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Julie Ott
Julie Ott is an at-large member of the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board. She assumed office on December 13, 2017. Her current term ends in 2025.
Ott ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board. She won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Ott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Julie Ott was born in San Luis Obispo, California. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1989 and a graduate degree from the same university in 1993. Ott has volunteered with the League of Women Voters and the Girl Scouts.[1]
Elections
2021
See also: Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sandra Bankes (Nonpartisan)  | 20.2 | 24,059 |
| ✔ |  | Lauren Nelson (Nonpartisan) | 20.0 | 23,763 |
| ✔ |  | Julie Ott (Nonpartisan) | 15.1 | 17,987 |
 | Chris Wallis (Nonpartisan) | 14.7 | 17,515 | |
 | Jennifer Williamson (Nonpartisan) | 13.1 | 15,541 | |
 | John Gustafson (Nonpartisan) | 11.3 | 13,449 | |
| Rebecca Acevedo Kenderdine (Nonpartisan) | 5.5 | 6,501 | ||
| Total votes: 118,815 | |||
| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joseph Shelton (Nonpartisan)
2017
Four of the seven seats on the Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan election on November 7, 2017. Three of those seats were up for general election to regular four-year terms. The fourth seat was up for special election to an unexpired two-year term due to a vacancy on the board.[2] The race for the four-year terms included incumbents Jim Mason and Shawn Gullixson and challengers Morgan Chavez and Julie Ott. Gullixson and Mason won re-election to their seats, and Ott won the other four-year term on the board. Incumbent Mary Coleman ran unopposed and won the two-year term.[3][4][5]
Results
| Colorado Springs School District 11, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Julie Ott |
32.27% | 27,943 |
| Jim Mason Incumbent |
28.26% | 24,467 |
| Shawn Gullixson Incumbent |
23.91% | 20,706 |
| Morgan Chavez | 15.56% | 13,473 |
| Total Votes | 86,589 | |
| Source: El Paso County Elections Office, "Official Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (4 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
Endorsements
Ott was endorsed by the following organizations:[6][7]
- Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA)
- Colorado Springs Independent
- Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS®
- Together for Colorado Springs
- Unite Colorado Springs
Funding
Ott reported $11,513.39 in contributions and $10,915.65 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left her campaign with $597.74 on hand in the election.[8]
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Julie Ott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ott's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
Elected to the Board in 2017, I have worked to improve education for all students in the district, improve graduation rates, and expand career and technical education options.
I currently serve as Vice-President of the Board and previously served as Board Treasurer. I am a thoughtful and active member of the Board, serving on the District’s Strategic Plan Core Planning Team and the Facilities Master Plan Committee. I am the Board delegate to the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) and on CASB’s Legislative Resolutions Committee. Before joining the D11 Board, I helped found a charter school and later served on its board as Secretary and President. I was involved in parent groups before my own children graduated from high school, including Coronado High School’s PTA and School Accountability Committee.
I am passionate about democracy and I volunteer with League of Women Voters to register, educate and empower voters. I also volunteer with Girl Scouts and as a docent at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site. I like to garden, read, camp, and spend time with my family.- Every child should have the opportunity for a great education in District 11. In addition to an excellent, well-rounded education, students should have academic opportunities that include career and technical education options, STEM and arts programs.
- Our classrooms should be safe, creative and welcoming for students and educators.
- I support responsible and transparent finances and stewardship of District resources.
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.
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Julie Ott participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[9] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 17, 2017:
| “ | I will advocate for a high-quality education for all students, resources that improve students’ well-being, and investment in their future success. My top priorities are improving the graduation rate, including vocational and technical training opportunities as student education options, supporting our students socially and emotionally as well as academically, and fiscal responsibility.[10][11] | ” |
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 Colorado. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Balancing the budget is required by law and therefore must be the first priority. District 11 has excellent school options and expanding the number of schools within the district is not a priority.
The remaining issues are of similar priority and are interrelated. They should be complementary, not mutually exclusive.[11] |
” |
| —Julie Ott (October 17, 2017) | ||
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. New charter schools should only be approved if they demonstrate that there is a significant need for their unique program and an excellent plan for school operation, accountability and long-term success. While I currently do not see a need for new charter schools because of the options that already exist in the district I remain open to proposals. |
| 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 only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Standardized tests provide data for one day’s testing experience. The results may reflect a child’s understanding of how to take a test, the child’s socio-economic level, how involved parents and past teachers have been in the student’s education and even whether a child is having a good day. Standardized tests do not measure student achievement in music, arts, nor many other ways a student can be successful. |
| 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? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Offer additional training options. A mentorship program and additional professional development are the ideal ways to deal with a teacher whose is having difficulty with any aspect of teaching. Beyond that a probationary period may be necessary. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. Merit pay can recognize teachers for their experience, professional development and extra assignments such as working in hard-to-staff schools or mentoring new teachers. Merit pay needs to be used strategically to increase student achievement in a way that does not put teachers in competition against one other or depend on the basis of test scores. Merit pay would also need to take into account differences within school communities, recognizing that all students are not created equal, as well as the influence that family life and socio-economic status have over student success. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| A school district’s goal is to educate children, it should only use expulsion as a last resort. I prefer that the district use restorative justice programs and alternative education programs before turning to expulsion. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers. All of these factors play an important part of a student success but, in the classroom, teachers have the greatest influence. |
Candidate website
Ott highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:
| “ | KIDS FIRST
Quality schools Parents want the best for their children. Julie’s sons have grown and progressed through the school system in our community and Julie has seen first-hand what D11 schools have to offer. While there are areas for improvement in the district, the foundations are strong and there are opportunities to further strengthen the education D11 provides. The care Julie has for her own children’s education carries over to all students. School should be a welcoming, safe and creative place where all kids have the opportunity to learn to succeed. Not every child has the same learning style or the same needs. We must recognize that children and their families need options and offer those options in a public school setting. The educational foundation they gain here at home will build their future success as a productive member of our society. Student opportunities should include hands-on learning experiences from kindergarten through 12th grade, including the expansion of vocational education or technical programs for older students. As a community, it is our responsibility to prepare students for their life journey. Supporting Students Our children will face many challenges in life regardless of the paths they choose. They must have the academic and problem-solving skills to succeed and attain their goals. We must set the bar high and challenge students who live in a world where they will compete in a global economy and must be well prepared for that effort. At the same time, we need to offer support in areas where students have less knowledge and skill, providing an education that strengthens their weaknesses. We have to meet them where they are and advocate for their success and graduation. Along with the academic challenges our children face, today’s society has added emotional trials that were far less pronounced in generations past. Mental health support is now needed in the school environment as much as the skills of reading and writing. By providing this support from a young age we can encourage successful transition to adulthood. Children learn best when they are healthy, and schools are in a unique position to make a difference in their students’ lives. Teachers and school counselors, working with families, can address learning and behavioral health disorders and assist our at-risk students. This, in turn, can mean fewer discipline issues, lower dropout rates, and fewer youth suicides. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY Education funds are in short supply in Colorado. Tough decisions have to be made to support our students. As a parent I know how important it is to have smaller class sizes and modern technology in classrooms. However, as a tax paying resident of the community, I understand the frustrations of growing taxes and smaller paychecks. Balance is key. Investing in our students’ long-term success means using district money wisely and spending carefully to maximize student potential. Successful students and great schools improve the community and, in turn, property values. Supporting Teachers Teachers play a key role in our kids’ lives. You simply can’t have great schools without great teachers. We need to encourage teachers’ passion for education as they share that enthusiasm with their students. That includes supporting teachers with reasonable workloads and decent pay for their dedication to our children within an overall balanced fiscal plan.[11] |
” |
| —Julie Ott (2017)[12] | ||
See also
2021 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large |
Officeholder Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2021
- ↑ Colorado Springs School District 11, "Board of Education," accessed February 27, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Springs School District 11, "2017 Board of Education Candidates for Election," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (4 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (2 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Julie Ott," September 14, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Julie Ott," October 16, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER: Candidate Search," accessed December 15, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Julie Ott's responses," October 17, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Julie Ott for School Board District 11, "Vision," accessed October 24, 2017
| Colorado Springs School District 11 elections in 2017 | |
| El Paso County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large (4-year terms): • Incumbent, Shawn Gullixson • Incumbent, Jim Mason • Morgan Chavez • Julie Ott At-large (2-year term): • Incumbent, Mary Coleman |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
