Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Daniel Centers
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive election coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This board member is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.
Daniel Centers (Democratic Party) was an at-large member of the Livonia Public Schools in Michigan. Centers assumed office in 2014.
Centers (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent District 19. Centers lost in the Democratic primary on August 7, 2018.
Centers is an at-large member of the Livonia Public Schools school board in Michigan. Centers won re-election in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.
Biography
Centers received his bachelor's degree from Madonna University. He is an alumni relations and annual giving officer at the university.[1]
Elections
2018
See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2018
General election
General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 19
Laurie Pohutsky defeated Brian Meakin in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 19 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Laurie Pohutsky (D)  | 50.2 | 23,454 |
| Brian Meakin (R) | 49.8 | 23,230 | ||
| Total votes: 46,684 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 19
Laurie Pohutsky defeated Daniel Centers in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 19 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Laurie Pohutsky | 54.7 | 6,224 |
 | Daniel Centers | 45.3 | 5,152 | |
| Total votes: 11,376 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 19
Brian Meakin advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 19 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Brian Meakin | 100.0 | 9,541 | |
| Total votes: 9,541 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
- See also: Livonia Public Schools elections (2016)
Four of the seven seats on the Livonia Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbents Tamara Bonifield and Daniel Centers filed for re-election, while fellow board members Dianne Laura and Eileen McDonnell opted against seeking new terms. Bonifield and Centers were joined on the ballot by challengers Jason Anderson, Kylee Anderson, Karen Bradford, Crystal Frank, Donald Glance, and Jody Rice-White. Bonifield, Centers, Bradford, and Frank won in the general election.[2]
Results
| Livonia Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Karen Bradford |
19.25% | 20,964 |
| Tamara Bonifield Incumbent |
16.01% | 17,435 |
| Crystal Frank |
14.42% | 15,710 |
| Daniel Centers Incumbent |
13.89% | 15,130 |
| Jody Rice-White | 10.92% | 11,899 |
| Kylee Anderson | 9.26% | 10,087 |
| Jason Anderson | 8.94% | 9,739 |
| Donald Glance | 6.65% | 7,245 |
| Write-in votes | 0.66% | 722 |
| Total Votes | 108,931 | |
| Source: Wayne County, Michigan, "Elections Division-Results," November 22, 2016 | ||
Funding
School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016.[3]
In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. 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.[4]
October 28 filing
Candidates received a total of $16,512.90 and spent a total of $12,219.22 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Wayne County Clerk.[5]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamara Bonifield (incumbent) | $2,087.31 | $1,306.55 | $780.76 |
| Daniel Centers (incumbent) | $6,190.59 | $5,946.90 | $243.69 |
| Jason Anderson | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Kylee Anderson | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Karen Bradford | $5,535.00 | $2,682.28 | $2,852.72 |
| Crystal Frank | $2,700.00 | $2,283.49 | $416.51 |
| Donald Glance | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Jody Rice-White | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Endorsements
Centers was endorsed by the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO.[6]
2014
- See also: Livonia Public Schools elections (2014)
The election in Livonia featured four at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Colleen Burton and Mark Johnson and newcomer Liz Jarvis defeated challengers Jake Emerick, Jeffrey Jacobs, Steve Johnson, Suzanne Migrin and Gregory Zotos for the three seats with full four-year terms. The incumbents, Burton and Johnson, campaigned together as a team.[7] Fellow incumbent Dan Centers ran unopposed and won re-election for the one seat with an unexpired two-year term. Board member Randy Roulier did not file for re-election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Dan Centers Incumbent |
98.7% | 17,246 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1.3% | 227 | |
| Total Votes | 17,473 | |||
| Source: Wayne County Elections Division, "Summary Report," accessed December 29, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Centers did not report any contributions or expenditures during the election, according to the Wayne County Elections Division.[8]
Endorsements
Centers received endorsements from the MEA 2-L Coordinating Council, the local chapter of the UAW, Boilermakers Local 169, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, Iron-Workers Local 25 and the Greater Detroit Building and Construction Trades Council.[9][10][11]
Campaign themes
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Daniel Centers participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on September 7, 2016:
| “ | As a re-elected school board member I hope to continue the fiscal responsibility and transparency that Livonia Public Schools is known for. I want to continue to direct resources to the classroom, giving our students the best educational opportunities. Finally, I hope to continue to expand partnerships with community groups like the Livonia Jaycees, Civitans and others.[12][13] | ” |
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 Michigan. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | The most important thing a school board can do is keep the doors open by having a balanced budget and paying our bills. Next, we need to engage our teachers and provide the best opportunities for students to learn and grow.[13] | ” |
| —Dan Centers (September 7, 2016) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer nine 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 have a public school district that meets the needs of the students it serves. I believe in investing in these schools so they can continue to do the good work of serving kids. |
| 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. Standard tests alone are not an accurate metric for student achievement. Test anxiety, test biases, and other factors can impact student scores. Student must be assessed in a variety of ways to accurately understand their achievement levels. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| The Common Core State Standards have been Michigan law for several years now. In accordance to the law, LPS is teaching to these standards and has invested heavily to align the curriculum to Common Core. It is my belief that if the standards were replaced, it would be very costly to school districts. |
| 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? |
| 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. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Being a classroom teacher is not an easy task. Successful teachers need training, mentoring, and feedback in order to grow as professionals. If an individual cannot successfully learn from this assistance over a reasonable time, they should likely be dismissed. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. While merit pay was probably a well intended experiment, the research is not clear if students see any benefit at all. We need to invest in all of our teachers, who are rigorously evaluated on a yearly basis. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. I believe that the Michigan Constitution is very clear: Public tax dollars will go toward public schools only. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsion should be used in extreme cases. In most cases these are dictated by the Michigan School Code or State law. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers. Research shows that a well trained and effective teacher can make a significant impact in the classroom. However, to receive the best results, parents, administrators need to support the teachers. From my first-hand knowledge as a former teacher, I know that smaller class size can allow teachers to better differentiate for students and give learners more one-on-one time. Finally, school boards should work hard to provide quality curriculum for teachers. These tools can help students learn from the latest and best material. |
Additional themes
Centers provided the following responses for the voter guide compiled by MLive.com:
| “ |
Why are you running for office? I am an experienced educator and higher-education administrator who brings classroom and managerial experience to the Board. As a former teacher, I know the importance of quality instruction. I will continue to ensure students have the tools for learning and personal development. I will continue to use my knowledge to continue to expand charitable partnerships to benefit the Livonia Public Schools' students. Residents know that I work hard for our community. During my time as a board member, I have never missed a vote. Also, I have earned Certified Board Member status from the Michigan Association of School Boards. Finally, as long-time resident of Livonia, I understand local tax payers want accountability for their dollars. Voters can trust me to provide efficient and transparent use of allocated funds. What are your top three priorities? In coming years the district will need to replace many books and classroom materials. It is a top priority that our students have the tools they need to learn. Finally, Livonia Public Schools continues to offer a large variety of programs to meet student's needs. Maintaining or expanding gifted and talented programs, special education programs, and arts programs will be important to keep Livonia a destination for young families. What is the most pressing issue for this office? |
” |
| —Daniel Centers (2016) | ||
See also
- Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Livonia Public Schools, Michigan
- Livonia Public Schools elections (2016)
- Livonia Public Schools elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 MLive, "Voter Guide," accessed October 27, 2016
- ↑ Wayne County, Michigan, "Elections Division-Election Information," accessed August 30, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Bureau of Elections, "2016 and 2017 Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," January 12, 2016
- ↑ Genesee County, "Filing Requirements under Michigan's Campaign Finance Act," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Wayne County Clerk, "Wayne County Campaign Finance Information System," accessed October 30, 2016
- ↑ Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, "2016 Political Endorsements," accessed October 4, 2016
- ↑ Facebook, "Re-elect Colleen and Mark for Livonia School Board," accessed October 5, 2014
- ↑ Wayne County Elections Division, "View Filed Reports," accessed October 24, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Education Association, "MEA Recommended Candidates – Election 2014," October 16, 2014
- ↑ UAW Election 2014, "Michigan," accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Dan Centers," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Daniel Centers's responses," September 7, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
