Toussaint Cheatom
Toussaint Cheatom was the District 2 representative on the Des Moines school board in Iowa. He was elected to the board on September 10, 2013, and he served until his resignation in February 2015. He resigned due to health concerns.[1]
Biography
Cheatom attended North High School, a school in Des Moines Public Schools.[2] He served for four years in the United States Marine Corps before being convicted of robbery in 1990.[2][3] After completing his sentence in 1994, Cheatom attended Wilberforce University in Ohio, but he left to serve as the pastor for St. James AME Church before receiving his degree.[4][5]
Elections
2013
Toussaint Cheatom defeated Ed Linebach III for the District 2 seat in the general election on September 10, 2013.[3]
Results
| Des Moines Public Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2013 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Toussaint Cheatom |
52.9% | 607 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ed Linebach III | 46.5% | 534 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.6% | 7 | |
| Total Votes | 1,148 | |||
| Source: Polk County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, "School Board Election," accessed September 14, 2013 | ||||
Funding
As of September 9, 2013, Toussaint Cheatom reported $1,697.00 in donations and $1,344.38 in expenditures to the Iowa Secretary of State, which left him with $352.62 on-hand.[6]
Endorsements
Toussaint Cheatom received endorsement for his campaign from the Des Moines Education Association and the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.[7][8]
Campaign themes
Cheatom believed that, "The greatest concern is the under achievement of students and the over representation of minorities being sent for disciplinary actions."[9] He argued in favor of maintaining smaller class sizes, stating, "Smaller class sizes, especially for minorities, are important. ...If you cannot read by the fourth grade, it’s a proven fact that they build a jail cell for you."[10] Cheatom's campaign website listed the following campaign themes for 2013:[11]
|
My reason for seeking a seat in this election is TLC-- For us, Teaching, Learning & Change are the key elements in this race
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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 "Toussaint + Cheatom + Des + Moines + School"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Des Moines Register, "Finney: Cheatom leaves school board, but fight remains," February 11, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 North High School Wall of Honor, "Peacetime 1976-2000," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Des Moines Register, "Local pastor running for DMPS school board," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Spectrum Resources, "Our Staff," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ Facebook, "Cheatomforchange," accessed August 5, 2013
- ↑ IECDB Web Reporting System, "DR-2 Disclosure Summary Page," accessed September 9, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Mary Stegmeir, Des Moines Register, "Teachers union endorses candidates in Des Moines school board race," August 8, 2013
- ↑ Mary Stegmeir, Des Moines Register, "AFSCME endorses four candidates in Des Moines school board race," August 20, 2013
- ↑ Stephanie Moore, WHOtv.com 13, "SCHOOL BOARD: New Candidates Ready To Run," September 4, 2013
- ↑ Mary Stegmeir, Des Moines Register, "Des Moines forum addresses schools' class size," September 4, 2013
- ↑ Facebook, "About Cheatomforchange," accessed August 5, 2013
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