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John Craig (Florida)
John Craig was the District 2 representative on the Brevard School Board in Florida. He
faced
Bob Mentillo and Keith Yarbrough in the general election on August 26, 2014. Craig and Yarbrough advanced to the runoff election on November 4, 2014, which Craig won. Craig did not seek re-election in 2018.
Biography
Craig served in the United States Navy as a combat carrier pilot. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and also has a master's in business administration from Florida Institute of Technology.[1]
Craig remains a captain in the Navy Reserve, as well as a pilot for Jet Blue Airways. He also works part time in government relations liaison at Craig Technologies, an engineering and precision manufacturing company headquartered in Cape Canaveral. Craig's wife, Carol, is the chief executive officer and founder of Craig Technologies. He serves on the board of directors for LEAD Brevard and the Brevard Zoo.[1]
Craig's family includes his wife and their two children.[1]
Elections
2014
- See also: Brevard Public Schools elections (2014)
The August 26, 2014, general election in Brevard County featured three seats up for election. Andy Ziegler was the only incumbent to seek re-election in 2014. He faced challengers Denise Coyle, Dale D. Davis and Dean Paterakis in the District 5 election. The general elections for Districts 1 and 2 featured challengers seeking to replace outgoing board members Barbara A. Murray and Michael Krupp. Misty Belford and Paul Chinaris were competing in the District 1 race while John Craig, Bob Mentillo and Keith Yarbrough were vying for the District 2 seat.
The general election determined if candidates for each seat could garner a majority of the vote total. Since no candidate received 50 percent plus one of the general election votes in Districts 3 and 5, the top two vote recipients in those races advanced to the runoff election on November 4, 2014.
Belford won the general election for District 1. The races for Districts 3 and 5 were decided in the runoff election. Craig and Yarbrough advanced to the runoff election for District 3, while Ziegler and Coyle advanced for District 5.
Results
Runoff
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  John Craig |
57.2% | 22,068 | |
| Nonpartisan | Keith Yarbrough | 42.8% | 16,536 | |
| Total Votes | 38,604 | |||
| Source: Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 General Election Official Results," November 14, 2014 | ||||
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | John Craig |
47.4% | 7,622 | |
| Nonpartisan | Keith Yarbrough |
33.8% | 5,427 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bob Mentillo | 18.8% | 3,026 | |
| Total Votes | 16,075 | |||
| Source: Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Official Results," September 2, 2014 | ||||
Funding
As of October 27, 2014, Craig reported $36,622.55 in monetary contributions, $2,279.19 in-kind contributions and $29,643.67 in expenditures to the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, which left his campaign with $6,978.88 on hand.[2]
Endorsements
Craig was endorsed by the Brevard Federation of Teachers (BFT), Business Voice of East Central Florida, Space Coast Association of Realtors (SCAR) and Florida Today.[3]
Campaign themes
2014
Craig provided these statements on the following issues on his campaign website.
Tax Referendum
| “ | Since the administration has not provided the language for the ballot initiative or a defined plan for oversight, I do not know if I will support the actual proposal come November. However, any proposal for a sales surtax should include a time limitation of four to six years with stringent oversight by a committee of nonpartisan community members.
Without question, the current BPS financial situation is tenuous, with long-term debt service requirements creating a shortfall in the capital budget. We cannot compromise the health and safety of our children and teachers. We must provide a proper learning environment or we are failing our primary mission. With proper wording oversight and parameters, a sales surtax will provide revenue required to repair our infrastructure and give us some breathing room while a new School Board creates a long-term strategic plan for fiscal solvency[4] |
” |
| —Craig (2014)[5] | ||
Proposed 2014-2015 budget cuts
| “ | The potential cut list is focused entirely on areas that directly affect children and teachers in the classroom. I’d like to see a more balanced approach with District level cuts leading the list before any classroom items. We need to reevaluate how BPS operates and look for efficiencies using sound business practices.
As for the current list, I would remove number 18 (Increase Class Sizes to Move Toward School Wide Average – Eliminate 10 Annual Contract Teachers). We cannot afford to eliminate teachers and we cannot ignore the state class-size law. I also would move number 12 (Elementary Strings elimination) to at or near the bottom of the list[4] |
” |
| —Craig (2014)[5] | ||
New Florida Standards
| “ | Florida Standards are the law and the School Board is bound to uphold that law regardless of personal opinions on the subject. Much like the class size amendment, we cannot choose to ignore the law.
I believe in the absolute best education for my children. I believe teachers are most effective when they are allowed some leeway in how they translate their subjects to students and that strict guidelines are often detrimental to the overall learning process. If Florida Standards offer teaching methods and resources that improve the educational experience for my children, then I don’t really care what it is called or the politics behind it. My concern is that the state has built the testing model before outlining the actual curriculum process and doing due diligence on the product and the state has not provided the appropriate funding for implementation at the local level. I believe it is imperative that BPS creates a tiger team made up of teachers, administrators and parents that examines Florida Standards and reports how it affects learning in Brevard and recommendations for adjustment or elimination of its pieces. We can then work with our legislative delegation to push for the desired reform[4] |
” |
| —Craig (2014)[5] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "John + Craig + Brevard + Public + Schools + Florida"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 John Craig for Brevard Schools, "Meet John Craig," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, "Candidate Contributions and Expenditures," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ John Craig for Brevard Schools, "Homepage," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 John Craig for Brevard Schools, "The Issues/Q&A," accessed August 21, 2014
| 2014 Brevard Public Schools Elections | |
| Brevard County, Florida | |
| Election date: | August 26, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Misty Belford • Paul Chinaris District 2: • John Craig • Bob Mentillo • Keith Yarbrough |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
