Jennifer Williamson
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Jennifer Williamson ran for election for an at-large seat of the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board. She lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Williamson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jennifer Williamson was born in Youngstown, Ohio. She earned a bachleor's degree from Youngstown State University in 2003. She earned a graduate degree from Drew Theological School in 2006. Williamson's career experience includes working as a youth pastor with Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. She has been affiliated with Faith Table Colorado Springs, the National Parent Teacher Association, the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Ecumenical Social Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, and with Lutheran Family Services.[1]
Elections
2021
See also: Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado, elections (2021)
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Endorsements
To view Williamson's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jennifer Williamson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Williamson's 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 the parent of two D11 students. I was the PTA President for two years and SAC chair for two years at Audubon Elementary. I have been an ordained United Methodist Pastor for fifteen years and currently serve as the Youth Pastor at Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Through my work in the schools and the church I have gotten to know many children and families of this district. I care about them and want to advocate for them. I am passionate about public education as it gave me the opportunity for success. I have a Bachelor's in Psychology from Youngstown State University and a Masters in Divinity from Drew Theological School. I believe that our school board needs rational, open-minded people who truly care for the students and that is what I can bring to our Board of Education. I want to join the board to continue what I’ve already dedicated my life to: building a community where all kids experience belonging, where all kids can thrive, and where educators, parents, and students all work together in mutual trust toward a brighter future.
- Holistic Education- I want to ensure D11 prepares students for future success by providing excellent instruction and a commitment to caring for ALL kids’ social and emotional well-being.
- Mutual Trust- Let’s build collaborative relationships between teachers, students, and parents, as well as the district and the community. By sharing ideas, successes and wisdom, we can create a stronger culture of inclusion and trust.
- A Hopeful Future- Our city is growing and evolving. D11 needs to grow along with it. As partners in growth, we can share a renewed vision for investing in our public schools as we help our students and our city thrive.
I am passionate about ensuring that the needs of students are met regardless of where they live. I believe that schools need to be properly funded and that transparency in spending is an essential part of working with the community.
I have had so many wonderful teachers, professors and mentors. One of the people I look up to is the Reverend Don Christensen. He was the senior pastor of the first church I was appointed to after seminary. He and his family were so kind and welcoming to my husband and I. He always supported and encouraged me. He modeled how to work hard and also be a great parent. He has an open mind and an open heart and is constantly challenging himself and learning new things even in retirement.
I am open minded and able to hear all sides of a situation. The churches where I have been a pastor have been vibrant communities where people do not always disagree and have strong opinions, I have been able to lead through building relationships and establishing a shared vision. I am a good listener with training as a hospital chaplain and experience with teens going through a crisis. I enjoy and have gifts in writing and public speaking. I am a fast learner and take my responsibilities seriously, I will thoroughly study the issues at hand and make informed opinions.
School Board is non partisan and I believe it is important to keep it that way. The board needs to be united for the sake of the children. It is important to hear diverse thoughts and opinions and work together to make the best decisions for all students. We must hold ourselves accountable to the community and the children. As a Christian I live by the two greatest commandments, "love God, love your neighbor." This is my guiding principle that I hold myself accountable to in my words and actions. The core responsibility is to ensure the best education possible for the students of the district.
My first job was at a Dairy Queen in a small town. It was open during the summer and I worked there for six years. We were a close knit team and made lots of memories. There were not many businesses in the town so I got to know most of the town. We had so much fun running around making treats for baseball teams and happy kids. My time at the Dairy Queen taught me a lot about responsibility, teamwork, saving money and how to relate to the public.
My kids like to play this game on their tablets called "My Singing Monsters" where you earn these different monsters that make various sounds and can build songs with them. The songs get stuck in our heads and we make up silly words to them. This morning when I was making the kids breakfast we were singing one of the songs and I made up words about how our miniature schnauzer puppy is cute.
The school board is a bridge between the community and the school. It is a form of representation, accountability and leadership. School Board members need to know what is happening in the school and the community. This happens through relationship-building, being active in the community, going to the schools, participating in the life of the district, attending all school board meetings, preparation and study of the matters that come before the board, hearing all perspectives and keeping an open mind.
Career and Technical Education is essential for today's schools. It not only prepares students for real world careers but also gives their learning a practical application with hands on experience. It is a way to retain students and prepare a workforce for the future while also maintaining excellent education standards and depth of thought. We must continue to expand these programs through partnerships with the community and also properly communicate what is happening in these programs with the community. I am excited about the magnet programs like Outdoor Educational Learning proposed in the Academic Master Plan, but we must make sure our schools and staff are properly resourced so that these can be done with excellence.
This is something I have experience with through PTA and School Accountability Committee. Parents need to know that their time and feedback will be valued. Multiple forms of communication must be used but most importantly relationship building means taking the time to listen and learn from the experiences of all parents. I plan to visit schools regularly, attend district events like football games and school plays and also be available to parents to know what their experience is like.
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.
See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2021
