Eric Young (Indiana)

Eric Young ran for election for an at-large seat of the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township school board in Indiana. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Young completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Eric Young was born in Indiana. He earned a high school diploma from Ben Davis High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University in 1998. His career experience includes working as a business executive.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township school board At-large

Incumbent Crystal Puckett defeated Eric Young in the general election for Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township school board At-large on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Crystal Puckett (Nonpartisan)	64.8	23,254
	Eric Young (Nonpartisan)	35.2	12,610

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,864
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Young in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Eric Young completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Young's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a proud product (and strong supporter!) of public education. I grew up on the west side of Indianapolis, attending Wayne Township schools. I was raised by a single mom, and lived in Section 8 subsidized housing. I went on to attend the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, earning a Bachelors Degree with majors in Accounting and Computer Information Systems.

I currently serve as the Director of Finance and Administration for a local software development company, where I have worked for 26 years. I have lived in Lawrence Township for over 23 years. My wife and I have a son who attends Lawrence Central.

I am honored to have been able to be a part of several community organizations. I remember a time in middle school when I was able to volunteer at a soup kitchen to serve a Thanksgiving meal to hundreds of people on the near west side of Indianapolis. In college, I was active with the IU chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and served as President for two years.

Over the last several years, I have served the following organizations, each being a remarkable and impactful experience: Lawrence Township Stakeholder Academy Graduate Lawrence Township School Foundation (LTSF) Finance Committee Scouts BSA (Boy Scouts) Troop Treasurer and Advancement Chair Amy Beverland Family Association (PFO) Treasurer Amy Beverland Dads' Club Board Member Cub Scouts Den Leader, Treasurer

And more...

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

> Curiosity: Ask tough questions of administration. Evaluate and analyze data presented. Call for corrective action plans when goals are missed.
> Growth: Tough and achievable board goals, backed by action plans. Ensure teachers have the resources and support necessary to achieve these goals. Improve all student outcomes, while keeping an eye on State expectations.
> Safety: Provide students tools and knowledge needed to deescalate and resolve conflict without violence. Engage with community organizations dealing with violence prevention to promote and give them space to offer their expertise to our school community.
> Dialogue: Invite conversations with all stakeholders - parents, teachers, staff. Board listening sessions to hear what stakeholders want from Lawrence Township.
> Culture: Establish Board goals toward establishing a workplace culture where staff feedback is valued, welcomed, and acted upon. Advocate for anonymous yearly staff surveys, and exit interviews of all who retire or resign from Lawrence Township. Look for ways to increase classified staff pay and benefits.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about protecting public education. The traditional public schools are required by law to provide an education to all students, and are also required to follow stringent laws and regulations. Private institutions do not have to accept all students, and many are not required to following the same regulations. We must ensure that our public schools are adequately funded so they are able to meet these expectations while also being able to provide a wage to teachers that is commensurate with the level of education and professionalism that is expected. In addition, other school staff such as mental-health professionals, social workers, security, nutrition, bus drivers, and custodians are all critical to providing an education.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Transparency. Honesty. Respect for and a willingness to learn more about differing viewpoints.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Be kind to people, plants, and animals. Always do what is right and fair.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Challenger space shuttle tragedy comes to mind. I believe I was in fourth grade when it happened. I had a third grade science teacher who was in the final stages of being the teacher selected to go on that flight, so it hit close to home.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

McDonald's. I started as a crew member, and was promoted to a trainer, training coordinator, then shift supervisor before graduating High School. I learned so much from this job that have helped me throughout my life and career - customer service, cooking temperatures and times, preparing a desirable product, lots of cleaning (there was a saying, "if you have time to lean, you have time to clean"), how to hustle, and how to work with others.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The primary role of a school board is to select, hire, and evaluate the superintendent. Part of the evaluation process includes monitoring the operations of the district, listening to district employees, and analyzing data to determine if the superintendent is effective at his/her job.

Who are your constituents?

The direct constituents of a Lawrence Township school board member are the voters in Lawrence Township. I believe voters expect a school board member to set policies and goals to provide the children of the community an excellent education. Part of providing an excellent education is making sure teachers and staff are well taken care of, our buildings, busses, and other properties are well maintained and updated, and that students and staff have a safe environment in which they can learn and work.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Lawrence Township is blessed to have a very diverse population. It is what makes Lawrence great. MSDLT does many things to support the needs of our students, faculty, staff and community. We need to take a proactive approach to gathering feedback and information on what more is needed. Are there things LT is offering that are no longer needed? Are we offering solutions that are not fitting the needs? We should seek out answers to questions like these from our stakeholders to make sure our supports are aligned to the actual needs of the community.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

Teachers do an amazing job at creating fun and inviting environments for their students. I have talked to many teachers and several have told me that class size is a significant issue. Because of this, they feel they are not able to provide the education their students deserve. We also need to look at how we can improve student behavior. While I support the concept of Restorative Practices, I believe we also need to make sure we are, at the appropriate time, holding students accountable for their actions and instituting consequences when warranted. Smaller class sizes and fewer disruptions related to behavior can lead to a better learning environment for all.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

I would like to see the Lawrence Township Board of Education become more accessible. Perhaps we have some traveling meetings that are held in neighborhood schools, closer to the families, in hopes they may be more inclined to attend the meeting. I would like to have "coffee with a board member" times where I am available to speak with constituents. I hope to be able to attend events that are hosted by our school communities so I can talk with parents and get their feedback.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

Recruitment has certainly been a challenge for the K-12 industry. We should look at this from multiple angles to address current, short-term, and long-term needs. We must also really focus on retaining our existing staff, as they are being actively recruited by other schools. In Lawrence Township, we can do a better job of listening to the needs of our educators. I will advocate for continuation of the anonymous annual employee survey, and ensure that staff are free to express their thoughts. I will also ensure we have an increased effort to conduct exit interviews for staff that retire or resign from Lawrence Township. It is through these efforts that we can learn what is going well, and what could be improved.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township school board At-large

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024

[1]

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Eric Young (Indiana)

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township school board At-large

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

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