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Brad Rupert
Brad Rupert was a member of the Jeffco Board of Education in Colorado, representing District 1. Rupert assumed office in 2015. Rupert left office on November 29, 2021.
Rupert ran for re-election to the Jeffco Board of Education to represent District 1 in Colorado. Rupert won in the general election on November 7, 2017.
Rupert ran as part of the Keep Jeffco Moving Forward candidate slate with fellow incumbents Susan Harmon and Ron Mitchell.[1] The three members also ran together as The Clean Slate in 2015.
Rupert participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Biography
Brad Rupert's career experience includes working as an attorney. His previous work experience includes managing and supervising restaurants. Rupert has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity since 1996. He has also served with the Arvada Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Arvada Community Food Bank Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors for the Kiwanis Club of Arvada-Jefferson. Rupert earned a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University and an M.B.A. and J.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His two children graduated from Jeffco Public Schools.[2]
Elections
2017
- See also: Jeffco Public Schools elections (2017)
Three of the five seats on the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. In his bid for re-election to District 1, incumbent Brad Rupert defeated Matt Van Gieson. The District 2 race included incumbent Susan Harmon and Erica Shields. Harmon won re-election. District 5 incumbent Ron Mitchell ran unopposed and won another term on the board.[3] The three incumbents ran together as the Keep Jeffco Moving Forward candidate slate. They all won election to the board in a 2015 recall election.[4][5]
Results
| Jeffco Public Schools, District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Brad Rupert Incumbent |
60.49% | 75,034 |
| Matt Van Gieson | 39.51% | 49,000 |
| Total Votes | 124,034 | |
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023 | ||
Funding
Rupert reported $53,352.34 in contributions and $52,058.50 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left his campaign with $1,293.84 on hand in the election.[6]
Endorsements
Rupert and the other members of the Keep Jeffco Moving Forward candidate slate were endorsed by the following organizations and elected officials:[7][8][9]
|
Rupert was also endorsed by former school board members. Click here for a list of his supporters.
2015
An effort to recall three members of the Jeffco Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado was on the ballot on November 3, 2015.[10] Board members Julie Williams, John Newkirk, and Ken Witt from Districts 1, 2, and 5, respectively, were ousted from office with more than 60 percent of voters in each district casting ballots in favor of recall.[11]
A total of six candidates filed to replace the three incumbents up for recall. Brad Rupert ran for the seat held by Williams. Matt Dhieux and Susan Harmon campaigned for Newkirk's seat, and Regan Benson, Ron Mitchell, and Paula Noonan ran for Witt's seat. Rupert, Harmon, and Mitchell ran together as "The Clean Slate."[12][13] All three slate members were elected to replace Williams, Newkirk, and Witt.[11] They took office on November 19, 2015.[14]
The other two seats on the board—District 3 and District 4—were also on the ballot on November 3, 2015. They were up for general election. Neither incumbent filed to retain her seat in that election, meaning the district welcomed an entirely new board on November 19, 2015.[15]
Results
| Julie Williams, Area 1 Board Member, Jeffco Public Schools | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 11,6789 | 64.32% | ||
| Retain | 64,790 | 35.68% | ||
| Election results via: Jefferson County, "Official County Results," November 20, 2015 | ||||
| Successor candidate, Area 1 Board Member, Jeffco Public Schools | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Brad Rupert | 114550 | 100% | ||
| Election results via: Jefferson County, "Official County Results," November 20, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Rupert reported $48,359.50 in contributions and $48,359.50 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left his campaign with $0.00 on hand as of the election.[16]
Endorsements
Rupert and the other members of "The Clean Slate" were endorsed by U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D).[12]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Brad Rupert participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[17] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 9, 2017:
| “ | Close achievement gaps, particularly for children living in poverty; establish a highly effective early childhood education for all children in the District; expand career pathways for students who will not be attending college immediately after graduation.[18][19] | ” |
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 |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Our mission is to provide an excellent individualized education for every child at every grade level. Everything else must be supportive of that mission.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (October 9, 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.) |
|---|
| No. We should not open new schools simply for the sake of expanding choice. I would support a charter school application that seeks to reach underserved or challenged children in innovative ways. |
| 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 defer to school board decisions in most cases. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Standardized tests can be one indicator of student achievement, but they do not present a full picture of the knowledge, skills and growth we want each student to attain. |
| 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. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. I would favor merit pay in a limited role based upon a trustworthy measure of teaching effectiveness and additional contributions to a school's programs, culture and environment. I do not see merit pay as a significant motivator for teachers; they are not in the profession for money. Merit pay is often overvalued and poorly applied. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Sparingly to protect the safety and effectiveness of the educational environment. If a child is not in school, that child is not learning. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers. No factor is more important to the success of a child than the teacher in the classroom. A highly skilled teacher inspires students to achieve much more than merely the expected level of growth each year. |
Chalkbeat Colorado survey
Rupert participated in the following survey conducted by Chalkbeat Colorado. The survey questions appear bolded, and Rupert's responses follow below.
Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you lived in the school district? What do you do for a living?
| “ | I am an attorney and business owner. I have lived in Jeffco for 34 years. My children both graduated from Jeffco schools. I have served on the boards and been President of Arvada Chamber of Commerce (2002), Arvada Community Food Bank and Arvada-Jefferson Kiwanis. I have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, bringing attainable housing to our community. I was named Arvada Man of the Year in 2011 for my work in the community.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
Tell us about your connection to the school district.
| “ | Both my children graduated from Ralston Valley High School. My grandchildren attended Arvada High School and North Arvada Middle School. I was asked to run for the Board or Education two years ago during very tumultuous times in the district. I am proud that our current board has returned respect and civility to the boardroom and the district, slowed the exodus of teachers and leaders from the district, and worked to address crowding in the growth areas of the district.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
Superintendent Jason Glass recently announced a moratorium on school closures. Under what circumstances do you believe school closures, if ever, are correct to consider, and which factors should be weighed?
| “ | Over the last two years, district staff has proposed numerous school closures in pursuit of efficiency and budget cuts. Our Board has approved one school closure because dropping enrollment was making the school unsustainable. Our schools are hubs of families, neighborhoods and communities. We should only close a school after having engaged the community and exhausted all other possible solutions.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
Another focus of the new superintendent has been to concentrate more on equity issues. What do you think are the most critical equity issues facing Jeffco Public Schools, and what can the district do to ensure better opportunities and achievement for all students?
| “ | We must continue our work to reduce the achievement gaps for our children living in poverty. The socioeconomic status of a child’s family is the best indicator of whether that child will succeed in school. We must break the cycle of poverty. We should make early childhood education available for all children so children in poverty don’t start first grade two years behind their classmates; so parents can afford to get back to work; and so teachers can move all children forward rather than trying to catch students up who didn’t attend preschool or kindergarten. We should also work to expand the alternative career pathways for the majority of graduates who will not attend college. We can work with our business community to prepare students for the many honorable and high-paying jobs in our economy that don’t require a college degree. These investments would be good for children, good for families and good for our economy.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
What role do you believe charter schools should have in the district?
| “ | Charter schools can be a valuable addition to the neighborhood and option schools available to families in Jeffco. At their best, charter schools provide alternative curricula such as Maranatha and Waldorf, and accountability to parents on their boards. Unfortunately, charter schools can also dilute financial resources to educate all children and leave a disproportionate population of poor, special needs, or ELL children in the neighborhood schools. More choice for a few is not, by itself, better for children.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
Do you think the district should reconsider a ballot measure to ask voters for a tax increase for the school district? Is there something the district should do differently if they do ask?
| “ | Jeffco will eventually need to build new schools in the growing areas of the district and rehabilitate the schools that are falling into disrepair due to budget cuts. We fund that work by selling bonds. A bond issue will need to be on the ballot soon. We have made serious cuts to operations and facility maintenance over the last ten years. Eventually these cuts will show themselves in more expensive repairs. Unless the state starts to fund early childhood education, we should implement preschool and kindergarten for all as a district. Both of those operational investments will require new operational funding from a mill levy override. I believe Jeffco can earn that new funding with positive results and clear communication of the need and the benefits.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Jeffco schools today and how do you hope to have an impact on that issue as a school board member?
| “ | K-12 funding in Colorado has failed to keep up with growth and inflation as required by Amendment 23. As a result, Jeffco has cut its budgets repeatedly in both good economic times and bad. We have cut staffing and many central positions remain unfilled. We have cut educator compensation, so even with recent efforts, salaries have fallen behind inflation. We have cut facility maintenance and our aging buildings are falling into disrepair. We must continue to communicate these challenges and their consequences to our legislators and our voters in hopes of changing funding for education in Colorado. We must also earn new revenue from Jeffco voters with good results and clear communication of the need and benefits.[19] | ” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[20] | ||
Candidate website
Rupert highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | Thank you for believing in me two years ago and trusting me to serve as your District 1 School Board representative. In the time since the previous election, we have succeeded in returning respect & civility to the Board, we have stemmed the hemorrhaging of our teachers to other districts with a more competitive compensation structure & respectful work environment, we have opened the new Three Creeks K-8 School & re-opened Rose Stein Elementary, and we have hired a visionary new superintendent. I am proud of what we have accomplished and I want to see Jeffco continue to make progress. My priorities for the next four years are to:
EXPAND EARLY EDUCATION FOR ALL FAMILIES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY ADVANCE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS FOR OUR GRADUATING STUDENTS CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP CONTINUE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN GOOD TEACHERS If re-elected to the Jeffco School Board, I will work to see that these priorities become reality. I am committed to our students, educators, and community. Please vote for me this November and help Keep Jeffco Moving Forward![19] |
” |
| —Brad Rupert (2017)[21] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Brad Rupert Jeffco Public Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado
- Jeffco Public Schools elections (2017)
- Jeffco Public Schools recall, Colorado (2015)
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Keep Jeffco Moving Forward, "Home," accessed October 24, 2017
- ↑ Brad Rupert for Jeffco Kids, "About," accessed October 14, 2015
- ↑ Jeffco Public Schools, "Election 2017," accessed September 2, 2017
- ↑ Keep Jeffco Moving Forward, "Home," accessed October 24, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 DIRECTOR," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER: Candidate Search," accessed December 18, 2017
- ↑ Support Jeffco Kids, "2017 Endorsements," accessed October 24, 2017
- ↑ Arvada Press, "Teacher unions support incumbents for Jeffco school board," October 18, 2017
- ↑ Keep Jeffco Moving Forward, "Endorsements," accessed October 25, 2017
- ↑ Chalkbeat Colorado, "Clerk: Jeffco school board recall will be on November ballot," September 3, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jefferson County, "Unofficial County Results," November 3, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chalkbeat Colorado, "6 candidates, including longtime critic, in running to replace Jeffco school board recall targets," September 28, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Independent, "Recall-backed Jeffco school board candidates skip conservative forum," September 1, 2015
- ↑ FOX 31 Denver, "Ousted Jefferson County school board members attend final meeting," November 5, 2015
- ↑ Jeffco Public Schools, "Board of Education Election 2015," accessed August 31, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Candidate Information - Election Year 2015: Rupert, Brad," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Brad Rupert's responses," October 9, 2017
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 Chalkbeat Colorado, "We asked the 2017 Jeffco school board candidates seven questions. Here are their responses." October 5, 2017
- ↑ Brad Rupert Jeffco School Board, "Issues," accessed October 24, 2017
| Jeffco Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Jefferson County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Incumbent, Brad Rupert • Matt Van Gieson District 2: • Incumbent, Susan Harmon • Erica Shields District 5: • Incumbent, Ron Mitchell |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
| 2015 Jeffco Public Schools General Election and Recall Election | |
| Jefferson County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | General Election Candidates District 3: • Kim Johnson • Ali Lasell District 4: • Tori Merritts • Amanda Stevens Recall Election Candidates District 1: • Incumbent, Julie Williams • Brad Rupert District 2: • Incumbent, John Newkirk • Matt Dhieux • Susan Harmon District 5: • Incumbent, Ken Witt • Regan Benson • Ron Mitchell • Paula Noonan |
| Important information: | Issues in the general election • Recall supporters • Recall opponents • Key general election deadlines • Recall path to the ballot |
 |
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