Michael Jackson was a candidate for Dale District representative on the Chesterfield County School Board in Virginia. The general election was held on November 3, 2015.[1] Michael Jackson lost the general election on November 3, 2015.
Elections
2015
- See also: Chesterfield County Public Schools elections (2015)
Opposition
The Chesterfield County School Board is a five-member board elected by district to serve staggered four-year terms. All five seats were up for election on November 3, 2015.
John Erbach defeated fellow challenger Michael Jackson for the Dale District seat vacated by board member David Wyman. Rob Thompson defeated Bill Hastings Jr. to replace Thomas Doland in Matoaca District.
Incumbents Carrie Coyner and Dianne Smith and newcomer Javaid Siddiqi ran unopposed and won the Bermuda District, Clover Hill District and Midlothian District seats, respectively. Midlothian District board member Debra Girvin also did not file for re-election.
Results
Funding
Jackson reported $8,390.00 in contributions and $2,925.57 in expenditures to the Virginia State Board of Elections, which left his campaign with $5,464.43 on hand as of October 28, 2015.[2]
Endorsements
Jackson did not receive any official endorsements in this election.
2015
Candidate website
Jackson's campaign website listed the following themes for 2015:
| “
|
Safety in Schools
Safe schools are the foundation of a thriving community. Safe schools mean that each student is free to learn, explore and grow. The safety of our children will always be at the forefront of my mind when I make decisions as a school board member. Safe schools are more than just safe buildings. Safe schools mean that students are transported, educated and cared for by qualified professionals that hold student safety in the highest regard. Safe schools are the combination of qualified personnel, proven policies and practical procedures. Each spring, parents of pre-kindergarten children come to kindergarten registration day with the greatest hopes for their children. These parents and children are filled with excitement about what the possibility of kindergarten will hold. Educating these precious children is a wonderful privilege and comes with tremendous responsibility. Chesterfield County Public Schools must not take this privilege and responsibility lightly.
Transparency in the Process
Transparency is fundamental to our democracy and central to our trust in government. Far too often, elected school board representatives have been allowed to be accountable only to themselves. Chesterfield County’s school board representatives work for the citizens of Chesterfield County and must be willing to do the business of the schools in a transparent, consistent and predictable manner. As an elected school board member and advocate for transparency in government, I will uphold my commitment to doing the work of Chesterfield County Public Schools' business in a transparent manner. With a five-member board, one individual alone cannot make all aspects of governing transparent but one individual can stand up for citizens’ rights to access information and engage their elected officials and representatives in the governing process. I will be that individual school board representative who fights for citizens every step of the way.
Classroom Centered Policies
Without well-educated culturally competent and committed professional educators, Chesterfield County public schools have nothing more than brick-and-mortar. Every single policy that I will vote on as a school board representative will impact the classroom and I will always strive to be student focused and teacher friendly in policy decisions. I am not naïve enough to believe that every policy will be liked by the students or the teachers but I will seek to engage them in every step of the process; letting them know that I work for them and that I am accessible to them and ultimately that I am accountable to them. Gone will be the days where the central office develops policies at the request of individuals who have little to no experience or reference point to what today's teachers are encountering in the classrooms. My election to the school board will usher in a new approach to reasonable classroom centered policymaking at all levels of Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Financially Responsible Decision Making
Education is an investment in our future; it must be balanced with fiscal responsibility. In Chesterfield County, the school board has no way to raise funds through taxation, however they have a tremendous responsibility to be good fiduciary stewards of taxpayer resources. While making budgeting and spending plans, a school board representative should always seek to balance the priorities. By remaining student focused, open, accessible and results driven; I will be fiscally responsible with entrusted taxpayer resources. During the past six years, our schools have endured enormous cuts in funding. Now that we are turning the page in our recovery from the great recession, the task at hand can be filled with tough decisions. Often times it is harder to decide what to invest in. It is clear to me that our investment should be classroom centered and student focused. Prioritization in education spending is a must, resources are limited and ROI is never guaranteed. As a certified fraud examiner and a trained accountant, I will bring a fiscally conservative and financially responsible mind set to the school board.
Student Achievement
Chesterfield County Public Schools are in the business of producing graduates that are well-equipped to handle the next phase of their lives; be it ascension to higher education or additional vocational training or entering the workforce. Chesterfield County Public Schools must be globally competitive and maintain a rigorous curriculum while expecting high achievement from all students. Chesterfield County Public Schools will be judged by the graduates it produces. Achievement gaps will be eliminated when Chesterfield County Public Schools and communities demand excellence without excuse in education.
[3]
|
”
|
| —Michael Jackson (2015), [4]
|
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Michael Jackson' 'Chesterfield County Public Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
John Erbach 
