Jeremy Woods
Jeremy Woods was a candidate for Place 3 representative on the DeSoto Independent School District school board in Texas. Woods was defeated in the by-district general election on May 6, 2017.
Elections
2017
Three of the seven seats on the DeSoto Independent School District board of trustees were up for general election on May 6, 2017. Place 3 incumbent Karen Daniel defeated former board member Van Stripling and challengers Demetric Brown and Jeremy Woods. Tiffany Clark defeated Place 4 incumbent Jerry Hall, DeAndrea Fleming, and Krystal Denise Sams in the race for the Place 4 seat. In the race for the Place 5 seat, incumbent Aubrey Hooper defeated challengers A'Londa Barber, Laneshia Jordan, and Darrell Porter.[1][2]
Results
| DeSoto Independent School District, Place 3 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Karen Daniel Incumbent |
40.12% | 828 |
| Demetric Brown | 38.76% | 800 |
| Van Stripling | 13.52% | 279 |
| Jeremy Woods | 7.61% | 157 |
| Total Votes | 2,064 | |
| Source: Dallas County Elections, "2017 Joint Election," accessed September 20, 2017 | ||
Funding
Woods reported no contributions or expenditures to the Dallas County Elections Office as of May 1, 2017.[3]
Campaign themes
2017
Woods participated in the following survey conducted by The Dallas Morning News. The questions provided by The Dallas Morning News appear bolded, and Woods' responses follow below.
Why are you running for this office, and why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
| “ | I’m running for this office to also contribute to the success and direction of this School District. I’ve always adhered to the following motto: If you want a change, you’ll have to roll your sleeves up and get to work. I’m an advocate for compromise, and teamwork. I will put the interest of the children first. I’m also a young and vibrant thinker who works well with others in achieving one accomplishment, the success of our magnificent School District and the superb children that makes this District great.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
If elected, what two issues would you give the most attention and resources?
| “ | I will give the most attention to the upcoming enactment of this A-F school grading system. I, along with other board members, highly oppose this legislation that will take effect in 2018. I will also give significant attention to the protection of our public tax dollars from being allocated for private educational use by way of the education savings accounts and tuition credits.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
For non-incumbent trustees: Have you attended any school board meetings? If so, what have you learned about how a board member can be effective?
| “ | I have reviewed the school board meetings when they are posted online. I’ve learned that we are trying to enhance our security for our children and we’re trying to continue to develop a more efficient method of quality recruitment of educators. I’ve also learned that some board members question the residency of certain members and the trust factor is at a minimum on that board. I want to be a part of reviving that trust and commitment to working with others.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
As you look around the country, what innovative ideas would you recommend for improving classroom performance?
| “ | Well first, you must have the appropriate individuals in that capacity that can make classroom performance better. If you hire an individual with no passion to educate, the vibe from that educator will rub off on the student. If the teacher doesn’t care, the students wouldn’t care. If the educator takes pride in what they are teaching and have the children engaged in the process, the improvement will follow.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
Given the current funding structure, how does your district meet the academic needs of its low-income students? Are you willing to ask voters to approve a tax increase to create or expand these programs?
| “ | With grants and other federal subsidies, we will continue to be able to meet the needs of our low-income students. Desoto ISD implemented Title I Part A, which provides the opportunity for all children to have a fair and equal opportunity for a quality education. If an increase of tax is needed, we should proposed a budget and present that to the public to get their input. Giving that they're programs available that will provide funds for these particular needs, other methods should be sought versus a tax increase on the taxpayers.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
Many districts are exploring creative ways to save money or shift costs to parents and students. What creative measures would you favor or oppose and why?
| “ | Giving the current state of the economy, I wouldn't want to initially ask the citizens to approve a tax increase to shift costs. We should continue to explore, inquire, request, lobby for grant programs that will absorb costs. We should eliminate any waste or abuse of funds to save money.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
The state has adopted an A through F accountability system for district and campuses. Do you favor or oppose this system and why?
| “ | I highly oppose this system. It appears that the schools will be mainly graded off the STAAR test performance and that is not providing a fair assessment of the performance of that school. It doesn't allow the school to be rated on all objectives covered in that schools' curriculum. It isn't adequate to grade a school on the performance of a standardized test, that doesn't even prepare a student for real-life events after high school.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
How would you assess the district’s efforts to improve graduation rates and increase the number of students prepared for college? What further improvements would you advocate?
| “ | The school district increased its graduation rate by 10% due to the implementation of the college readiness and ISTEAM programs. I feel that the school district is heading in the right direction in continuing to increase this rate and preparing the students for college. I think it's magnificent that the students can earn college credits, leading to an associate's degree, by the time they graduated from high school. This initiative provides the consistent pacing, fidelity and rigor, to continue to produce highly educated students, who will develop into adults prepared for what's ahead of them in life. Regarding any further improvements, we should want to continue to raise the bar, and not remain stagnant. Improvements come with the territory of continuous success.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
What schools in your district have been particularly effective in getting every child up to grade level in reading and math?
| “ | Our middle schools particularly.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
How would you assess your district’s current school choice efforts, and what changes are needed?
| “ | The selective enrollment program is a good program to give students the opportunity to attend a school district that may provide curriculum that isn't offered with their home district. We may need to visit the possibility of tuition collection from outside students. These costs could also help offset, shift cost, or help taxpayers save money by decreasing the tax rate.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
How would you assess your superintendent’s performance?
| “ | Dr. Harris and his cabinet have done an outstanding job for the Desoto Independent School District. The improvements made and increased graduation rates indicate these changes are working and we should continue on this path to continue to improve.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
Where do you stand on the importance of early-childhood education? Would you support increasing class-size ratios at other grade levels in order to introduce or expand pre-K?
| “ | I personally experienced having a child in early-childhood education. It prepared my child for everyday school settings, provided the opportunity to learn the structure of going to school. I don't believe that the increase of class sizes is necessary in order to expand this program. The development of schools to accommodate the increase of children in our district will help provide the ability to expand and keep the class sizes from becoming overcrowded.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
What resources are lacking in schools in your district? How could the district deliver services in the most cost-effective manner?
| “ | I’m not aware of any lack of resources at this time. If elected, further review will be conducted to determine such need.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
In what ways can your district’s communications with parents be improved? Likewise, how can parental involvement in your district improve?
| “ | The communication from the District to the parents is on par. As a parent of the District, I promptly receive all information regarding the actions of the District. I’ve also witnessed huge support already from the parents. I don’t see any improvement needed regarding parental involvement. The parents are already engage and involved.[4] | ” |
| —Jeremy Woods (2017)[5] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ DeSoto Independent School District, "Board Member Election," accessed February 19, 2017
- ↑ Dallas County Elections, "Unofficial Cumulative Results," accessed May 6, 2017These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Dallas County Elections, "Campaign Reporting," accessed May 1, 2017
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 The Dallas Morning News, "Voter Guide: DeSoto ISD, Place 3," accessed May 3, 2017
| DeSoto Independent School District elections in 2017 | |
| Dallas County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 6, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Place 3: • Incumbent, Karen Daniel • Demetric Brown • Van Stripling • Jeremy Woods Place 4: • Incumbent, Jerry Hall • Tiffany Clark • DeAndrea Fleming • Krystal Denise Sams Place 5: • Incumbent, Aubrey Hooper • A'Londa Barber • Laneshia Jordan • Darrell Porter |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
