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Latest revision as of 08:10, 15 August 2024


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Jen Schottke
Image of Jen Schottke
Prior offices
Grand Rapids Public Schools, At-large

Personal
Profession
Director of workforce development and external affairs, ABC Western Michigan
Contact

Jen Schottke is an at-large member of the Grand Rapids Public Schools school board in Michigan. She was first appointed to the board on March 30, 2016.[1] Schottke won re-election in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.

Biography

Schottke is the director of workforce development and external affairs for ABC Western Michigan.[1]

Elections

2016

See also: Grand Rapids Public Schools elections (2016)

Four of the nine seats on the Grand Rapids Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbents Raynard Ross and Jen Schottke filed for re-election, while fellow board members Monica Randles and Nathaniel Moody opted against seeking new terms. Ross and Schottke were joined on the ballot by challengers Walter Burt, Ryan Davis, Michael Farage, Alex Fernandez, Kristian Grant, Matthew Helak, and Katherine Downes Lewis. Ross, Schottke, Grant, and Lewis won in the general election.[2]

Results

Grand Rapids Public Schools,
At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Kristian Grant 16.43% 25,780
Green check mark transparent.png Katherine Downes Lewis 15.28% 23,975
Green check mark transparent.png Jen Schottke Incumbent 15.07% 23,650
Green check mark transparent.png Raynard Ross Incumbent 11.57% 18,159
Alex Fernandez 10.42% 16,344
Walter Burt 9.81% 15,397
Ryan Davis 8.51% 13,348
Michael Farage 7.26% 11,399
Matthew Helak 5.65% 8,867
Total Votes 156,919
Source: Election Magic, "Kent County Election Returns," accessed December 14, 2016

Funding

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016.[3]

In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements.[4]

October 28 filing

Candidates received a total of $17,155.54 and spent a total of $11,167.36 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Kent County Clerk.[5]

Candidate Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Raynard Ross (incumbent) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Jen Schottke (incumbent) $11,525.54 $8,215.37 $3,310.17
Walter Burt $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Ryan Davis $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Michael Farage $4,500.00 $1,968.98 $2,534.02
Alex Fernandez $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Kristian Grant $1,130.00 $983.01 $146.99
Matthew Helak $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Katherine Downes Lewis $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Campaign themes

2016

Schottke provided the following responses for the voter guide compiled by MLive.com:

Why are you running for office?
On March 30, 2016 I was unanimously appointed to serve on the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education.The Board of Education sought an individual with a new perspective and one with new skills and abilities, and they selected me for my industry experience; my emphasis on Career and Technical Education, internships, and mentorships; and my own non-traditional career pathway.

I am running for this office because I am a parent in the district with two young children attending North Park Montessori. I am an engaged community member in the district as I work with the GRPS Academy for Design and Construction as an advisory council member and fundraising committee chair. And, I am running for this office as I see a disconnect between industry and education in my professional work. As an advocate for construction careers in the K-12 system, and my message that college is not the only predictor for success, I bring a new voice to the GRPS Board of Education.

What are your top three priorities?
1. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming: By integrating career awareness and career readiness into required curriculum guidelines, we can transform the way students approach academics. Through adult-world experiences, students begin to connect how education translates into careers. 2. Increasing student recruitment and retention rates: 7,000 students reside in the City of Grand Rapids that do not attend the district and I support Superintendent Weatherall Neal's "Bring Our Kids Home Campaign" campaign to recruit these students back to the District. 3. Recruiting, retaining and equipping exceptional teachers: We must become creative in how we recruit, retain and equip teachers – through innovative, interesting and exceptional professional development, by celebrating success stories and elevating the status of the urban teaching profession in our community, and by creating stronger pipelines for preparation including year-long internship and mentoring opportunities.

What is the most pressing issue for this office?
There is much to celebrate in Grand Rapids Public Schools, but one place where I can make a difference is increasing student engagement and graduation through career concentration. 93% of students who engage in Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduate from high school with a diploma compared to a national average of 80%. Male students are 22% more likely to graduate with a diploma, and low-income students are 25% more likely to graduate compared to those who do not concentrate in a career pathway. CTE is often thought only to translate to vocational or skilled trades, but that’s not the case – 3 out of 4 students engaged in CTE go on to pursue a degree in their field of concentration. In short, students involved in CTE are more engaged, perform better and graduate at higher rates. These are outcomes GRPS needs.[1][6]

—Jen Schottke (2016)

Recent news

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See also

External links

Footnotes