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Martha Janssen
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Martha Janssen was the District 3 representative on the Rio Rancho Public Schools school board in New Mexico. First elected in 2013, Janssen won a new term in the by-district general election on February 7, 2017.
Janssen resigned from the board in 2019 upon moving outside the district.[1]
Elections
2017
Three of the five seats on the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on February 7, 2017. District 1 incumbent Don Schlichte did not file to run for re-election, guaranteeing a new member was elected to the board. The race to fill the open seat featured candidates Wynne Coleman, Margretta Franklin, and Natalie Nicotine, and Coleman won the election. In her bid for re-election to District 3, incumbent Martha Janssen defeated challenger William Dunn. District 5 incumbent Catherine Cullen ran unopposed and won another term. Catherine Jabar initially filed to challenge her, but she withdrew from the race.[2][3][4]
Results
| Rio Rancho Public Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Martha Janssen Incumbent |
50.82% | 93 |
| William Dunn | 49.18% | 90 |
| Total Votes | 183 | |
| Source: Sandoval County Bureau of Elections, "Election Held in Sandoval County for Rio Rancho Public School District No. 94 on February 7, 2017," accessed February 22, 2017 | ||
Funding
Janssen reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Mexico Secretary of State in the election.[5]
2013
| Rio Rancho Public Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2013 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Martha Janssen |
78.4% | 58 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christina McKee | 21.6% | 16 | |
| Total Votes | 74 | |||
| Source: Rio Rancho Public Schools, "Official 2013 School Board Election Results," accessed December 17, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2017
Janssen participated in the following questionnaire provided by the Albuquerque Journal. The Albuquerque Journal's questions appear in bolded text, and Janssen's responses appear below.
Please explain what factors compelled you to run for a seat on the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education.
| “ | I am running for re-election on the school board because I strongly believe in the power of education. I believe the success of a community is tied directly to the education of its children.
Education is constantly changing and it is important that we continue to look for ways in which we can improve. With four years of experience on the school board, I have a clear understanding of crucial changes we should consider, processes or policies that can be improved and the knowledge and insight to appreciate areas where our District continues to excel and no change is needed.[6] |
” |
| —Martha Janssen (2017)[7] | ||
Please describe your understanding of the current challenges faced by RRPS regarding student use of illicit drugs, and outline the policy formulations you would advocate to address this concern.
| “ | I have zero tolerance when it comes to the use of illegal drugs. Our policy is very clear. Substance abuse on school premises and during school programs is strictly prohibited under Board Policy 307. I do not believe additional policies or changes in policy are needed in this area. Rather, consistent oversight and policy enforcement remains key.[6] | ” |
| —Martha Janssen (2017)[7] | ||
What are the top three priorities for your four-year term, and how you will accomplish them?
| “ | My first priority for the following term is to maintain the quality of the programs we offer to our kids. Unfortunately, required budget cuts are creating a very difficult situation for our district, making it critical that we conduct a very thorough and detailed evaluation of what is working and what is not.
Work closely with our state legislators, and keep advocating in unison on behalf of our district and our community. We have one of the best districts in the state and we are forced to create miracles with the small amount of money we receive. Facilities improvement will remain one of my priorities as well. Some of our buildings are very old and need a lot of repairs. Unfortunately, again, it all comes down to money and we do not have much to work with in this arena. However, it is a constant priority for me to make sure our kids, parents and teachers are safe at our facilities.[6] |
” |
| —Martha Janssen (2017)[7] | ||
How would you work to improve parental and public involvement in the education process?
| “ | I think we have very involved and supporting parents in our district, and I am one of them! Of course, there is always room for improvement. Our teachers and principals work very hard to create activities that working parents can attend. We have literacy night, pizza night, open house night, etc. These are all activities where busy parents like me feel welcome. We definitely need to keep spreading the word about these activities and continue to strive to obtain feedback and ideas from parents.[6] | ” |
| —Martha Janssen (2017)[7] | ||
What criteria would you use to determine if a school district has been successful in the education process? Please compare/contrast with NMED’s reform and accountability efforts.
| “ | Our numbers tell the story. We have a very high graduation rate and we always excel in academics and sports. The quality of our teachers and administrators is noticeable and continues to improve. Rio Rancho is one of the best districts in the state and that is due to a team effort from many dedicated individuals.
I support the goal of measuring success of academic programs. However, I am not in favor of evaluating teachers when their absentee rate plays a substantial role in their evaluation. I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the NMED professionals to continue to tweak the evaluation system where it is needed. I want to be certain that we continue to listen to the valid concerns of our talented teachers with regard to the process.[6] |
” |
| —Martha Janssen (2017)[7] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Rio Rancho Observer, "RRPS loses a board member," February 26, 2019
- ↑ rrobserver.com, "The candidates for Rio Rancho and Bernalillo school board are in," December 21, 2016
- ↑ rrobserver.com, "District 5 candidate Jabar drops from RRPS board race," January 11, 2017
- ↑ Rio Rancho Public Schools, "Voters Elect Board Members in Districts 1, 3, and 5," February 7, 2017
- ↑ New Mexico Campaign Finance Information System, "Public Reports: Search Candidates," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Albuquerque Journal, "Meet the RRPS Board candidates for Districts 1 and 3," January 28, 2017
| Rio Rancho Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Sandoval County, New Mexico | |
| Election date: | February 7 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Wynne Coleman • Margretta Franklin • Natalie Nicotine District 3: • Incumbent, Martha Janssen • William Dunn District 5: • Incumbent, Catherine Cullen |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
