Stephanie Arguello
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Stephanie Arguello ran for election to the Seminole County Public Schools school board to represent District 3 in Florida. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Arguello completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Stephanie Arguello was born in Rockledge, Florida. She graduated from Rockledge High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida in 2007 and a graduate degree from Florida International University in 2010. Her career experience includes working as a consultant and teacher, and for the Orlando Science Center and AdventHealth.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Seminole County Public Schools, Florida, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 3
Incumbent Abby Sanchez defeated Stephanie Arguello in the general election for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Abby Sanchez (Nonpartisan) | 52.9 | 114,837 |
 | Stephanie Arguello (Nonpartisan)  | 47.1 | 102,130 | |
| Total votes: 216,967 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 3
Incumbent Abby Sanchez and Stephanie Arguello defeated Kelly Critz in the primary for Seminole County Public Schools school board District 3 on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Abby Sanchez (Nonpartisan) | 41.7 | 24,283 |
| ✔ | | Stephanie Arguello (Nonpartisan) | 30.7 | 17,878 |
| Kelly Critz (Nonpartisan) | 27.6 | 16,051 | ||
| Total votes: 58,212 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Arguello in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Stephanie Arguello completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Arguello's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am the daughter of two veterans and the proud product of Brevard County public schools. After graduating with my bachelor's degree from UCF, I began teaching health and science at the Orlando Science Center, while earning my masters degree in Public Health from FIU. My work as an educator continued during my time at AdventHealth, where I first taught health and wellness in Central Florida schools and community centers, followed by facilitating health education for new mothers, and eventually hospital employees across the Central Florida region. I went on to lead community health improvement efforts more broadly as Director of Community Health. i was recognized for my leadership work as one of Orlando Business Journal's 40 under 40 leaders in 2022. After leaving AdventHealth, I spent 1.5 years leading a new team of experts called the Equitable Outcomes Team for the City of Orlando, focused on scaling the city's alternative crisis response program with the police department. I am also the proud mother to a current SCPS student, and current doctoral student continuing to sharpen my own education. I'm experienced as a board member, and community advocate.
- I am an invested stakeholder, with a daughter currently in the Seminole County public school system. I understand the current challenges parents face, and will offer unique perspective as a working single parent who wants the best for my child.
- I am an experienced leader. I have worked both as a board member for local nonprofits including the Polis Institute, and the Primary Care Access Network, as well as on the advisory committees for the Edyth Bush Foundation and Orange County Health Department. As the former Director of Community Health for AdventHealth i oversaw community health improvement efforts across four counties, including leading the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment for the Central Florida Collaborative.
- My public health background provides a unique area of expertise which positions me to address the new and emerging issues impacting students academic achievement. Issues like vaping, chronic absenteeism, and a growing student population with social and economic barriers to success, requires someone with experience in driving equitable outcomes to address the root causes of performance gaps and variations in academic success.
Education related policy, especially policy related to creating a positive and safe learning environment for all. I am looking forward to bringing together internal and external subject matter experts to create effective policies related to cell phone and social media use, as well as reviewing existing policy related to discipline and how schools handle behavioral challenges and reforming of disruptive behavior. I believe there is an opportunity to review existing policies and ensure that SCPS remains future focused, incorporating policy on the increasing use of technology, and how to ethically navigate this.
I look up to my Grandmother who passed a few years ago. She was a pioneer for her time, a strong independent woman who lived life on her own terms. She was a voter advocate, and active member of her church and community. She instilled in me a desire to be civically active as well as a love of adventure. I aspire to continue her legacy by continuing to create positive impact and inspire a new generation of leaders.
An elected official must be humble, and focused on the greater good, rather than self advancement. I believe that a true leader is a servant leader, who works for and is willing to make difficult but well-informed decisions that lead to positive progress.
I am a servant leader, who believes that leadership requires humility. I am a strategic thinker, who is highly intelligent, and creative. My ability to remain an objective researcher, enables me to seek to to understand current operations, and remain focused on solutions that will create a positive impact. I am willing to take risks, and make bold decisions, and will ensure that as leaders, we go above and beyond to find solutions that will be effective. I am a problem solver, who will not take no for an answer. And I am a strong communicator, willing and able to advocate for teachers and students, prioritizing academics and a nurturing and positive learning environment.
I would like to leave a legacy of shattering expectations. I am willing to work hard to excel at purpose-filled work, and have stepped into each new role or opportunity with a desire to succeed. I hope to have a legacy of embracing mistakes as opportunities to learn. I hope to leave a legacy of collaboration, opening minds to new ideas, and finding solutions that work.
The first historical event that I have a vivid memory of, is 9/11. I remember being in high school, and my teacher turning on the news. I remember vividly not understanding the weight of what was happening, or why the world felt like it stood still. I was 14 or 15 years old at the time.
My first job was working in the hardware department of the my local Sears. I applied to be in retail, but quickly was transferred to hardware. I worked there for 2 years, including travelling back to my hometown on weekends during my first year of college.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, because it was a book I read during my senior year of high school that was very impactful. It was one of the first where i related to the main character, a woman of color, who defied expectations. I still have my copy from high school today.
The primary job is to create a vision, implement effective policy, and be a bridge to from the district to the community. The board must act collaboratively, be an advocate for key stakeholder groups, and ensure transparency and accountability in all that the district does.
Students are the first and most important in the school system. As far as constituents, teachers, staff and parents are all important stakeholders in creating a thriving learning environment where students can thrive. Local and state leadership also plays an integral role. Strategic partners include local businesses, colleges and universities, and local nonprofit organizations along with the broad community. Schools are a function for the community, and it's important to engage broadly to ensure a school that reflects the diverse needs of the community.
Advancing funding requires work at the federal and state level as well as locally. Advocacy must continue to advocate for Florida to more heavily invest in our education system. This work will require a concerted effort along with surrounding districts, and bringing together school, business and community to demand more of our elected officials as it relates to policy and budget that reflects the importance of education. Locally, I am an advocate of innovation. This includes optimizing existing local strategic partnerships, as well as seeking new ways to increase revenue into the district. I will champion exploring unique and new ways to increase revenue from increased facility rentals, and exploring entrepreneurship models with partners such as UCF's business incubator and other entrepreneurial supporting organizations.
I believe in a comprehensive and collaborative approach to school safety policies. This involves ensuring that stakeholders from both internal and external departments should be brought together to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of safety polices. In addition, it's important to expand policies to create a safe physical and digital environment.
As a public health professional, I understand that meeting mental health needs of students and staff require education and increased access to services. While not all students may need or be able to access one on one counseling, an increase in group support environments, and mentoring will increase positive community engagement, and a sense of belonging. Initiatives which encourage healthy behaviors, can also lead to a positive impact on mental heath.
I believe there is an opportunity to collaboratively create a comprehensive policy surrounding cell phones, social media and fostering health digital citizens through preventative education and well implemented policy.
I feel SCPS did the best they could to navigate an unprecedented time in our recent history. While decisions had to be made that have since been scrutinized for unintended consequences of learning loss and delay in social skill development, I believe the district made the best decisions with the information they had available at the time. In the future, I believe SCPS will have the opportunity to stand strong in decisions, regardless of their popularity, by seeking feedback from diverse stakeholders early and often in the policy development process.
Thankfully, SCPS has a legacy of academic excellence that makes it a high value employer. To strengthen recruitment, SCPS will need to continue striving to offer competitive compensation and benefits. Creating a more supportive environment that is responsive to the needs of faculty and staff is integral to this.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Seminole County Public Schools school board District 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 12, 2024
