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Dan Hink
Dan Hink was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Mesa Public Schools school board in Arizona. Hink was defeated in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.
Hink was a candidate for at-large representative on the Mesa school board in the general election on November 4, 2014. Dan Hink lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Hink has earned a B.S. from Arizona State University and an M.A. from Central Michigan University. He has also earned over 30 hours of graduate credit at Ottawa University and graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.[1]
Hink is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, where he served for 26 years on active duty. During that time, he was a professor of military science and department chairman of the ROTC at the University of Washington in Seattle.[1]
In 2000, Hink became a high school teacher in the Phoenix Union High School District. He was the director of the School Army JROTC Programs at 11 high schools in the district for seven years. He was a teacher and department chair at North High School in Phoenix for six years.[1]
Hink is a member of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce "Support our Schools" Committee, a volunteer with the Mahnah Club of the East Valley and has worked with the St. Mary's Food Bank. He has served as a representative to the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) for the High School JROTCs in Arizona, and he has worked with "Arizona Stand Down," a program that works with homeless veterans.[1]
Elections
2016
- See also: Mesa Public Schools elections (2016)
Three of the five seats on the Mesa Public Schools school board were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbents Steven Peterson and Michael Nichols filed for re-election and were joined on the ballot by three newcomers: Kiana Sears, Dan Hink, and Elaine Miner. Peterson won re-election and was joined in his victory by Miner and Sears.[2][3]
Results
| Mesa Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Elaine Miner |
24.85% | 63,990 |
| Kiana Sears |
20.66% | 53,179 |
| Steven Peterson Incumbent |
20.14% | 51,865 |
| Michael Nichols Incumbent | 17.26% | 44,438 |
| Dan Hink | 17.09% | 43,987 |
| Total Votes (100) | 257,459 | |
| Source: Maricopa County Recorder, "Final Results," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Funding
School board candidates in Arizona were not required to file a campaign finance report if they did not raise or spend more than $500. If they planned to stay under this threshold, they were permitted to file an exemption statement. This rendered them exempt from all other campaign finance reporting, provided they did not exceed the $500 threshold. Otherwise, candidates were not required to file any report until they raised or spent more than the threshold limit. At that point, they had to file a Statement of Organization within five business days from when the threshold was reached. The pre-general campaign finance report was due November 4, 2016. All campaign finance filing was handled by the Arizona Secretary of State.[4]
Endorsements
Hink was endorsed by the Mesa Education Association.[5]
2014
- See also: Mesa Public Schools elections (2014)
Two incumbents, Mike Hughes and Michelle Udall, had terms expiring on December 31, 2014, but neither filed to run for re-election. Ben Smith, Dan Hink, Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo and Jenny Richardson ran to fill their vacated seats, with Richardson and Smith winning the general election.[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Jenny Richardson |
34.5% | 40,923 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ben Smith |
22.2% | 26,314 | |
| Nonpartisan | Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo | 22.2% | 26,239 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dan Hink | 21.1% | 24,978 | |
| Total Votes | 118,454 | |||
| Source: Maricopa County Recorder/Elections Office, "2014 General Election Results," accessed December 20, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Hink reported $1,000.00 in contributions but no expenditures to the Maricopa County Recorder's office, leaving his campaign with $1,000.00 on hand.[7]
Endorsements
Hink did not receive any official endorsements.
Campaign themes
2014
Hink provided the following statement on his campaign website:
| “ | The education of our children is what the future of our great nation is based on. I'm asking for your support in electing me to the Mesa School Board to make our future exceptional.
We must improve High School Graduation rates: In my opinion High School graduation is the primary mission of the public schools. It is vital to ensure that each student moves through the educational landscape with the clear and attainable goal of a High School Diploma. There is no more critical goal than a completed High School education. Every other rung on life's upward ladder is reached by succeeding in this first key accomplishment. Going on to College, Technical School, Trade Schools, the many other career fields; all starts with a High School Diploma. Arizona's educational dropout rate varies based on many factors, but overall, only 76% of our students graduate high school, leaving 24% facing a tough job market and limited future educational opportunities. Roughly, over 50% of those in jails and prisons do not have a high school diploma. This is an enormous problem, for every aspect of our society. Adequate funding: It is shameful that Arizona ranks 48th in the USA for per student State Annual School Funding. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce's "Support our Schools" I strongly support the upcoming ballot measure, on Nov. 4, to continue the Mesa Schools Budget Override authority. I have been visiting our Mesa Schools, presenting the facts and issues about the Override Continuation, and discussing this critical need with parents, teachers, and students. Securing adequate funding for our schools is a top priority. I will work hard to make sure that less money is spent on administration costs, and that more dollars make it into the classrooms. Our schools must have the necessary resources to keep the classrooms as small as possible. It is also vital that our schools are able to retain and attract the best teachers with competitive compensation packages for educators. Education: My education includes a Masters of Administration from Central Michigan University, plus 30 graduate hours in Educational Administration from Ottawa University, and a Bachelor's of Science from Arizona State University. I'm also a graduate of the US Army Command & General Staff College. The single best way to improve a teacher's effectiveness is to minimize class size: The best application of the limited resources available to education is to maximize the time a student is directly engaged by a teacher or aide. Of course, hiring new teachers brings a whole set of additional costs; classrooms, textbooks, technology, support staff, on and on. But this is where we must put our resources; it is the most important aspect of education. "Smaller classes are particularly effective at raising achievement levels of low-income and minority children. Policymakers should carefully weigh the efficacy of class-size policy against other potential uses of funds. While lower class size has a demonstrable cost, it may prove the more cost-effective policy overall." Schanzenbach, D. W. (2014). Does Class Size Matter? A safe learning environment for students and teachers: Now more than ever, it is critical that we focus on safety in schools. The most effective way to secure our schools is by having trained security staff on our school campuses. All of our children and educators should feel that schools are a safe place to learn. Represent our diverse community: I have been honored to visit with hundreds of my students' families over the years. I will bring my unique perspective to the school board, and make sure that all students and parents have a voice.[8][9] |
” |
| —Dan Hink's campaign website (2014) | ||
Recent news
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See also
- Mesa Public Schools, Arizona
- Mesa Public Schools elections (2016)
- Mesa Public Schools elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dan Hink for Mesa School Board, "About Dan," accessed September 25, 2014
- ↑ Maricopa County Education Service Agency, "Current Governing Board Candidates," accessed August 11, 2016
- ↑ Maricopa County Recorder, "Unofficial results," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Arizona Campaign Finance Guide, "Questions & Answers," accessed October 6, 2016
- ↑ AEA Fund for Public Education, "Local School District Recommendations," accessed October 20, 2016
- ↑ Maricopa County Education Service Agency, "Filed Candidate Listing," accessed September 25, 2014
- ↑ Maricopa County Recorder, "Campaign Finance Document Search," accessed September 25, 2014
- ↑ Dan Hink's campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 25, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2016 Mesa Public Schools Elections | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Steven Peterson • Incumbent, Michael Nichols • Kiana Sears • Dan Hink • Elaine Miner |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
