Janelle Nixon-Burke
Janelle Nixon-Burke was a candidate for Position 5 representative on the Everett Public Schools school board in Washington. Nixon-Burke was defeated in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Biography
Nixon-Burke received a diploma in medical assisting from Allied Medical College and a diploma in computer technology from Vatterott Community College. She has worked as a journalist and graphic and website designer. She has been the Evergreen Middle School PTA Vice President, an assistant on multiple committees on the Snohomish County NAACP, and a spiritual counselor and group leader at Blue Wolf Coven. The 2017 election was her first time running for office.[1]
Elections
2017
- See also: Everett Public Schools elections (2017)
One of the five seats on the Everett Public Schools school board in Washington was up for at-large general election on November 7, 2017. Position 5 incumbent Pam LeSesne filed for re-election and defeated Janelle Nixon-Burke.[2]
Results
| Everett Public Schools, Position 5 General Election, 6-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Pam LeSesne |
80.87% | 18,461 |
| Janelle Nixon-Burke | 18.35% | 4,189 |
| Write-in votes | 0.78% | 177 |
| Total Votes | 22,827 | |
| Source: Snohomish County, "Snohomish County Unofficial Election Results," accessed November 22, 2017These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
Funding
Nixon-Burke opted for mini reporting in this election, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.[3] 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.[4]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Janelle Nixon-Burke participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[5] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on July 18, 2017:
| “ | I hope to achieve transparency for parents and the community, better community partnerships with the entire community, not just big businesses. I hope to achieve closing the gap that exists with racial disparities in the district and enforcement of school policies. I wish to make the Everett school district a better, safer, environment for all children so that they can receive an excellent education.[6][7] | ” |
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 |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
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 be involved in the district routinely. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| It should only be used in cases where there is a violent crime. No child should miss school via expulsion, as every child has a right to an basic education and if expelled they can't get that. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers It's truly a combination of Teachers, Curriculum, and Parental involvement. Teachers need to be able to teach curriculum that holds value, that is interesting and educational at the same time. Parents need to be more involved with the education process. Knowing and learning with their children to keep them interested in their education. |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on July 18, 2017
- ↑ Snohomish County, "Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 23, 2017
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Local Candidates," accessed October 10, 2017
- ↑ Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, "New Candidates," accessed June 22, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Janelle Nixon-Burke's responses," July 18, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Everett Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Snohomish County, Washington | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Position 5: Incumbent, Pam LeSesne • Janelle Nixon-Burke |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
