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Shonda Brock
Shonda Brock was a candidate for at-large representative on the Williamsville Central School District school board in New York. Brock was defeated in the at-large general election on May 16, 2017.
Brock previously ran for a seat on the board. She was defeated in the general election on May 17, 2016.
Biography
Brock's work experience includes serving as a territory manager for St. Jude Medical. She previously served as a captain in military intelligence for the United States Army.[1]
Elections
2017
Three of the nine seats on the Williamsville Central School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on May 16, 2017. No incumbents filed to run for re-election, which left all three seats open for newcomers. Seven candidates—Julie Algubani, Shonda Brock, Michael Littman, Susan McClary, Philip Meyer, Liam O'Mahony, and Kurt Venator—ran for the seats. McClary, Meyer, and Venator defeated the other candidates to be elected to their first terms on the board.[2][3]
Results
| Williamsville Central School District, At-large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kurt Venator |
22.33% | 2,025 |
| Susan McClary |
20.81% | 1,887 |
| Philip Meyer |
20.66% | 1,873 |
| Michael Littman | 12.30% | 1,115 |
| Shonda Brock | 8.59% | 779 |
| Julie Algubani | 8.47% | 768 |
| Liam O'Mahony | 6.84% | 620 |
| Total Votes | 9,067 | |
| Source: Williamsville Central School District, "Regular Board Meeting: Approved Minutes May 23, 2017," accessed September 6, 2017 | ||
Funding
Brock reported no contributions or expenditures to the New York State Board of Elections in the election.[4]
2016
Three of the nine at-large seats on the Williamsville Central School District school board were up for general election on May 17, 2016. Newcomers Mary Bieger, Teresa Leatherbarrow, and Suzanne Van Sice defeated incumbent Anthony Lafornara and challenger Shonda Brock in the race for the three seats.[5]
Results
| Williamsville Central School District, At-large General Election, 3-year term, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mary Bieger |
26.01% | 2,501 |
| Teresa Leatherbarrow |
25.09% | 2,412 |
| Suzanne Van Sice |
24.65% | 2,370 |
| Shonda Brock | 12.20% | 1,173 |
| Anthony Lafornara Incumbent | 11.17% | 1,074 |
| Write-in votes | 0.87% | 84 |
| Total Votes | 9,614 | |
| Source: Tiffany Rouse, "Email correspondence with Williamsville Central School District Clerk Mitzie Serafin," July 8, 2016 | ||
Funding
Brock reported no contributions or expenditures to the New York State Board of Elections as of May 11, 2016.[6]
Endorsements
Brock received no official endorsements during the election.
Campaign themes
2017
Brock answered the following questions provided by the Williamsville PTSA Council. The questions provided by the council appear bolded, and Brock's responses follow below.
Reason for seeking election:
| “ | I am very interested in running for the board of education because I want to be a voice of reason. I want to be a part of understanding the changes that are occurring in the Williamsville School District. I am hearing different views on state testing, “Should we?” or “Should we not?“;
Budgets for more teachers and teacher aids; better equipment for academics, as well as, funding for sports. But what’s most important is “Is this the best education we can offer our students in Williamsville?” Yet the most stressing issue I have is “Are we preparing our children for success and are we preparing them on how to deal with failure?” At least once a quarter, I catch a news brief about a child taking their life or have been subject to bullying or social media pressures. Failure is not a bad word, failure is just an obstacle, do our children understand failure is not personal, but rather a part of life in which we learn life lessons. I may not be able to affect the stance of the board or the community, but I can offer a different view and I can be a voice to the community.[7] |
” |
| —Shonda Brock (2017)[2] | ||
Do you think it is a conflict of interest for Betsy DeVos, someone who has spent millions of dollars supporting charter schools and taking money away from public education, to serve as Secretary of Education. If so, in your opinion, is this conflict similar to the conflict some members of the Williamsville School Board, who's campaigns were financed entirely by the Williamsville Teacher's Association, will face this year when they have to negotiate a new contract with the Williamsville Teacher's Association?
| “ | Very good question and very complicated to answer as well. This is one of the reasons why I am running for the board of education. I believe I can offer a different angle/view, being that my background is business and healthcare.
I ran last year and I was interviewed by the Williamsville Teacher’s Association. It was a respectful interview that lasted about an hour and the union got into the weeds with questions they felt strongly about and I expressed my stance on those issues. I felt that my responses were well received, yet in the end they did not back me as a candidate. I still ran for office and I lost. The union has the right to support the candidates they choose. I respect the process and I am here running again. The real question is not the Williamsville Teacher’s Association supporting candidates of their choice, but how we motivate all parents in the district to come out and vote for candidates they are aligned with. I learned so much from running last year and again another reason why I’m running. It’s not the “Who’s” it’s the “What’s and the Why’s.” We can’t change the rules of the game unless we play the game and understand the process. For the past school year, I have volunteered every Thursday for a reading program in a charter school in the city. I can tell you every school is not created equal. I think to compare Betsy DeVos and her continued support of charter schools vs. taking money (tax dollars) from public school to our local union process is a huge jump. But we can all agree to the process in which we educate our future leaders/our children is outdated and is not changing as fast as technology can allow. The classroom set-up and promotion system is very similar to its structure in 1821. So the real question is what body is prepared to study; create a new model and implement it. I believe the charter school was the first attempt to create this new model, but fortunately and unfortunately they are not regulated and they struggled with consistent funding. So that brings us back to my original question. 'How do we study the problem and offer a solution and implement the solution in a timely manner?'[7] |
” |
| —Shonda Brock (2017)[2] | ||
See also
- Williamsville Central School District, New York
- Williamsville Central School District elections (2017)
- Williamsville Central School District elections (2016)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Buffalo News, "Candidate profile: Shonda L. Brock, Williamsville School Board," May 5, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Williamsville Central School District, "2017-18 School Board Candidates," accessed April 20, 2017
- ↑ Williamsville Central School District, "Budget passes overwhelmingly; three newcomers elected to Board," accessed May 16, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Campaign Finance View Disclosure Reports: Candidate and Committee Search," accessed June 6, 2017
- ↑ Tiffany Rouse, "Email correspondence with Williamsville District Clerk Mitzie Serafin," April 25, 2016
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed May
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Williamsville Central School District elections in 2017 | |
| Erie County, New York | |
| Election date: | May 16, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Julie Algubani • Shonda Brock • Michael Littman • Susan McClary • Philip Meyer • Liam O'Mahony • Kurt Venator |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
| 2016 Williamsville Central School District Elections | |
| Erie County, New York | |
| Election date: | May 17, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Anthony Lafornara • Mary Bieger • Shonda Brock • Teresa Leatherbarrow • Suzanne Van Sice |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
