Tonya Aultman-Bettridge
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Tonya Aultman-Bettridge was a candidate for District 1 on the Jeffco School Board in Colorado. She was defeated by fellow challenger Julie Williams on November 5, 2013.
Biography
Aultman-Bettridge has her Ph.D. in Public Administration, with a focus on youth/family public policy, from University of Colorado Denver. She is married to Glen, and the couple has one son. She is employed as a researcher and public policy analyst for issues concerning children, youth and family.[1]
Elections
2013
- See also: Jeffco Public Schools elections (2013)
Aultman-Bettridge was running for election against challenger Julie Williams on November 5, 2013.
Results
Funding
Aultman-Bettridge reported $27,902.09 in contributions and $27,902.09 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left her campaign with no cash on hand.[2]
Endorsements
Aultman-Bettridge was endorsed by the Golden Good Government League, the Jeffco Democrats Latino Initiative and Denver Area Labor Federation, among others.[3]
Aultman-Bettridge listed her campaign priorities as the following on her website:[4]
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Parent and Caregiver Engagement
Students do better when their parents and/or caregivers are active partners with schools. Just as our students have individual needs for their education, so too do parents and other caregivers have different experiences, motivations, and challenges affecting their level of engagement with schools. I will advocate for more innovative, culturally competent, and relevant ways of engaging and supporting our parents. In my volunteer work with the district and local parent groups across the county, I have strived to bring voices to the table that represent the diversity of thoughts, ideas, and experiences that our Jeffco parents have. We can and should include parents as our partners.
Teacher Effectiveness
As the parent representative to the educator evaluation committee, I worked to ensure teacher communication and partnerships with parents were included in evaluation criteria. As a professional researcher and evaluator, I understand it is vital that the district implement a system of evaluating our faculty and staff that supports the cultivation of highly effective teachers and administrators. Any system can generate a score or a label; a good system of evaluation will allow Jeffco educators to see, clearly, where they are having success and where there are opportunities for improvement. A great system of evaluation links those results to development opportunities and support, so educators have the opportunity to grow and improve as professionals. We have the will and capacity to do this.
School Choice
Parents in Jefferson County have the choice to enroll their children in their neighborhood school, an innovative program that better fits their child in another neighborhood school, an option school or a charter school. Parents have the right and, I would argue, the responsibility to be involved in their children’s education. Option and charter schools can meet needs not available to students with educational needs or goals outside the traditional school model. But they do not replace the foundation of a strong public education system that ensures that every child in our county has access to a great education, regardless of the choices that are readily available to them, or the choices their parents do or do not make. Therefore, my priority as a school board member will be to ensure that each neighborhood school represents a viable and excellent option for parents and children in the community.
School Safety
Protecting the students under our care must be a priority. Schools must balance the need to make our building structures secure with the need to reassure our students that they can learn in a safe environment. Through the Safe Communities-Safe Schools Initiative, I have worked with schools to improve security from both external threats and internal issues, including bullying and student intimidation. In a decade of researching school safety issues I have learned the importance of partnerships with the community and local law enforcement to not just respond to incidents of violence, but to do everything we can to prevent them.
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Note: The above quote is from the candidate's website, which may include some typographical or spelling errors.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Tonya + Aultman-Bettridge + Jeffco + Public + Schools"
See also
External links
- ↑ Tonya Aultman-Bettridge for Jeffco School Board, "About Tonya," accessed November 1, 2013
- ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Candidate Detail," accessed December 20, 2013
- ↑ Tonya Aultman-Bettridge for Jeffco School Board, "Endorsements," accessed November 1, 2013
- ↑ Tracy Aultman-Bettridge for Jeffco School Board, "Policies," accessed November 3, 2013
Julie Williams 
