George White (Michigan)

George White

George White was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Kalamazoo Public School District school board in Michigan. White was defeated in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.

Elections

2016

See also: Kalamazoo Public School District elections (2016)

Two of the seven seats on the Kalamazoo Board of Education were up for general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbent Jennie Hill filed for re-election, while fellow board member Martha Warfield opted against seeking a new term. Hill faced challengers Maria Basnak, Lauren Freedman, Jesse Herron, Paul Marquardt, and George White. Hill and Freedman defeated Basnak, Marquardt, White, and Herron.

Results

Kalamazoo Public School District, At-Large General Election, 6-year terms, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jennie Hill Incumbent	23.89%	12,910
Lauren Freedman	21.72%	11,734
Maria Basnak	15.04%	8,128
Paul Marquardt	13.28%	7,174
George White	13.17%	7,114
Jesse Herron	12.90%	6,970
Total Votes		54,030
Source: Election Magic, "Kalamazoo County Election Returns," accessed December 14, 2016

Funding

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

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.

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.

October 28 filing

Candidates received a total of $4,075.00 and spent a total of $3,632.48 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register.

Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on hand
Jennie Hill (incumbent)	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Maria Bosnak	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Lauren Freedman	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Jesse Herron	$4,075.00	$3,632.48	$442.52
Paul Marquardt	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
George White	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Campaign themes

2016

White provided the following responses for the voter guide compiled by MLive.com:

“	Why are you running for office? As an activist i have been on committees that addressed the fair treatment of Hispanic immigrants in their contact with Kalamazoo Public Safety, fair treatment for LGBT citizens, fair treatment for citizens with criminal histories (Fair Chance for all) and demonstrated against incidents of police brutality. The biggest issue/crime of the 21st century is the failure of government officials to fund public schools, to educate all children, and the resulting mass incarceration of Black and Brown men and women. As a foster parent for 33 years i have experienced first hand the ineffectiveness of Kalamazoo Public Schools to address core issues (trauma/mental health) that results in suspensions, expulsions and violence committed against teachers and other students. I will work to establish trust between teachers, the superintendent and other administrators to create a school that serves all students regardless of their race or ethnicity.. What are your top three priorities? 1. To create a safer school by establishing a rapport and a strong bond between the School Board and the teachers! Teachers are saddened/sickened by what they see as a failure on the part of the school board to adopt policies that would be in the best interest of treating the whole child and would meet the students psychological, social emotional and educational needs. Schools should spend more time on learning and less time on standardized testing. these test can be demoralizing for some at risk students which creates more anxiety and acting out. 2. Review the itemized budget to determine what resources can be diverted to programs of Restorative Justice/Mental Health, also to seek other revenue that would help place Psychologist, social workers, counselors in every school, and reduce class sizes! 3. Increase Social Justice awareness and eliminate barriers (Culture, language, Poverty) that contribute to all students not being educated. What is the most pressing issue for this office? Creating a environment of cooperation between teachers, administrators and the school board that will set the example for students/parents to follow. Cooperation that will lead to more creative ways of engaging students in matters of cultural diversity of learning, problem solving through a restorative justice model, and respect for others!	”
—George White (2016)

Recent news

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George White (Michigan) - Google News

See also

• Kalamazoo Public School District, Michigan
• Kalamazoo Public School District elections (2016)

External links

• Kalamazoo Public School District