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Kimberlyann Granger
Kimberlynn Granger was a candidate for at-large representative on the Francis Howell School District Board of Education in Missouri. The general election was held on April 5, 2016.[1] Granger lost the general election.
Granger previously ran for an at-large seat on the Francis Howell Board of Education. She lost in general elections on April 7, 2015 and on April 8, 2014.
Biography
Kimberlyann Granger is a resident of St. Charles County, Mo. Granger earned her bachelor's degree from Milligan College, master's degree from California State University at Fullerton and Ed.D. degree from the University of Southern California. She serves as an assistant professor and as the mathematics department chair at St. Louis Community College. In 2013, Granger was recognized with the Midwest Region Association of Developmental Educators "Educator of the Year" award.[2]
Elections
2016
Two of the seven at-large seats on the Francis Howell School District school board were up for general election on April 5, 2016. Incumbent Cynthia Bice filed for re-election. Incumbent Amy McEvoy filed in the race but formally withdrew on January 22, 2016. Bice faced challengers Michelle Walker, Kimberlyann Granger and Mike Hoehn, a former board member.[1] Walker and Hoehn were successful in securing seats on the board.
Results
| Francis Howell School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Michelle Walker |
29.48% | 6,181 |
| Mike Hoehn |
24.84% | 5,208 |
| Kimberlyann Granger | 23.66% | 4,960 |
| Cynthia Bice Incumbent | 21.70% | 4,550 |
| Write-in votes | 0.32% | 67 |
| Total Votes (100) | 20,966 | |
| Source: St. Charles County, "Election Summary Report," accessed April 5, 2016 | ||
2015
The election in Francis Howell featured two of the seven seats on the board up for general election on April 7, 2015. Incumbent Eric Seider ran for re-election against challengers Sandra Ferguson, Kimberlyann Granger, Mike Hoehn and Chad Lange for the two at-large seats. Ferguson and Lange defeated the other three candidates to win the election.
Results
| Francis Howell School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Chad Lange |
21.7% | 3,076 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sandra Ferguson |
21.1% | 2,996 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kimberlyann Granger | 20.5% | 2,911 | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric Seider Incumbent | 19.3% | 2,729 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Hoehn | 16.8% | 2,386 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.5% | 77 | |
| Total Votes | 14,175 | |||
| Source: St. Charles County Election Authority, "Election Summary Report," April 20, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Granger reported no contributions or expenditures to the Missouri Ethics Commission during the election.[3]
Endorsements
Granger did not receive any official endorsements during the election.
2014
Granger ran against incumbents Mike Hoehn, Mark C. Lafata and Mike Sommer and fellow challengers Rene Cope, Chad Lange, Ralph Moore, Cory Simek and Gary Stevenson in the general election on April 8, 2014. Cope, Lafata and Sommer won the three at-large seats.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Rene Cope |
15.3% | 3,424 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Sommer Incumbent |
14.6% | 3,252 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark C. Lafata Incumbent |
14.4% | 3,227 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chad Lange | 12.7% | 2,834 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Hoehn Incumbent | 12.1% | 2,697 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kimberlyann Granger | 11.7% | 2,618 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gary Stevenson | 7.7% | 1,712 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cory Simek | 6.3% | 1,401 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ralph Moore | 5.3% | 1,178 | |
| Total Votes | 22,343 | |||
| Source: St. Charles County Election Authority, "Summary Report," April 22, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Granger did not report any contributions or expenditures to the Missouri Ethics Commission.[4]
Endorsements
Granger did not receive any endorsements for her campaign.
Campaign themes
2015
Granger published a candidate statement in Mid Rivers Newsmagazine:
| “ | I am running for this office because I want to give back to my community. I have been a teacher for over 20 years and hold a doctorate in Leadership in Education. My experience and education give me the background knowledge that will enable me to make sound decisions regarding our schools. I will work to get Common Core out of our schools and to make fiscally responsible decisions. Our district is facing financial challenges, and tax payers deserve to have a sound budget. I will also work to communicate openly and honestly with parents, teachers, staff, and members of the community who should all have a voice in the decisions made by the elected board.
I have over 20 years of teaching experience and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. I have taught in both private and public middle schools, and I currently teach at a community college. I am an active member of the community.[5] |
” |
| —Kimberlyann Granger (2015)[6] | ||
Granger completed a voter guide profile for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
| “ | What are your top priorities for the district?
I will work to get Common Core out of our schools and to make fiscally responsible decisions. Our district is facing financial challenges and taxpayers deserve to have a sound budget. I will also work to communicate openly and honestly with parents, teachers, staff and members of the community who should all have a voice in the decisions made by the elected board. Why are you qualified to serve in this office? My education and work experience have prepared me to serve my community in this capacity. I have taught in K-8 schools, middle schools and community colleges and I have a passion for student success. Furthermore, my doctoral degree in education provides me with the deep understanding of how schools work that will enable me to make sound decisions.[5] |
” |
| —Kimberlyann Granger (2015)[7] | ||
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Kimberlyann Granger participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on February 4, 2016:
| “ | I hope to assist the board in making more fiscally responsible decisions. I hope to serve as a true taxpayer representative, rather than a representative to any special interest groups. I hope to assist the board in making decisions that continue to promote and support high student achievement goals while operating with a sensible budget.[8][5] | ” |
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 Missouri. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| “ | Taxpayers in our district pay more per student than our peer districts, yet we continue to operate with a deficit budget. There is an obvious need to improve our district's spending.[5] | ” |
| —Kimberlyann Granger (February 4, 2016) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer nine 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. We do not have a need for charter schools in our district. |
| 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. Decisions for our schools should be made at the local level. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| Yes. Standardized tests can measure some student achievement factors, but not all. Multiple measures are necessary to accurately determine student achievement levels. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| I am opposed to the use of the Common Core State Standards because decisions regarding curriculum should be made at the local level, not the federal level. |
| 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? |
| 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. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. Teachers are a district's greatest resource. If it is determined that an under-performing teacher is willing and able to make the necessary changes, they should be assisted and supported in doing so. However, if an under-performing teacher is unwilling or unable to make the necessary improvements to succeed, the school district should have the ability to terminate their contract. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. At this time, there is still no reliable way to determine the merit pay of classroom teachers. Research clearly shows that current teacher evaluation systems are not statistically sound. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| Yes. Yes, but we must be willing to allow faith-based private schools that accept vouchers to continue to set their own policies and curriculum. Many faith-based private schools do an excellent job of preparing their students for college and career, and if a high-performing, faith-based school accepts vouchers, they should not be forced to also accept government control over their already-successful policies or curriculum. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Expulsion should be used only in the most severe cases when a student has shown that they are a danger to themselves or to others. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers Research shows without question that what happens in a classroom between a student and a teacher has more affect on a student's success than any other factor. |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Kimberlynn Granger' 'Francis Howell School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Francis Howell School District, Missouri
- Francis Howell School District elections (2014)
- Francis Howell School District elections (2015)
- Francis Howell School District elections (2016)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Francis Howell School District, "Board of Education Election," accessed January 20, 2016
- ↑ Dr. Kimberlyann Granger for Francis Howell School Board, "About Dr. Kimberlyann Granger," accessed February 18, 2014
- ↑ Missouri Ethics Commission, "Candidates By Election Search," accessed March 26, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Ethics Commission, "Candidate Information," accessed February 13, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mid Rivers Newsmagazine, "Election Preview," March 27, 2015
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Voters Guide," accessed April 4, 2015
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Kimberlyann Granger's responses," February 4, 2016
| 2016 Francis Howell School District Elections | |
| St. Charles County, Missouri | |
| Election date: | April 5, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Cynthia Bice • Michelle Walker • Kimberlyann Granger • Mike Hoehn |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
| 2015 Francis Howell School District Elections | |
| St. Charles County, Missouri | |
| Election date: | April 7, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Eric Seider • Sandra Ferguson • Kimberlyann Granger • Mike Hoehn • Chad Lange |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
| 2014 Francis Howell School District Elections | |
| St. Charles County, Missouri | |
| Election date: | April 8, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Mike Hoehn • Incumbent, Mark C. Lafata • Incumbent, Mike Sommer • Rene Cope • Kimberlyann Granger • Chad Lange • Ralph Moore • Cory Simek • Gary Stevenson |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
