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Jayme Mathias
Jayme Mathias was a member of the Austin Independent School District in Texas, representing District 2. He assumed office in 2012. He left office in 2020.
Mathias ran for election to the Manor Independent School District to represent Place 5 in Texas. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Mathias completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jayme Mathias' career experience includes working as an executive director. He earned a bachelor's degree from St. Louis University in 1995, a graduate degree from St. Edward's University in 2009, and a Ph.D. from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2011.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Manor Independent School District, Texas, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Manor Independent School District Place 5
Patrick Patterson defeated Jayme Mathias in the general election for Manor Independent School District Place 5 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Patrick Patterson (Nonpartisan) | 51.1 | 8,828 | |
 | Jayme Mathias (Nonpartisan)  | 48.9 | 8,464 | |
| Total votes: 17,292 | |||
| = 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
To view Mathias's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Mathias in this election.
2016
Five of the nine seats on the Austin Independent School District school board were up for general election on November 8, 2016. District 2 incumbent Jayme Mathias filed for re-election and defeated challenger Andy Anderson. Cindy Anderson defeated fellow newcomer David Quintanilla filed in the race for the open at-large seat. District 3 incumbent Ann Teich, District 5 incumbent Amber Elenz, and District 7 incumbent Yasmin Wagner won re-election without opposition.[2]
Results
| Austin Independent School District, District 2 General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jayme Mathias Incumbent |
68.02% | 9,737 |
| Andy Anderson | 31.98% | 4,578 |
| Total Votes | 14,315 | |
| Source: Travis County Clerk, "Travis County Election Results," November 21, 2016 | ||
Endorsements
Mathias received the endorsement of The Austin Chronicle on October 21, 2016.[3]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jayme Mathias completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mathias' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- Put Kids First. Dr. Mathias is “running for the right reason”: our kids & grandkids! Rather than pay them lip service—charter schools routinely program all teachers to refer to even five-year-olds as “scholars”—let’s ensure that our kids & grandkids are equipped with the essential knowledge & skills for college, career, military & life success!
- 2. Improve Student Outcomes. The Manor ISD is largely failing our kids. 30% of 3rd-graders could read at grade level in 2023; only 24% are at grade level now. 31% of 3rd-graders were at grade level in math in 2023; only 19% are at grade level today. The data are trending in the wrong direction, and we must place a laser focus on student outcomes!
- Put the Brakes on Board Drama. Historically a hotbed of adult drama & dysfunction, the Manor ISD Board of Trustees is currently under oversight by the Texas Education Agency. This is unacceptable. Dr. Mathias will ensure that the necessary policies and practices are in place to ensure an effective, high-performing board—and to get the Manor ISD out of TEA oversight!
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.
2016
Mathias submitted the following responses to a candidate questionnaire from Austin Kids First Action:
| “ |
Why do you want to be elected an AISD Trustee? My website (www.jaymemathias.com) shares a glimpse into the ways in which I personally attempt to be such a “superhero”: advocating for our AISD students and schools, for our faculty, staff and administration, as well as for our district and for public education in Texas. I am passionate about education and its potential for providing a “hand-up” to those who will one day lead our city, state and nation. As the root of the English word “education” suggests, we lead (educimus, in Latin) our students toward a deeper knowledge of themselves and of our world, knowing that they, in turn, lead (educunt) and influence others—even at a young age and that they will one day lead our city, state and nation into the future! Should the voters of District 2 desire, I am willing to continue to share of my life in service to our AISD students and schools. I do not “want” to be re-elected as an AISD trustee, so much as I am willing, if re-elected, to continue to serve, to the best of my ability, the students of our district. If re-elected, I would be honored to continue the momentum that we have created during these past four years of reclaiming the promise of public education in Austin. If re-elected, I intend to continue to be a trustee who is a strong advocate for our public schools, a trustee who will continue to engage the District 2 community through school tours, community conversations and regular constituent communications, and a trustee who will continue to dedicate himself to data-driven decisions that are in the best interest of our AISD students. Why would a person want to do all this? Ultimately, for me, the answer is love: a love of education, a love of our students, and a love for our public schools here in Austin. What personal and professional experiences (e.g. education, high-level leadership roles, previous board experience) most qualify you for service as an AISD Trustee? My education has certainly prepared me to help “steer” the Austin ISD. After 13 years of public school education, I graduated as valedictorian of my class. I earned two undergraduate degrees summa cum laude. My graduate degrees include an M.S. in Organizational Leadership and an M.B.A. My doctorate is in leadership studies. For four years, I served as president of a college-preparatory school for low-income students. I then pastored a congregation that I grew to be Austin's largest Spanish-speaking Catholic community. I now pastor another growing congregation with the assistance of three priests and numerous lay ministers. As dean of a national theological school, I, too, report to a board. During the past 15 years, I co-founded three learning centers in East Austin—including La FUENTE, which hosted the AISD’s first Delta program outside a district facility, and Sí Se Puede, which educates pre-K students and their parents. I have grown through four years of service on the AISD Board, helping to oversee a billion-dollar budget for roughly 83,000 students and 12,000 employees in 130 schools. In June, I was elected by fellow trustees to represent the AISD for a three-year term on the TASB Board of Directors. During the past 15 years, I have served organizations ranging from my neighborhood planning team, to national boards. I have learned a great deal about good governance and the difference between governance (the responsibility of any board) and management (the responsibility of the executive who reports to the board—and of all who report to him/her). What, in your view, are the three biggest challenges facing AISD? What are the district’s greatest strengths? Our greatest strength, in my estimation, is our people: 12,000 employees, from the superintendent and his cabinet, to all who daily interact with and meet the needs of our students. Their work continually makes me #AISDproud. Another strength of the AISD is the tremendous community support we enjoy. Each day, countless parents and partners, businesses, non-profits and funders rally in support of our students and our schools. Without them, we couldn’t achieve the successes we enjoy. A third strength is that we currently have a board that is increasingly aware of its role of governance, is focused on reform policy, and is pulling in the necessary talent to transform our board operations. At my suggestion, we brought Dr. Cathy Mincberg to work with our board on two occasions; I’ve also encouraged other trustees to attend her summer leadership institute. More recently, A.J. Crabill and representatives of the Council of Great City Schools led us in a board retreat. Our district, though, is not without its challenges. One grave challenge lies in the fiscal restraints imposed on us. Public education in Texas is inadequately funded, our district is burdened with a recapture payment this year of $406 million, and decreasing enrollment exacerbates the challenge. Eventually, these realities will pressure us to make tough decisions. Another district challenge is the effective communication of the many great things that are happening in our public schools each day. Too many district efforts of late have drawn fire in this respect, thus necessitating reflection and action. A third challenge is our continued struggle with closing the achievement gap, achieving equity of outcomes, and the continued turnaround of struggling schools. In four years, we’ve turned around six “improvement required” schools in District 2, and we anticipate turning around the seventh this year—but our achievement gap is far from closed. What expectations do you intend to set for the upcoming term? What will be your top goals and priorities? I would like to think that I am an “and-then-some” trustee, always exceeding the expectations of those who elected me to this office, which I take extremely seriously. Last year, one constituent came to me with a safety concern at one school, for instance, and I convened five subsequent meetings of school representatives, safety specialists and elected officials in an attempt to resolve the situation. I set biannual goals and priorities for myself. In January 2015, I committed myself to four priorities that are summarized in the acronym BEET: our district’s budget (in light of the fiscal pressures we continue to face), a continued focus on equity of outcomes (in light of District 2 student performance), continued community engagement (so as to have the “buy-in” of the community before the advent of future challenges), and the increased transparency of our board (which led to my launching of regular constituent communications). My top goals and priorities for the next biennium include focusing on the ABC’S of District 2: advocating for our students, schools and district vis-à-vis the 85th Legislative Session (which is not expected to be friendly to public education in Texas), building on community engagement efforts (launching again this year, for instance, another round of 20 school tours & community conversations throughout District 2), closing the achievement gap and focusing on equity of outcomes among schools and student groups (which will be a special focus of our board during the coming months), and spreading the word of all the tremendous things that are happening as we work together to reclaim the promise of public education in Austin, as evidenced by my constituent communications and posts on social media.[4][5] |
” |
| —Jayme Mathias (2016) | ||
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Manor Independent School District Place 5 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
- ↑ Austin Statesman, "Two of five Austin school races contested as election filing closes," August 23, 2016
- ↑ The Austin Chronicle, "Chronicle Endorsements: Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees," October 21, 2016
- ↑ Austin Kids First Action, "2016 candidate questionnaires," accessed October 28, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
