William Dunn (New Mexico)
William Dunn was a candidate for District 3 representative on the Rio Rancho Public Schools school board in New Mexico. Dunn was defeated in the by-district general election on February 7, 2017.
Elections
2017
Three of the five seats on the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on February 7, 2017. District 1 incumbent Don Schlichte did not file to run for re-election, guaranteeing a new member was elected to the board. The race to fill the open seat featured candidates Wynne Coleman, Margretta Franklin, and Natalie Nicotine, and Coleman won the election. In her bid for re-election to District 3, incumbent Martha Janssen defeated challenger William Dunn. District 5 incumbent Catherine Cullen ran unopposed and won another term. Catherine Jabar initially filed to challenge her, but she withdrew from the race.[1][2][3]
Results
| Rio Rancho Public Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Martha Janssen Incumbent |
50.82% | 93 |
| William Dunn | 49.18% | 90 |
| Total Votes | 183 | |
| Source: Sandoval County Bureau of Elections, "Election Held in Sandoval County for Rio Rancho Public School District No. 94 on February 7, 2017," accessed February 22, 2017 | ||
Funding
Dunn reported $2,250.00 in contributions and $1,542.82 in expenditures to the New Mexico Secretary of State, which left his campaign with $707.18 on hand in the election.[4]
Endorsements
Dunn was endorsed by the Rio Rancho Observer.[5]
Campaign themes
2017
Dunn participated in the following questionnaire provided by the Albuquerque Journal. The Albuquerque Journal's questions appear in bolded text, and Dunn's responses appear below.
Please explain what factors compelled you to run for a seat on the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education.
| “ | Rio Rancho Public Schools is the top school district in the state. In a state that is 49th in the country, we should be proud of the accomplishment while keeping an eye on the future. In the last school year, the district took a step back in the school “grades.” Last year, seven of nine elementary schools lost at least one letter grade (i.e., B to C) and multiple schools lost more than one letter grade; three of the four middle schools lost at least one letter grade in 2016. It is time to look into the future, stop the negative slide and move forward with a new generation of leaders on the board. We can do better, and I believe I can bring a new and fresh approach to continue RRPS as a leader for our children’s sake.[6] | ” |
| —William Dunn (2017)[7] | ||
Please describe your understanding of the current challenges faced by RRPS regarding student use of illicit drugs, and outline the policy formulations you would advocate to address this concern.
| “ | This is a heartbreaking situation for our children and their parents. I am committed to listening to teachers, parents, community members and experts on this issue to find a solution for our children. Many challenges are facing RRPS, including the lack of a formal plan to correct this behavior. The student handbook contains documentation on the punishment, but not the development of a potential recovery plan. A comprehensive policy should include ways to prevent addiction to the drug and recovery. Policing the issue is difficult as prescription drugs and opiates are small, easily concealed and can be hidden in a small spaces. I believe the district should look into the legal opportunities of utilizing a drug- and/or gun-sniffing dog on the campuses. One such animal trained and utilized by a district employee in random schools could act as a deterrent and would aid in finding the illicit drugs.[6] | ” |
| —William Dunn (2017)[7] | ||
What are the top three priorities for your four-year term, and how you will accomplish them?
| “ | Funding: We are facing financial shortcomings now and in the immediate and foreseeable future, cuts should happen away from our classrooms, not in the heart of our classrooms. My background in finances and nine-figure budgets is greatly beneficial in this area.
Over-testing: Our students spend too much of their time testing and/or preparing for testing, this limits the educators ability to teach the subjects. There should be a limit to the number of tests our student take. Overcrowding at several of our schools: With the new school on hold for another 2-4 years, what are we doing to help reduce the overcrowding in our schools and classrooms? We cannot allow our students and educators to continue with the limitations they have been forced to deal with. We need to maximize the resources we have now to reduce the stress on the classrooms.[6] |
” |
| —William Dunn (2017)[7] | ||
How would you work to improve parental and public involvement in the education process?
| “ | I believe the first step in parental and public involvement is communication. There is no formal communication plan for the administration and the school board to the parents and public. I would like to see newsletters and/or some other type of material distributed to the parents on a monthly basis. I believe each board member should be visiting the schools they represent on a regular basis. Schedule a time to meet with each school’s employees and a time to meet with the parents in the school cafeteria or another venue on site. The board member would give a “state of the school/district” presentation and then have a town hall style meeting with parents. The board member would be responsible to get back to the community with any information that was missing or questions left unanswered.[6] | ” |
| —William Dunn (2017)[7] | ||
What criteria would you use to determine if a school district has been successful in the education process? Please compare/contrast with NMED’s reform and accountability efforts.
| “ | I measure success in growth. The delta or change between the start and finish. Mount Everest cannot be climbed in a day, nor can we find all the success we are looking for in one school year. Growth of the school district and individual school grades can be seen in the change from one year to the next. An elementary that is currently rated a “D” can be successful if they implement the changes necessary to move them to a “C;” a high school that is rated as an “A” cannot be successful if they are a “B” the next year. I am calling for fewer assessments, so if there must only be two, give them the end of year examination in the first week, then they take the same examination on the last week of the year. You can determine success by the level at which the students grow.[6] | ” |
| —William Dunn (2017)[7] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ rrobserver.com, "The candidates for Rio Rancho and Bernalillo school board are in," December 21, 2016
- ↑ rrobserver.com, "District 5 candidate Jabar drops from RRPS board race," January 11, 2017
- ↑ Rio Rancho Public Schools, "Voters Elect Board Members in Districts 1, 3, and 5," February 7, 2017
- ↑ New Mexico Campaign Finance Information System, "Public Reports: Search Candidates," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ Rio Rancho Observer, "OUR VIEW: Our picks for the school board," February 5, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Albuquerque Journal, "Meet the RRPS Board candidates for Districts 1 and 3," January 28, 2017
| Rio Rancho Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Sandoval County, New Mexico | |
| Election date: | February 7 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Wynne Coleman • Margretta Franklin • Natalie Nicotine District 3: • Incumbent, Martha Janssen • William Dunn District 5: • Incumbent, Catherine Cullen |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
