Christiane Buggs

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Christiane Buggs

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Prior offices

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5

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Education

Bachelor's

Tennessee State University

Graduate

Vanderbilt University

Personal

Profession

Assistant director

Contact

Personal website

Christiane Buggs was a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education in Tennessee, representing District 5. She assumed office in 2016. She left office in 2024.

Buggs ran for re-election to the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education to represent District 5 in Tennessee. She won in the general election on August 6, 2020.

Buggs participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Buggs is the assistant director of TRIO Programs at Tennessee State University. She has worked in that position since May 2015. She previously worked as a teacher in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. She is a member of the Urban League Young Professionals of Middle Tennessee and a board member of the YMCA Black Achievers. Buggs earned a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee State University. She also earned a second master's degree in teaching and learning in urban schools from Vanderbilt University.

Elections

2020

See also: Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee, elections (2020)

General election

General election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5

Incumbent Christiane Buggs won election in the general election for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools school board, District 5 on August 6, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Christiane Buggs (Nonpartisan)	98.8	11,627
		Other/Write-in votes	1.2	136

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,763
= 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.
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2016

See also: Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools elections (2016)

Buggs' residency was challenged prior to the 2016 election, but the Davidson County Election Commission voted 5-0 to dismiss the challenge and keep her name on the ballot.

Five of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on August 4, 2016. District 1 incumbent Sharon Dixon Gentry defeated challenger Janette Carter to win another term. In District 3, incumbent Jill Speering also won another term by defeating challenger Jane Grimes Meneely. Norman Merrifield originally filed to run for the District 3 seat, but he withdrew from the election. Christiane Buggs, Miranda Christy, Corey Gathings, and Erica Lanier ran for the District 5 seat, which was left open when board member Elissa Kim did not file to run for re-election. Buggs was elected to the seat. The District 7 race featured incumbent Will Pinkston and challenger Jackson Miller. Pinkston was re-elected to another term. District 9 incumbent Amy Frogge faced challenger Thom Druffel. She was also elected to another term.

Results

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Christiane Buggs	58.27%	2,812
Miranda Christy	27.31%	1,318
Corey Gathings	7.09%	342
Erica Lanier	7.02%	339
Write-in votes	0.31%	15
Total Votes		4,826
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results," accessed January 12, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools election

Buggs reported $40,712.96 in contributions and $40,685.96 in expenditures to the Davidson County Election Commission, which left her campaign with $27.00 on hand as of September 30, 2016.

Endorsements

Buggs was endorsed by the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce SuccessPAC, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 205, and Women In Numbers (WIN).

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Christiane Buggs did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey

Christiane Buggs participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on May 20, 2016:

“

I look to improve and provide platforms for collaboration and communication between all stakeholders. I look to bridge the achievement gap. I look to ensure that the well-being and success of students are the basis for every decision. I look to bring my classroom experience and knowledge of education policy to the board and increase the effectiveness of MNPS policies that govern our schools.

”

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.

Education policy
Click here to learn more about education policy in Tennessee.
Education on the ballot

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Closing the achievement gap
2	Improving post-secondary readiness
3	Improving education for special needs students
4	Expanding arts education
5	Improving relations with teachers
6	Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
7	Blank

“	Every board-level decision should be student-focused. Supporting the growth and success of young people is my main priority.	”
—Christiane Buggs (May 20, 2016)

Positions on the issues

The candidate was asked to answer nine questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.

Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.)
No. MNPS families have 154 public schools to choose from. The schools we have now should be allowed to continue their work.
Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement.
The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement.
Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement?
Yes. This depends on the standardized test. Some are not as well written or culturally diverse as they would need to be to offer appropriate feedback. But, standardized tests do offer at least one piece of data that gauge student achievement.
What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative?
They will make our students competitive in the global market as they support critical thinking development.
How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district?
Offer additional training options. Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. The response to this question is relative because it depends on the track record of the teacher. New teachers will become better with experience, and sometimes experienced teachers should be encouraged to learn new pedagogy ad teaching methods. Also, the district should consider the performance indicators used to monitor and label teachers.
Should teachers receive merit pay?
No. There are times where stipends could be beneficial and encourage teacher growth, but a blanket answer from me would "no". Merit pay often discourages teachers from working at traditionally underperforming schools, or at least encourages working at schools that are perceived as having fewer behavior problems and potentially being high performing.
Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program?
No. Public dollars should not be used to pay private entities.
How should expulsion be used in the district?
Sparingly after restorative practices have been tried.
What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration?
Parent involvement Having taught for almost a decade, I understand that the answer to this question is relative. Different classrooms require different supports based on need. Student-teacher ratio may not e as large of a concern in some classrooms because of the experience level of the teacher. This is not always the case though. The curriculum is standard across the state and serves as a guide for what is to be taught. Teachers, parents, and administrators all influence student success in different ways, and in different capacities based on the needs of the students and classroom. There is no one answer to this question.

Candidate website

Buggs highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:

“	Student-Focused Curriculum Christiane’s experience as a teacher in Metro Schools makes her keenly aware that schools aren’t just buildings. They’re comprised of the people who walk the halls and whose lives are affected by district-level decisions. Christiane’s insight into what goes on inside of our schools will help her promote developmentally appropriate curricula. Educator Advocacy Christiane understands that when teachers are developed as professionals, they have room to individualize instruction and increase student growth. When educators feel supported they are more confident and prepared to properly advocate for students. And when adequate resources flow through a school, the community is changed for the better. Parent Peace of Mind Christiane has seven siblings, all of whom have attended Metro Schools, and she recognizes that parents and families deserve to feel both comfort and ownership in their schools. Parent concerns must be heard clearly and swift resolutions developed. Christiane will work to ensure that the district is properly addressing concerns – always. System-Wide Collaboration Great students, faculty, and staff fill our schools each week. Collaboration between all of these stakeholders should be encouraged to ensure that the best Metro Schools have to offer are being translated throughout the district. Relationship building, mentoring, and true partnerships can be developed with active participation from all parties.	”
—Christiane Buggs (2016)

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