James Hughes (Florida)
From Ballotpedia
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James Hughes ran for election to the Clay County District Schools school board to represent District 2 in Florida. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Hughes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
James Hughes was born on the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point military base. He earned a high school diploma from St. John Vianney High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of North Florida in 1979, and a graduate degree from the University of North Florida in 1993. His career experience includes working as an educator.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Clay County District Schools, Florida, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Clay County District Schools school board District 2
Robert Alvero defeated James Hughes in the general election for Clay County District Schools school board District 2 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Robert Alvero (Nonpartisan)  | 54.4 | 61,054 |
 | James Hughes (Nonpartisan) | 45.6 | 51,101 | |
| Total votes: 112,155 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Clay County District Schools school board District 2
Robert Alvero and James Hughes defeated Matthew Mitchell and Sharon Flowers in the primary for Clay County District Schools school board District 2 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Alvero (Nonpartisan) | 30.1 | 8,292 |
| ✔ | | James Hughes (Nonpartisan) | 24.5 | 6,728 |
 | Matthew Mitchell (Nonpartisan) | 23.3 | 6,406 | |
| Sharon Flowers (Nonpartisan) | 22.1 | 6,089 | ||
| Total votes: 27,515 | |||
| = 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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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Hughes in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
James Hughes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hughes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a retired teacher who taught all 36 years of my career in Clay County schools. I taught and coached at six different schools here in Clay County. I worked on district curriculum and accreditation teams and mentored students and beginning teachers. I understand the needs of the teachers and the students and have worked hard throughout my career. I want to use the expertise I have gained throughout my career as your school board representative. My three daughters all graduated from Clay County schools, to returned to be teachers in Clay county, and three of my grandchildren currently attend Clay County schools. I am deeply invested in the school system here and want to continue sharing my wealth of knowledge with all students, teachers, staff, and parents of Clay county.
- Clay County schools need to continue to prepare each of our students for graduation, whether that be preparation for college, enlistment in the military services, or to enter the job field with training and education via trade or career learning tracts. We must make sure that as students graduate from Clay County schools, they are prepared to be viable assets to our community.
- Reading scores are lower than most parents and teachers would like them to be. My masters degree from UNF concentrated on reading development and skills. We need to train our teachers from kindergarten on, How to better teach and model comprehension and critical thinking skills. We must develop recreational reading skills in each of our students, so that they will truly become lifelong learners.
- School safety remains a top priority throughout every district in our country. Each time we read about another school shooting, our hearts first go out to the community, which suffered the tragedy, but quickly I’ll concerns return to our county. our children are our most precious treasure, and we will do anything to protect them. Our district needs to remain vigilant at securing our schools and protecting our children, teachers, and staff.
School safety
Creating lifelong learners
Academic success
The shortage of trained, experienced teachers
The gross of our county and the need for new schools
I am a member of a group called the Franciscan Ministry of peace. I have always tried to live my life as Saint Francis of Assisi lived his. as a born and raised Catholic, I have also tried to live by the social teachings of the church: feeding the hungry, clothing, the naked, caring for the sick, welcoming the stranger, giving shelter to the homeless, and burying the dead.
None comes to mind.
Honesty, integrity, knowledge.
I have a hard worker and not afraid to state my beliefs and my arguments. Having taught in Clay county for 36 years, I offer the wisdom of knowing the demands of a teacher and the needs of the students. I have worked with many parents on developing ways they can assist the learning process at home.
Instituting policies that are beneficial to the education of our students.
The willingness to listen and respond to parents, teachers, students, and staff when concerns arise.
if I were to leave a legacy, I would hope that people would remember me as a kind, gentle, and loving human being.
I remember the day that JFK was killed. I came home from school and found my mom crying with the TV on. She shared the story with me and we cried together
my first job was working for an elderly retired couple who loved gardening. I would ride my bike to their house, about 2 miles away and do the manual labor and tasks that they were unable to do. It was just a summer job but because of that work I have a love for gardening.
Having taught sixth grade reading for so many years, and included many novels within my teaching, I would say that my favorite book is Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars. It is a story that takes place in Denmark during World War II and it talks about one Christian family helping one Jewish family escape to Sweden. The daughters in both families develop a friendship and with the help of underground protesters, they are able to escape and live their lives. This is one book that we would read together in my classroom and my students would ask many questions, and I intern would ask them questions which help them develop their critical thinking skills.
In the books I read to my students, any teacher who loves to share with their students, maybe Ms. Valerie Frizzle from the Magic School Bus series.
As a musician it’s hard to come up with one last song. As a music composer, it is usually one that I have spent time writing. If I’m listening to the radio it is usually a James Taylor song that stays on my mind.
Over the past 25 years of my life, I’ve dealt with a few health issues, most notably, the loss of my legs. However, that is not slowed me down. I still am able to do most everything I want to, including traveling, volunteering, and serving my community.
To set policy, oversee the budget, to make sure all schools are safe for our students, teachers, and staff, and to prepare our students for life after school.
All citizens of Clay County.
There is no one way to learn or to teach. We must assist our teachers with various concepts on how to I identify how each student best learns and adapt our teaching style so that each student may become successful. We must provide our teachers and staff with the equipment and supplies needed to successfully teach. We also must train our teachers on how to better prepare our students for graduation andsuccess outside of school.
As a school board member, I will be available to parents, teachers, students and staff as needs a rise. I will continue my involvement within the community and the organizations in which I participate.
Good teaching can be seen in classrooms where students want to learn. When a teacher is able to use their creativity and knowledge in unison, students tend to learn at a higher level of success. Part of this deals with the teacher showing students respect, and in return receiving the respect from the students. Creativity is the key.
The fine arts, such as music, art, and theater, are extremely important in the development of a complete student. The more that we can allow our students to use both sides of their brain, the better we will be able to teach and our students to learn.
The development of recreational reading skills, wear a student will read books of their choosing on their own, will instill the lifelong learning skills needed to become a complete student. This skill needs to begin with preschool and kindergarten and continue through all 12 years of their educational journey. Teachers must also model reading by reading to their students. It does not matter the age of the student, all students love to hear a story.
The development of recreational reading skills, wear a student will read books of their choosing on their own, will instill the lifelong learning skills needed to become a complete student. This skill needs to begin with preschool and kindergarten and continue through all 12 years of their educational journey. Teachers must also model reading by reading to their students. It does not matter the age of the student, all students love to hear a story.
Contacting our state legislature.
As a retired teacher, I would do anything to protect every one of my students. unfortunately, we now live in a society where kids can no longer just be kids. Schools have to conduct lockdown drills, live shooter drills, and schools need to keep all doors, locked, and restrict who enters and leaves the school. As we have seen in the past years with increased shootings in schools, it is not just students dying, but it is also teachers standing between their students and those who wish to do them harm.
Mental health is a major concern that often stems from basic needs not being met. I understand the need for counseling and help with mental health issues, as my wife is a mental health counselor. Teachers and school staff are not trained to be mental health counselors, but often find themselves in those situations. We can offer teachers and staff in service but without licensed mental health counselors on school property, many may go without counseling. It is not just students, but teachers also need the availability of mental health counselors as well.
This is the worlds, shortest poem:
Adam had um.
Adam had um.
Without studying each of the policies of our school district, I am not at liberty to answer this question.
Past superintendents and past and present school board members, many teachers, past students.
IBEW Local Union, North Florida Central Labor Council, CCEA, and five other Florida teacher associations.
IBEW Local Union, North Florida Central Labor Council, CCEA, and five other Florida teacher associations.
An ideal learning environment for students includes each of the steps of Maslow’s needs for learning. Students must come prepared to learn, and part of that preparation deals with basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. No student can learn without those basic needs. Students need to feel safe. Students need to feel accepted and loved. Students must be challenged. Students must feel success. Good teaching
Because there was so much unknown about the pandemic and the coronavirus, I feel it was better to be overcautious. Many students and teachers have weakened immune systems due to illnesses. I am one. What we can learn from the coronavirus pandemic and the way schools reacted, is to be better prepared for online learning and ways to keep our schools open if possible.
I have always been a good listener, and able to discern the needs and requests put upon me. I will be available for conferences with parents, and will keep them informed of new policies, procedures, and curriculum.
We must create an environment within our faculty, staff and administration, that makes them want to stay in our schools. a large proponent to this environment, centers around salaries and benefits. It is important that we take care of our faculty staff and administration the best of our ability.
We need to make sure that our school ‘s financial spending, spent in a wise and prudent manner. It should be transparent so that all stakeholders can view however everything is spent.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 8, 2024
