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Lea Steed
Lea Steed was a candidate for at-large representative on the Aurora Public Schools school board in Colorado. Steed was defeated in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Elections
2017
- See also: Aurora Public Schools elections (2017)
Four of the seven seats on the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. The race included incumbent Barbara Yamrick and challengers Kyla Armstrong-Romero, Jane Barber, Kevin Cox, Debra Gerkin, Marques Ivey, Miguel In Suk Lovato, Gail Pough, and Lea Steed. Armstrong-Romero, Cox, Gerkin, and Ivey won the spots on the board.[1]
Results
| Aurora Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kevin Cox |
16.58% | 12,636 |
| Debra Gerkin |
16.26% | 12,391 |
| Kyla Armstrong-Romero |
15.13% | 11,527 |
| Marques Ivey |
12.9% | 9,830 |
| Gail Pough | 9.76% | 7,441 |
| Miguel In Suk Lovato | 8.91% | 6,793 |
| Jane Barber | 7.15% | 5,447 |
| Barbara Yamrick Incumbent | 7.07% | 5,385 |
| Lea Steed | 6.25% | 4,760 |
| Total Votes | 76,210 | |
| Source: Arapahoe County, Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023 and Adams County Elections Office, "Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023 | ||
Funding
Steed reported $1,965.00 in contributions and $1,396.16 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left her campaign with $568.84 as of December 8, 2017.[2]
Endorsements
Steed was endorsed by the BlueFlower Fund and Colorado Senator Rhonda Fields (D).[3][4]
Campaign themes
2017
Chalkbeat questionnaire
Steed participated in the following questionnaire conducted by Chalkbeat. The questions provided by the news organization appear bolded, and Steed's responses follow below.
Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you lived in the school district? What do you do for a living?
| “ | My name is Lea Steed, I am a long time resident of Aurora and a graduate of Hinkley High school. I am the Outreach Coordinator for Great Education Colorado. Great Education Colorado is a non profit that works to educate communities, businesses, parents, students and leaders about issues that Colorado faces in educational funding.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
Tell us about your connection to the school district.
| “ | I attended East Middle School and am a graduate of Hinkley High School.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
The district’s state test scores improved this year, enough to lift the district’s state quality rating and get APS off the accountability clock. Why do think the district was able to achieve this, and do you think APS is on the right track?
| “ | This was achieved through improvements of test scores and the graduation rate. Aurora Public Schools has made many gains and improvements, but this is not a moment to stop and celebrate, because there are children still sitting in failing schools, not receiving the support they need to be successful.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
Some candidates have said they would like the school board to have more accountability or transparency. What would you say to that, and should anything change on that issue?
| “ | Yes, I agree that open and honest conversation and outreach creates trust among parents. The BOE has a responsibility to the parents of the children they serve to keep them informed about the issues of the district and their school. With correct information, parents are better equipped to make important decisions about their child's future and the right choices when it comes to educating their children.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
Aurora has sought to increase school quality by recruiting the high-performing charter school network DSST. Is this a sound strategy and was the process sound, or would you have done anything differently?
| “ | From my understanding, parents were part of the decision making process when it was decided to recruit DSST. It is always a sound strategy to consult the population that is impacted the most and stands to lose the most ground. DSST's education model does not fit all students and is not for everyone but for some, it has been an option that best suits their family and their child.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
What role do you believe local school boards should have in reviewing, approving or managing charter schools that wish to open in the district?
| “ | The local school board should have the same measure of influence and authority as managing public and district schools.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
Aurora Public Schools is likely to continue facing budget issues. What funding do you think ought to be cut, and how should the district go about deciding what should be cut?
| “ | There has been a steady decline in education funding for several decades and these have mainly been made at the classroom level. Colorado's tax laws are the most restrictive in the nation and continue to create barriers for all school districts in Colorado. Until something can be done about the root cause of the cuts, the district will work with the board to assess each school department spending. This will be done thoughtfully and being mindful of the students and families they serve. Keeping in mind that children come to school with different needs, so with the issue of cutting funding, it cannot be an equilateral decision but made equitably.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
Do you agree with the resolution the school board passed earlier this year to support immigrant and refugee students? How would you judge what the district is doing to respond to the concerns of those communities?
| “ | Yes. The district took a strong stand when thy passed the Resolution to protect the students of Aurora Public Schools. This sent a message to the parents and students that their safety and education is important to the school district. APS continues to work with families through the APS Welcome Center that supports immigrant and refugee families. This center helps families adjust to Aurora Public Schools and connects them to needed resources and community organizations.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
What do you see as the biggest issue facing Aurora schools today and how do you hope to have an impact on said issue as a school board member?
| “ | My concern is the low graduation rate that is plagues the district. As a school board member, I would create a graduation task force that make it a priority to investigate each APS high school to find the issues that cause these barriers. When a student does not graduate, not only is college not an option, but they will experience struggles and barriers through out their adult life. Expanding the pipelines with local business and strengthening the connection with higher education institutions will be reviewed. There are some successful models statewide that are successfully graduating students, so creating a partnership with a successful district or school will also be considered.[5] | ” |
| —Lea Steed (2017)[6] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Lea Steed Aurora Public Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Aurora Public Schools, "APS Board of Education Election," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Database: Political Race Search," accessed December 8, 2017
- ↑ Colorado BlueFlower Fund, "BlueFlower Fund Endorses 33 for November 2017 Candidates," accessed October 31, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "Rhonda Fields for Colorado," accessed October 31, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 Chalkbeat, "We asked the 2017 Aurora school board candidates nine questions. Here are their responses," October 5, 2017
| Aurora Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Arapahoe County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Barbara Yamrick • Kyla Armstrong-Romero • Jane Barber • Kevin Cox • Debra Gerkin • Marques Ivey • Miguel In Suk Lovato • Gail Pough • Lea Steed |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
