Blaine Nickeson
Blaine Nickeson was a member of the School District 27J Board of Education in Colorado, representing District 4. Nickeson assumed office in 2016. Nickeson left office on November 30, 2021.
Nickeson ran for re-election to the School District 27J Board of Education to represent District 4 in Colorado. Nickeson lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.
First appointed in 2016, Nickeson won a new term in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.[1]
Elections
2021
See also: School District 27J, Colorado, elections (2021)
General election
General election for School District 27J Board of Education District 4
Ashley Conn defeated incumbent Blaine Nickeson in the general election for School District 27J Board of Education District 4 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ashley Conn (Nonpartisan) | 54.0 | 11,701 | |
 | Blaine Nickeson (Nonpartisan) | 46.0 | 9,950 | |
| Total votes: 21,651 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Tanya Frerichs-Peterson (Nonpartisan)
2017
- See also: School District 27J elections (2017)
Four of the seven seats on the School District 27J Board of Education in Colorado were up for election on November 7, 2017. The District 2, 4, and 5 seats were up for general election to regular four-year terms, and the District 6 seat was up for special election to a two-year term.[2] Kevin Robert Kerber defeated Gary Mikes in the race for the open District 2 seat. In his bid for re-election to the District 4 seat, incumbent Blaine Nickeson defeated Greg Lee. Mandy Thomas defeated Kerrie Gutierrez for the open District 5 seat. District 6 incumbent Jennifer Venerable defeated Stanley Hiller.[3][4]
Results
| School District 27J, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Blaine Nickeson Incumbent |
62.11% | 8,786 |
| Greg Lee | 37.89% | 5,359 |
| Total Votes | 14,145 | |
| Source: Adams County Elections Office, "Official Results," accessed November 27, 2017 and Weld County Elections Office, "Election Summary Report: Final Official Results," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
Funding
Nickeson reported no contributions but $864.11 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left his campaign with $864.11 in debt in the election.[5]
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Blaine Nickeson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Blaine Nickeson participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[6] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 26, 2017:
| “ | I would like to continue to advocate for our kids, and see our academic growth continue.[7][8] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Colorado. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| “ | These are difficult to prioritize, as they are interdependent. For example, expanding arts education and special needs services are dependent upon adequate district budget.[8] | ” |
| —Blaine Nickeson (October 26, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| Yes. Yes, but ideally in the case of demonstrated specialized program needs, rather than establishing an exclusive school at the detriment of the neighboring district-run schools. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| Yes. To clarify - standardized tests are ONE metric of student achievement. Standardized tests cannot accurately measure social and emotional development, for example. That said, it is important for citizens, parents, districts, and the state to have tangible measurement tools for student achievement, and a reasonable amount of standardized testing can help provide that. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. Teachers can't choose the kids that they teach. Should teachers be held accountable for being effective? Absolutely. But I'm not certain how to fairly identify teachers who deserve merit pay when their are so many factors outside of their control related to student achievement. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsions are generally governed by state policies, not district policies. That said, expulsion should be used sparingly, and only in the severe cases where other discipline and intervention has no chance of success. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Parent involvement. I strongly believe that parents have an equal responsibility with the teacher for the success of their student. I consider it a 50/50 factor between parents and teachers. |
Local Color survey
Nickeson participated in the following survey conducted by Local Color. The survey questions appear bolded, and Nickeson's responses follow below.
Why are you running?
| “ | I would like to continue my service to 27J students, staff and residents, having served almost one year on the board. There is a steep learning curve to serving on a school board, as you learn the way the state evaluates schools and students, how policy governance works, and the personalities and needs of the district. I have also spent a lot of time learning about the fiscal challenges our district faces and being impressed by how district leadership does all it can to put those limited dollars into direct student services.[8] | ” |
| —Blaine Nickeson (2017)[9] | ||
What do you bring to the table?
| “ | In my day job, I serve as assistant vice president of Campus Relations and chief of staff on the Auraria Campus. I oversee campus police, emergency preparedness, human resources, marketing/communications, and work as budget director and legislative liaison. I have broad administrative and operational experience in education to help 27J students and staff realize their full potential, while maximizing limited resources. I’m passionate about safe learning environments. I’m also knowledgeable about the state’s convoluted education funding model and understand the inner workings of the legislative process. I have a passion for education, coming from a large family of educators. On the board, I’ve have been known for asking tough questions in an effort to ensure financial and operational accountability. As a 27J parent, I see first-hand the challenges our schools and teachers are facing, and the success they’re achieving.[8] | ” |
| —Blaine Nickeson (2017)[9] | ||
Summarize the key issues you perceive (how you will address them):
| “ | District 27J is funded 15th out of the 15 metro Denver school districts. Fiscal responsibility is essential, but you can stretch a dollar only so far. We need to recruit great teachers and retain those teachers as they gain experience. While the successful 2015 bond measure helps us meet the growing demand, there’s no sign that growth in Commerce City, Brighton or Thornton will slow. We need to be strategic in dealing with growth.[8] | ” |
| —Blaine Nickeson (2017)[9] | ||
What are the challenges/opportunities of the office you seek?
| “ | The district continues to face rapid growth. As a board member, it’s imperative that I keep student success at forefront of each decision as we grow, evolve, and diversify. Along with that growth, District 27J’s school board needs to have strong working relationships with leadership not only in Brighton, but also Commerce City and Thornton.[8] | ” |
| —Blaine Nickeson (2017)[9] | ||
Why should people vote for you?
| “ | As a parent of two children in the district, it is personal to me that our schools are successful – for my children and yours. I also recognize serving on our school board requires a significant commitment, and I’m willing to put in the work.[8] | ” |
| —Blaine Nickeson (2017)[9] | ||
See also
2021 Elections
External links
|
Candidate School District 27J Board of Education District 4 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Brighton Standard Blade, "Nickeson sworn in as new 27J director," October 11, 2016
- ↑ School District 27J, "Board Members," accessed February 24, 2017
- ↑ School District 27J, "2017 School District 27J Board of Education Candidate Information," accessed September 2, 2017
- ↑ State of Colorado, "Adams County Election Results," accessed November 8, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER: Candidate Search," accessed December 18, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Blaine Nickeson's responses," October 26, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Local Color, "Meet the 27J School Board candidates," accessed November 2, 2017
