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Stan Stouffer
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Stan Stouffer is an at-large representative on the Washington County Board of Education in Maryland. Stouffer ran for the seat in the primary election on April 26, 2016. He won in the general election on November 8, 2016.[1]
Stouffer was a 2014 candidate for an at-large seat on the Washington County Board of Education. He advanced from a primary election on June 24, 2014, but was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Biography
Stouffer earned his associate degree from Hagerstown Junior College in 1966. He later received a bachelor's degree in secondary education from Shepherd College. Stouffer worked for 42 years in the district as a teacher, coach and athletic director before his retirement in 2012.[2]
Elections
2016
Four of the seven seats on the Washington County Board of Education were up for general election on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on April 26, 2016, with the top eight vote recipients advancing to the general election. Incumbents Donna Brightman, Wayne Ridenour, and Melissa Williams filed for re-election. They faced challengers Al Martin, Pieter Bickford, Joseph Chandler, Linda Murray, Stan Stouffer, and Robin Lynne Wivell in the primary election. All of these candidates except Chandler advanced to the general election. Ridenour, Bickford, Williams, and Stouffer won on November 8, 2016.[3] Wivell withdrew from the election on June 15, 2016.[4]
Results
| Washington County Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-Year Terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Wayne Ridenour Incumbent |
15.61% | 26,949 |
| Pieter Bickford |
15.26% | 26,344 |
| Melissa Williams Incumbent |
14.96% | 25,835 |
| Stan Stouffer |
14.13% | 24,402 |
| Donna Brightman Incumbent | 13.71% | 23,669 |
| Linda Murray | 13.65% | 23,571 |
| Al Martin | 12.34% | 21,311 |
| Write-in votes | 0.33% | 572 |
| Total Votes | 172,653 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 Presidential General Election Results," accessed December 14, 2016 | ||
| Washington County Public Schools, At-large Primary Election, 4-Year Terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Wayne Ridenour Incumbent |
14.87% | 13,871 |
| Pieter Bickford |
13.80% | 12,878 |
| Donna Brightman Incumbent |
12.73% | 11,881 |
| Melissa Williams Incumbent |
12.39% | 11,564 |
| Stan Stouffer |
12.27% | 11,447 |
| Linda Murray |
9.99% | 9,326 |
| Al Martin |
9.51% | 8,875 |
| Robin Lynne Wivell |
9.51% | 8,874 |
| Joseph Chandler | 4.92% | 4,592 |
| Total Votes | 93,308 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Unofficial 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Washington County," accessed April 26, 2016 | ||
Funding
Candidates for public office in Maryland had until March 22, 2016, to submit their first contributions and expenditure report of the primary campaign. The final campaign finance deadline of the 2016 campaign was November 22, 2016.[5] State law allows candidates to file Affidavits of Limited Contributions and Expenditures (ALCE) if their campaigns did not accept $1,000 in contributions or spend $1,000 in a particular reporting period.[6]
October 28 filing
Candidates received a total of $3,636.71 and spent a total of $8,736.16 as of October 28, 2016, according to the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System.[7]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna Brightman (incumbent) | $475.00 | $2,739.68 | $51.37 |
| Wayne Ridenour (incumbent) | ALCE | ALCE | ALCE |
| Melissa Williams (incumbent) | $775.00 | $1,203.17 | $671.83 |
| Al Martin | $150.00 | $2,521.19 | $243.09 |
| Pieter Bickford | $500.00 | $424.28 | $629.93 |
| Linda Murray | $415.00 | $752.25 | $188.47 |
| Stan Stouffer | $1,321.71 | $1,095.59 | $262.18 |
March 22 filing
Candidates received a total of $8,516.98 and spent a total of $2,511.71 as of March 22, 2016, according to the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System.[8]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna Brightman (incumbent) | $2,540.00 | $119.71 | $2,420.29 |
| Wayne Ridenour (incumbent) | ALCE | ALCE | ALCE |
| Melissa Williams (incumbent) | $300.00 | $0.00 | $300.00 |
| Al Martin | $1,700.00 | $0.00 | $1,700.00 |
| Pieter Bickford | $1,000.00 | $0.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Joseph Chandler | ALCE | ALCE | ALCE |
| Linda Murray | $1,476.98 | $898.46 | $578.52 |
| Stan Stouffer | $1,500.00 | $1,493.54 | $36.06 |
| Robin Lynne Wivell | ALCE | ALCE | ALCE |
2014
The June 24, 2014, primary ballot included incumbents Jacqueline Fischer and Karen J. Harshman as well as challengers Mike Guessford, Henry House, Mindy Marsden, Ryan Richard Miner, Peter E. Perini Sr. and Stan Stouffer. All of the primary candidates except House and Marsden faced off in the general election on November 4, 2014.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mike Guessford |
19.6% | 17,242 | |
| Nonpartisan | Karen J. Harshman Incumbent |
18.2% | 15,995 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jacqueline Fischer Incumbent |
18.1% | 15,919 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peter E. Perini Sr. | 17.5% | 15,398 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stan Stouffer | 15.9% | 13,966 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ryan Richard Miner | 10.4% | 9,150 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.3% | 268 | |
| Total Votes | 87,938 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for Washington County," December 2, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mike Guessford |
16.7% | 6,296 | |
| Nonpartisan | Karen J. Harshman Incumbent |
15.5% | 5,840 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stan Stouffer |
13.8% | 5,208 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jacqueline Fischer Incumbent |
13.2% | 4,963 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ryan Richard Miner |
11.4% | 4,287 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peter E. Perini Sr. |
11.2% | 4,212 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mindy Marsden | 11.1% | 4,184 | |
| Nonpartisan | Henry House | 7% | 2,651 | |
| Total Votes | 37,641 | |||
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Washington County," July 16, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Stouffer reported $1,600.00 in contributions and $1,007.00 in expenditures to the Maryland State Board of Elections, leaving his campaign with $843.10 on hand as of June 4, 2014. This total includes amounts remaining from previous filing periods.[9]
Endorsements
Stouffer was endorsed by the Washington County Teachers Association ahead of the primary.[10]
Campaign themes
2014
Stouffer explained his themes for the 2014 campaign in an interview with The Herald-Media:
| “ | 1. In your opinion, what is the role of a school board member? As part of a seven-member board, a board member collaboratively establishes the tone for operation of WCPS. In setting the tone, a board member should acquiesce passively to information provided by the superintendent and his staff. A board member should further one’s cognizance through self-education and discussion with the various stakeholders of WCPS. A board member should advocate vigorously for one’s position during business debate by the whole board. 2. With the cost of brick-and-mortar schools so high, what should be done to accommodate student growth overall and in specific areas? Student population growth stresses our schools’ capacities. Because of our county’s proximity to West Virginia and Pennsylvania, WCPS should audit its student population to ensure that no extraneous state nor county students are illegally attending our schools. While I support the neighborhood school concept, a complete system-wide school redistricting study should be initiated to determine if redistributing students from overpopulated schools to underpopulated ones is possible. Redistricting is always sensitizing and controversial. 3. What more should Washington County Public Schools do to prevent bullying, including cyberbullying? Respect for others begins at home. No one institution can stop bullying. WCPS should review and strengthen its bullying policy, conduct educational seminars for parents, provide relevant student instruction, mandate stringent enforcement of bullying policy and regulations by administrators and other staff members, and place students who violate the bullying policy in the county’s alternative educational program. Enforcement of a bullying policy is sometimes frustrated by the reluctance of students and parents to report bullying incidents. 4. What can the school system do to improve literacy among elementary school students? Parents can enable reading literacy by reading to their preschoolers and listening to their elementary students read for a specified time each evening. Schools can stimulate literacy growth by decreasing class size, providing intervention and remedial instruction, continuing small group reading instruction and utilizing technology purposefully. Attaining reading/general literacy is sometimes handicapped by the seemingly constant change in teaching strategies and methods all in the name of using so-called “best practices.” 5. Do you have any concerns about the Common Core State Standards, now referred to as Maryland's College and Career-Ready Standards? Why or why not, and what could the local board do about any concerns that you might have? Is Common Core (CCRS) a fad? CCRS implies that teaching higher-order thinking skills and preparing students for college and careers was previously nonexistent. This is mythical. CCRS has its pros and cons. County withdrawal from Common Core is impossible unless the state withdraws. Improper implementation continues to distress teachers, students and parents. The school board should strive to gain cognizance of problems and devise ways to minimize any possible deleterious effects on our students.[11] |
” |
| —The Herald-Media, (2014) | ||
What was at stake?
Issues in the election
2014
June 2 candidate forum
Every candidate except Mike Guessford participated in a candidate forum on June 2, 2014, at the district's Center for Educational Services. HMTV6 anchor Mark Keller directed questions about bullying, district communications and the layout of the school day to the candidates though the questions were not asked of all candidates. The following is a summary of candidate responses to Keller's questions:[13]
Bullying
Jacqueline Fischer, Karen J. Harshman and Stan Stouffer discussed the issue of bullying in district schools. Fischer advocated for a more open discussion among district residents as well as more flexibility under state law to suspend or expel repeat offenders. Harshman suggested teachers hold an important role in identifying students who are struggling and encouraging positive behaviors in the classroom. Stouffer stated that the district needs to educate parents about how to identify bullying behaviors and modify these behaviors at home.[[[13]
District communications
Henry House and Peter E. Perini Sr. offered proposals for improvements to the district's communications with parents and teachers. House argued that the district should add a liaison that encourages involvement by home-schooled students. Perini celebrated Superintendent Clayton Wilcox's regular listening sessions and proposed improved PTAs especially at the high school level.[13]
School day layout
Mindy Marsden and Ryan Richard Miner disagreed about potential reforms to the number of periods in each school day. The school board has discussed a six-period school day that would spread classes throughout the school year. Marsden supports using the six-period school day to break lessons into smaller sections especially for students with varying attention spans. Miner expressed misgivings with the six-period proposal because of concerns about the impacts on extracurricular activities and arts programs.[13]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Stan Stouffer' 'Washington County Public Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Washington County Public Schools, Maryland
- Washington County Public Schools elections (2014)
- Washington County Public Schools elections (2016)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwashington - ↑ The Herald-Mail, "Stan stouffer says he will use his teaching, coaching experience for Washington County BOE service," May 4, 2014
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Washington County 2016 Presidential Primary Election Local Candidates List," February 11, 2016
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Washington County 2016 Presidential General Election Local Candidates List," October 28, 2016
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedule," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "EAffidavit Filing," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports Information," accessed October 30, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports Information," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports," accessed June 3, 2014
- ↑ Washington County Teachers Association, "Your Recommended Pro-Public Education Candidates," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Herald-Media, "Washington County Board of Education candidate - Stan Stouffer," June 1, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 The Herald-Media, "School board candidates address bullying, communication," June 2, 2014
| 2016 Washington County Public Schools Elections | |
| Washington County, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Donna Brightman • Incumbent, Wayne Ridenour • Incumbent, Melissa Williams • Pieter Bickford • Joseph Chandler • Al Martin • Linda Murray • Stan Stouffer |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
| 2014 Washington County Public Schools Elections | |
| Washington County, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Jacqueline Fischer • Mike Guessford • Karen J. Harshman • Henry House • Mindy Marsden • Ryan Richard Miner • Peter E. Perini Sr. • Stan Stouffer |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
