Herbert Camet Jr.

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Herbert Camet Jr.

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 3, 2021

Contact

Campaign Twitter

Personal website

Herbert Camet Jr. ran for election to the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors to represent District 4 in Washington. He lost in the primary on August 3, 2021.

Camet was a candidate for District 4 representative on the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors in Washington. Camet was defeated in the by-district general election on November 7, 2017.

Biography

Camet's professional experience includes serving as a K-12 school principal in the U.S., Cambodia, Iraq, and Vietnam, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer as an ESL teacher and supervisor in Yemen. He attended the University of New Orleans and earned his teaching certification from Tulane University.

Elections

2021

See also: Seattle Public Schools, Washington, elections (2021)

General election

General election for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4

Vivian Song defeated Laura Marie Rivera in the general election for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vivian Song (Nonpartisan)	72.0	170,364
		Laura Marie Rivera (Nonpartisan)	27.7	65,469
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	851

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 236,684
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4

Vivian Song and Laura Marie Rivera defeated incumbent Erin Dury and Herbert Camet Jr. in the primary for Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors District 4 on August 3, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vivian Song (Nonpartisan)	59.8	18,268
✔		Laura Marie Rivera (Nonpartisan)	21.4	6,534
		Erin Dury (Nonpartisan)	10.7	3,276
		Herbert Camet Jr. (Nonpartisan)	7.5	2,297
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	170

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 30,545
= 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.
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2017

See also: Seattle Public Schools elections (2017)

Three of the seven seats on the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors in Washington were up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. A primary election for all three seats was held on August 1, 2017, because more than two candidates filed for each seat. Although the general election was held at large, the primary election was held by district.

Eden Mack was the District 4 winner, defeating fellow challenger Herbert Camet Jr. in the general. The two fended off Sean Champagne, Jennifer Crow, Megan Hyska, Lisa Melenyzer, and Darrell Toland in the primary. In District 5, Zachary DeWolf was victorious over Omar Vasquez. They both defeated Alec Cooper, Andre Helmstetter, and Candace Vaivadas in the primary. District 7 board member Betty Patu successfully defended her seat against challenger Chelsea Byers. They both defeated Tony Hemphill in the primary.

Results

Seattle Public Schools, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Eden Mack	87.46%	167,772
Herbert Camet Jr.	12.54%	24,059
Total Votes		191,831
Source: King County, "November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed November 30, 2017

Seattle Public Schools, District 4 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Eden Mack	70.47%	18,954
Herbert Camet Jr.	7.75%	2,084
Lisa Melenyzer	6.11%	1,643
Jennifer Crow	4.84%	1,302
Darrell Toland	4.65%	1,250
Megan Hyska	3.58%	963
Sean Champagne	2.14%	576
Write-in votes	0.46%	125
Total Votes		26,897
Source: King County, "2017 Results," accessed August 15, 2017

Funding

Camet opted for mini reporting in this election, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. Candidates who opted for this had to keep a record of their contributors and expenditures, but were not required to report them. If they raised and spent more than $5,000 in aggregate or received more than $500 from any one contributor, including themselves, they would have had to switch their filing status from mini to full reporting.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Herbert Camet Jr. did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2017

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey

Herbert J. Camet Jr. participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 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 May 30, 2017:

“

As a lifelong career educator with professional experience in K-12 education in 10 countries I will be the most qualified and innovative reform advocate on the Seattle School Board.

”

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 Washington.
Education on the ballot

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Expanding arts education
2	Improving post-secondary readiness
3	Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
4	Closing the achievement gap
5	Improving education for special needs students
6	Improving relations with teachers
7	Expanding school choice options

“	Rankings speak for themselves.	”
—Herbert J. Camet Jr. (May 30, 2017)

Positions on the issues

The candidate was asked to answer eight 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.
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?
Yes.
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?
Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district.
Should teachers receive merit pay?
Yes.
Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program?
No.
How should expulsion be used in the district?
Only for violent offenses.
What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration?
Teachers

Campaign summary

Camet submitted the below statement in an email to a Ballotpedia staff writer:

“	I'm Herb Camet and I'm seeking election to the Seattle School Board, District 4 in the August primary as an education reform advocate and candidate. I am a wholly non-partisan non-corporate independent candidate without affiliation or involvement with any political party, special interest group, corporate business, or​​​​ ​other​ organization, and I oppose any candidate or organization which attempts to politicize the non-partisan School Board. The K-12 public education system has become dysfunctional and outdated​ as it does not meet the real learning needs of our children and youth and fails to enable our students to achieve and attain at the best of their abilities, and it operates as a too highly politicized ​government bureaucracy. Public education has been warped and subverted​ into a "mass consumer ​schooling system" whose aims and purposes are to " mass ​school" youth into the dumbed-down and fake sociocultural " norms and values" of the corporate commercial consumer culture, instead of being a real educational and learning community built on ​creating, ​enabling, and enhancing the learning opportunities and achievements of all students. Public education is not a corporate business nor a government bureaucracy, it is a mutual partnership among the students, the teachers, and the parents in an authentic learning community to meet the educational needs of our children and youth. The Seattle School Board​ has consistently failed to effectively perform ​its​ ​district-wide oversight and direction​ responsibilitie​s​ as it has been controlled by incompetent, unqualified, and uncaring local ​corporate business interests, ​​ '​K-12 schooling system​ bureaucrats', and ​untrained​ non-educators,​ and functions only as a bureaucratic rubber stamp with no vision nor plans nor capacity​ for re-developing education for the 21st century future of our youth​. The Seattle School Board and Seattle's public schools need now an experienced non-conventional​ domestic and international professional educator and school administrator to reorient, reform, and redevelop public education for​​​ ​the future of our children and youth,​ and their parents,​ and our communities. ​And I am that candidate now.​ My academic qualifications include the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Education Administration, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History/Government, Teacher Education Graduate Program in Teacher Certification, Peace Corps Volunteer Service, Peace Corps TESL Training, Raytheon Corp TESL Training, and California Basic Educational Skills Test. I ​plan to make the School Boar​d more ​activist and​ hands-on in its oversight​, ​monitoring​,​ and auditing of​ all​ ​operations and projects and policies​ of the school​ district, including its academic and educational services, its financial affairs and fundin​​​g,​​​ its supervision and evaluation ​of all district ​​​staff, and its teacher training and re-training programs. Included in my specific School Board plans are: I will personally visit each school in District 4 to meet with principals, assistant principals, and teachers​​ to obtain their input and feedback on the school's academic program and educational​​ services​​ and on their needs for improving instruction and student achievement.​ T​he appointment of a School Superintendent who is a fully qualified and experienced​​ non-conventional innovative educator, not a corporate business hack nor a same old ​'​ K-12 ​schooling system​'​ bureauc​rat​​. ​​​E​xpansion of the "School Option" program to give parents and students more choice in their school enrollment preferences within their neighborhood district or in other districts. E​xpansion of the now-experimental "Cascade Parent Partnership Program (CPPP") to schools in each district to involve parents more closely in their child's learning environment - parents ​can be​ an essential part of the school's learning activities​.​ I​ncreased ​ regular ​direct advocacy, communications, and interactions by the School Board members with the WA State Legislature members and with the local Seattle municipal officials​.​ A​ Board authorized and mandated teacher re-training program in learner-centered, learner interaction-based inst​ructional​​ ​​m​ethodolog​ies​ to improve and enhance student classroom learning experiences and student achievement leve​ls across all subject areas and all grade levels​ with a focus on in-class student pair work and small group work.​ A ​complete review and re-authorization of all Seattle schools special programs and projects as these have multiplied beyond efficient financial oversight and effective educational evaluation as to their need and outcomes​.​ ​A​ full financia​l ​re-auditing of all​ ​s​cho​ol​ ​​​di​strict ​services, operations,​ and program expendit​​ures and expenses to eliminate endemic waste and mismanagement of resources​.​ A reduction in class sizes to enable teachers to give more individual attention to each student. An intensive anti-drugs​ (including illicit & illegal drugs as well as prescription drug abuse) classroom information and curriculum component​ for appropriate grade levels to effectively end the drugs abuse cycle for students and their parents. An expansion of Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programs and classes with a learner-centered classroom activities structure implemented by qualified instructors. I fully support the expansion and implementation of adequate LGBT anti-bullying and LGBT lifestyle choice educational programs for all Seattle public school students. I support the direct involvement and participation of the legitimate teacher unions and employee unions of the Seattle schools in School Board oversight and direction responsibilities and plans. I specifically object to and challenge any School Board candidate who is not self-identified as a non-partisan non-corporate and non-political candidate as public education is by its nature, purpose, and mission wholly independent of any and all political parties, political organizations, corporate businesses, or other special interest groups as it must serve and meet the educational needs of ALL students and parents. I am the ONLY candidate in this School Board election who has not self-identified with a political party or political organization, thereby making all these other candidates self-disqualified from a School Board post which is by law non-partisan. I also specifically object to and personally challenge any School Board candidate currently serving or working for Seattle schools in any job or role, including as a teacher, as these candidates have a vested special interest in the existing ‘schooling system bureaucracy’, and are themselves system bureaucrats who have a direct personal monetary, financial, and retirement pension interest in maintaining the failing public education system while enriching their own pockets at the expense of our youth and their parents and our community who receive inadequate, inappropriate, and unprofessional services from these same schooling system employees & teachers. These bureaucratic teachers and employees of the Seattle public education system victimize and cheat their own students for their personal profit and aggrandizement. I am the ONLY candidate in this District 4 election who has any professional experience serving as a K-12 School Principal in 4 countries​, as well as a teacher & education administrator in K-12 schools and an ESL/ELT Training Manager in 10 countries.​ ​S​ome of the other local ​candidates in this District 4 election​ do not even hold a university degree,​ and the others are all personally failed ​‘schooling system bureaucrats'​ currently on the payroll of the public schools making them part of the very problem that must be fixed by the School Board through teacher re-training programs​. ​ And I am the ONLY candidate in this election who is independent and non-partisan and not controlled by local political parties or local party organizations, and who has declined or rejected endorsement​ requests from all such partisan politics groups. The Seattle School Board is by law a non-partisan ​post and NO candidates who have declared or identified themselves as ​members of a partisan political party or organization for purposes of obtaining endorsements and funds from such partisan politics groups should be​ in this election, and never should serve on the School Board. And ALL of the other candidates in District 4 have already ​self-identified themselves as members of political parties​, and are therefor​e self-disqualified from a non-partisan ​School Board post.​ ​ I am the ONLY candidate in this election who has any personal and professional experience working as a school principal, teacher, training manager, and K-12 & ESL/ELT​​​​​ c​urriculum specialist ​​ ​​​​​​in 10 countries worldwide​ (including the USA, Germany, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, and the U.A.E.)​ for over 35 years. I am the ONLY candidate in this election who has a comprehensive and proven plan for teacher training and re-training in learner-centered learner-interaction-based instructional methodologies to immediately increase student achievement in all grade levels and within all subject areas. ​Working together as students, teachers, staff, parents, and School Board in a mutually supportive and cooperative educational organization we can​​ and will transform public education into an effective learning community that enables our youth to attain and achieve all they can be. I ask for your support and vote in the School Board District 4 election.	”
—Herbert Camet Jr. (June 3, 2017)

Campaign website statement

Camet listed the following on his campaign website:

“	MY PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AS A CAREER EDUCATOR Served as K-12 School Principal in USA, Cambodia, Iraq, and Vietnam. Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) as ESL teacher/supervisor in Yemen (2 years). Successful blend of teaching, administrative, and business experience in domestic and international settings. Designed, implemented, and managed ELT/ESL programs in 8 countries. Student-oriented professional with a reputation for innovation, quality, and results in learner-centered instructional models. Created, developed, organized, administered, staffed, budgeted, and supervised ESL training program in Thailand for the largest private healthcare system in SE Asia. Set up, registered, owned, staffed, and operated a private job skills training business in Thailand. Proven ability to manage multiple tasks, projects, and assignments simultaneously. Organized and conducted teacher training workshops and seminars in various organizational and cultural venues. Respected by employers, students, trainees, families, and colleagues for vision, follow-through, and commitment to educational excellence. Extensive professional experience in diverse cultures with international work & life experience in 9 countries, including Saudi Arabia (8 years), Thailand (6 years), Turkey (2 years), Yemen (2 years), UAE (1 year), Germany (1 year), Iraq and Vietnam (<1 year) and Cambodia as well as travel in more than 30 countries worldwide. Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and utilize new methods, systems, and procedures, and to adapt to varying organizational environments. An in-depth knowledge of cross cultural training and business environments with educational leadership and training management experience in 9 countries.	”
—Herbert Camet Jr. (2017)

See also

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