Christine Stead
Christine Stead was an at-large member of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. Stead assumed office in 2010. Stead left office in 2018.
Stead ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. Stead lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Stead was first appointed to the board on March 10, 2010, and re-elected on November 2, 2010.[1]
Biography
Christine Stead is a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Stead received both her B.S. degree in cellular and molecular biology and her M.H.S. degree in health management and policy from the University of Michigan. She is employed as the executive strategist at Blue Cottage Consulting, which is a health care consulting firm. Stead and her husband, Jim, have two children who both attend Ann Arbor schools.[2]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jessica Kelly (Nonpartisan)  | 15.6 | 29,801 |
| ✔ |  | Rebecca Lazarus (Nonpartisan) | 15.2 | 28,990 |
| ✔ |  | Bryan Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 14.5 | 27,545 |
| ✔ |  | Susan Baskett (Nonpartisan) | 12.3 | 23,492 |
 | Lucas Cole (Nonpartisan) | 12.3 | 23,346 | |
 | Christine Stead (Nonpartisan) | 11.0 | 21,021 | |
 | Patricia Ashford Manley (Nonpartisan) | 9.6 | 18,288 | |
| Suzanne Perkins (Nonpartisan) | 9.1 | 17,385 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 585 | ||
| Total votes: 190,453 | |||
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2014
The election in Ann Arbor featured four at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Susan Baskett and Christine Stead ran against challengers Jeffery Harrold, Donna Lasinski, Patricia Ashford Manley, Jack Panitch, Deirdre Piper, Hunter Van Valkenburgh, Don Wilkerson and Roland Zullo for the seats. Baskett, Harrold, Van Valkenburgh and Zullo campaigned together as an unofficial slate.[3] Fellow board members Glenn Nelson and Irene Patalan did not file for re-election.
Incumbents Susan Baskett and Christine Stead and challengers Donna Lasinski and Patricia Ashford Manley won the four seats.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Susan Baskett Incumbent |
15.1% | 17,121 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donna Lasinski |
13.9% | 15,794 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christine Stead Incumbent |
13.2% | 14,941 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patricia Ashford Manley |
12.2% | 13,845 | |
| Nonpartisan | Hunter Van Valkenburgh | 10.4% | 11,847 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeffery Harrold | 8.5% | 9,643 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roland Zullo | 7.2% | 8,183 | |
| Nonpartisan | Don Wilkerson | 7% | 7,908 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Panitch | 6.9% | 7,785 | |
| Nonpartisan | Deirdre Piper | 5.6% | 6,353 | |
| Total Votes | 113,420 | |||
| Source: Washtenaw County Elections Division, "Election Summary Report," accessed December 29, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Stead did not report any contributions or expenditures during the election, according to the Washtenaw County Elections Division.[4] In Michigan, a candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election and annual campaign statements without legal penalty.[5]
Endorsements
Stead received endorsements from fellow board member Andy Thomas and The Ann Arbor News.[6][7]
2010
| Ann Arbor Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Susan Baskett Incumbent |
49.7% | 25,243 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christine Stead Incumbent |
49.4% | 25,090 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.9% | 478 | |
| Total Votes | 50,811 | |||
| Source: Washtenaw County Elections Division, "Official Election Results - Cumulative Report," accessed September 1, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2014
Stead published her platform on her campaign website:
| “ | Vision and Goals
My vision for the AAPS, and for our community, is that we are THE example of high quality, small learning communities that create the foundation for a vibrant community - in a tangible way that every family and community member enjoys the benefits of. AAPS can be the destination-education institution in Michigan. Our community has long put education as one of its top priorities. My work is to ensure that we have a thriving education system that works for all children of all abilities. High quality education makes for a thriving economy and community. The future of the AAPS is bright - with a strong team of education leaders, bright and engaged parents and families, a supportive and progressive business community and any person with high hopes for themselves and those around them. We have a great team in Ann Arbor. One area that I have fought hard for, and will continue to do so, is in school funding reform. Our current system is broken. When our economy recovers, our state does not pass on that progress to school funding in Ann Arbor. I have fought for change in Lansing, proposed new legislation and/or changes to Proposal A. I have hosted legislative roundtables on school funding and recently presented to the State Board of Education on recommendations for change. My top 3 are here: I will continue to fight to secure the future of the AAPS. I will also work for other funding solutions that complement state funding, but don't compromise our children's future and our community's viability. We have a bright future. I will work hard to make it more secure, responsive and to thrive in our changing times. School Funding I have long been an advocate of changing school funding and have fought hard for change in Lansing. I have proposed changes to Proposal A through testimony at the House and Senate, presentations to the State Board of Education and hosting several legislative panels and roundtables in Ann Arbor to discuss the impact underfunding is having in Ann Arbor. [...] I work closely with our area representatives so they understand what we need and can do a better job advocating for us. My recent advocacy for a 'better deal for Ann Arbor' in the potential Whitmore Lake Public Schools annexation is an example, where funding obligations need to make sense for our community. Our foundation allowance shouldn't decrease and taxes increase to fix something that is essentially the result of state underfunding public educaiton. I will work to change funding, but also mitigate against our dependency on state funds through local initiatives. [...] We need to 'bend the curve' in a positive direction that allows us to invest in our kids and community again. Ann Arbor will become the education destination community in Michigan. I believe the economic viability of our state is very much dependent on our success and will work hard to ensure our success. High Quality Education The AAPS is improving programs in a manner that combines the best thinking of our community with educational leadership to help all students have a successful future as lifelong learners. I worked hard to help craft a mission statement that reflects these goals and our values: "The mission of the Ann Arbor Public Schools is to ensure each student realizes his or her aspirations while advancing the common good, by creating a world-class system of innovative teaching and learning." Our new initiatives reflect the high quality education programming that our community expects. For FY15, these include:
I will work hard to continue to provide high quality programming that is innovative, responsive and puts all of our students on a path to success. I anticipate a broader set of offerings in computer science programming. I have worked hard to maintain our district's commitment to the sciences, including protecting the largest elementary science olympiad in the United States: Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad (WESO). I will continue to protect our extracurricular offerings in arts and athletics - which often inspire our students beyond the classroom and can be critical for engaging students and keeping them in school. I believe these programs make the Ann Arbor Public Schools uniquely competitive. Our grammy-winning orchestra and symphony programs are the best in the nation. Our athletic teams win state championships and our athletes are more inclined to have high academic performance when their teams are counting on them. Transparency, Credibility & Advocacy As a trustee and as Vice President of the Board of Education, I have a track record of working to improve the transparency and credibility of our district. I have advocated for our district at all levels of government, including leading a letter campaign to President Obama when the EAA was up for grant funding that would have compromised credibility investigations on that program and its leaders. I have worked hard on behalf of our students, community, teachers and staff to find ways to thrive in an environment that has been eroding traditional public education. My blog [...] is a means to improve communication with our community when traditional means have been inaccurate, incomplete and ineffective. My comment section is also transparent; not anonymous - as I believe accountability is important and model that behavior. I work hard to ensure that we have a district that is not only sustainable, but that will thrive in the future. Our community can be reassured that Ann Arbor will be a high quality education-based community that offers opportunity for all of its students, and therefore our entire community. This year was the first year I was able to vote to approve our budget, as prior budgets eroded our financial viability. This was the first year we did not further erode programming and added back to our very low fund balance. I will continue to work toward a financially sustainable district that is efficient, transparent and can thrive. I am responsive and available for my community to work through issues as they come up. I am very interested in the academic and life success of all of our students. I will continue to work hard to create an environment where our building leaders, education leaders and teachers create an inspiring environment; where our children are safe and engaged; where 'the sky is the limit' and peer relationships motivate and inspire each other to be our best. I will continue to work to improve the transparency and access to our public education institution that our community expects, through improved financial reporting and improved responsiveness as part of our culture. We have made great strides in both areas with new leadership. I will continue to govern in a manner that constantly improves our outlook, engagement and overall performance. I will continue to look out for our district when it comes to legislative policy that negatively impacts AAPS. I have built credibility and trust with many of our representatives and education leaders - and will continue to do so. I will continue advocating for our teachers, students and staff so that we can achieve a high quality education environment, live in a high quality community, and continue to be the state example of economic viability through a strong foundation in education and community values.[8] |
” |
| —Christine Stead campaign website (2014)[9] | ||
See also
- Ann Arbor Public Schools, Michigan
- Ann Arbor Public Schools elections (2014)
- Ann Arbor Public Schools elections (2018)
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Ann Arbor Public Schools
- Office website
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Personal website
Footnotes
- ↑ Ann Arbor Public Schools, "Board of Education," accessed October 1, 2014
- ↑ Christine Stead - Fighting for High Quality Public Education, "About Christine," accessed October 16, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Hunter Van Valkenburgh for School Board," accessed October 16, 2014
- ↑ Washtenaw County Elections Division, "Campaign Finance," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ Genesee County, "Filing Requirements under Michigan's Campaign Finance Act," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Christine Stead - Fighting for High Quality Public Education, "Home," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ Mlive, "Editorial: Ann Arbor News' endorsements for Ann Arbor school board," October 27, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Christine Stead - Fighting for High Quality Public Education, "Issues & Solutions," accessed October 15, 2014
| Ann Arbor Public Schools elections in 2018 | |
| Washtenaw County, Michigan | |
| Election date: | November 6, 2018 |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
