel safe and respected. I will always advocate for your children the way I will advocate for my own in ensuring they have a safe and healthy environment to grow physically, mentally, and emotionally within the school system.
- The Oak Ridge School system is one where teachers want to be and where teachers want to stay. Boasting one of the highest starting salaries for teachers in the state is one way the school system is able to recruit top teaching talent. Add to that an environment of mutual respect and support, and teachers stay – which is why Oak Ridge teacher retention is so strong. As a member of the board of education, I will continue to advocate for teacher pay, teacher insurance, and the funding to make sure teachers have the tools and equipment they need to meet their student’s needs.
I believe elected officials should be honest and possess strong moral character. They should be seeking office to serve those who elect them, not themselves. They should have a strong work ethic and the ability to listen and problem solve.
Members on the Board of Education should always prioritize the needs of the students. Budgeting, capitol expenditures, staffing needs, teacher pay, and working to be proactive instead of reactive to the needs of the school system. The school board should also always make sure school systems are in compliance with state and federal laws while being an advocate for public schools with state and federal lawmakers.
Public tax dollars should have full financial transparency to tax payers. The government entities doing the spending should be accountable for making sure spending is done thoughtfully and in the case of the schools - with the benefit of the students as top priority.
I believe public dollars belong in our public schools. I am unequivocally opposed to vouchers and will always vote and advocate for public schools, public teachers, and all the employees who work so hard to make Oak Ridge Schools some of the best in the entire state.
Firearms have no place in the classroom. I would never be ok with my own child or any child having an armed teacher. Our educators are there to help students learn and grow, not to be armed security officers as well. Student safety is my top priority and students are safer without guns in the classroom.
The primary job is to ensure that the school reflect the priorities and values of the Oak Ridge community while also being thoughtful and efficient with budgeting for each school year. We also need to maintain a strong working relationship with City Council.
The voters within the Oak Ridge City Limits
The first thing we need to do is bring teachers to the table when these discussions are happening. We need to be asking them what needs they are seeing and what resources will best help fill those needs. Funding is a huge part of student success as well. Being able to apply for grants and get funding that exceeds state allotment and local contributions would be another way to meet more needs.
The more we can get parents engaged, the more students will have support both at school and at home. Cultivating relationships and building avenues for communication would be a priority for me.
I would like to see us expand the usage of communications apps. To host seminars for parents on phone apps kids are using, on internet safety, and on how they can help build relationships with the schools their kids attend to feel more connected and involved.
We need to pay teachers their value, find ways to help achieve work/life balance, and offer incentives to retain top talent.
Every student is different. My ideal world would have low student to teacher ratios with a mix of teaching tools to meet the needs of kids - be it audio learners, tactile learners, visual learners, etc.
I would love to see us be able to have a grant specialist to source additional funding for our schools
Firearms have no place in the classroom. I would never be ok with my own child or any child having an armed teacher. Our educators are there to help students learn and grow, not to be armed security officers as well. Student safety is my top priority and students are safer without guns in the classroom.
I am thankful we have the SRO program with an officer in every school. I would love to partner further with the Oak Ridge PD to offer safe storage classes for family members of students.
By ensuring our students have access to counselors and social workers and that our benefit packages for teachers and staff includes mental health benefits.
I am very logical and highly organized. I research before forming opinions and value efficiency. I also have strong empathy for parents and teachers as those roles are both extremely challenging and extremely rewarding.
The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. Incredible word building, character development that is unmatched, and quotes that inspire and motivate. I started this series in 2014, the final book came out in 2018 and I reread all or parts of it each year. 6 years since the series was finalized and it still lives rent free in my head daily. That's how you know it's an amazing series.
Harvesting Democracy Change TN Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Naomi Asher - CDO of Boys and Girls Club of the TN Valley Mark Flynn - Retired pastor of First United Methodist Church Oak Ridge
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
External links
[1] ↑ Submitted to Ballotpedia's candidate survey in 2024.
