Michelle Popp Shimberg
Michelle Popp Shimberg
was
a candidate for the District 2 seat on the Hillsborough County School Board in Florida. She
faced
Sally Harris and Michael Weston in the general election on August 26, 2014. Shimberg and Harris advanced to the runoff election on November 4, 2014, where Shimberg was defeated.
Elections
2014
The August 26, 2014, general election in Hillsborough County featured three seats up for election. The general election determined if candidates for each seat could garner a majority of the vote total. Because no candidate received 50 percent plus one of the general election votes in any of the districts, the top two vote recipients in all three races advanced to the runoff election on November 4, 2014.
District 6 incumbent April Griffin was the only board member to seek re-election and faced a challenge from seven other candidates in the general election. Griffin advanced to the runoff election with challenger Dipa Shah.
Newcomers Sally Harris, Michelle Popp Shimberg and Michael Weston ran for the District 2 seat. Shimberg and Harris advanced to the runoff election. Terry Kemple, Dee Prether and Melissa Snively sought election to the District 4 seat. Snively and Temple advanced to the runoff election for the open seat.
Results
Runoff
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Sally Harris |
52.5% | 40,021 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michelle Popp Shimberg | 47.5% | 36,167 | |
| Total Votes | 76,188 | |||
| Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 General Election Results," accessed January 2, 2015 | ||||
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Michelle Popp Shimberg |
47.1% | 14,387 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sally Harris |
27.2% | 8,324 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Weston | 25.7% | 7,839 | |
| Total Votes | 30,550 | |||
| Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Results," September 2, 2014 | ||||
Funding
As of October 28, 2014, Shimberg reported $138,112.00 in monetary contributions, $3,086.89 in-kind contributions and $106,372.78 in expenditures to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, which left her campaign with $31,739.22.[1]
Endorsements
Shimberg was endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times.[2]
Campaign themes
2014
Shimberg's campaign website listed the following themes for the 2014 race:
| “ | Student Achievement Student learning is the reason for education. Every child should have an academic setting and curriculum that will engage and challenge him or her. Our district must provide opportunities and choices for each and every student to reach his or her academic potential in order to prepare students for a productive future. To continue to improve, we must reduce the achievement gap that exists among different student populations. Greater focus on reducing these disparities in early years will help students have a greater chance of reaching their academic potential. Working with community partners to expand opportunities for mentoring at risk youth is an important priority. A strong focus on meeting the individual needs of exceptional education students will ensure each student has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. Greater outreach to parents of ESE students will be a key focus of mine. School Safety Providing a safe environment for our students, staff and administrators is a priority to me. Safety is an expectation all parents have when sending their children to school each day, and our faculty, staff and administrators must have a safe work environment in order to perform at their highest level. I am committed to finding solutions to the challenges facing our district regarding safety and to providing a safe and supportive learning environment. Engaging Parents Parents and guardians play an important role in helping a student reach his or her academic potential. I will work to improve and extend opportunities for the district to better engage parents and the community in supporting our students. Technology Engaging today’s student means utilizing various forms of technology to enhance learning. Our classrooms and our teachers should be current in the use and application of technology in order to meet the needs and expectations of today’s learner. Understanding the responsibility of digital citizenship is important for students and teachers. Fiscal Responsibility Fiscal responsibility is an important aspect of the Hillsborough County School Board. We must ensure cost-effectiveness and determine the benefit to student achievement of every budget item. Finding creative ways to meet the needs of students and working collaboratively with community partners, legislators and others will be priorities. Communication and Transparency Open communication and transparency about all district work is essential in maintaining public confidence. Increasing the use of social media and other communication tools will help to inform and engage more students, parents and community members about Hillsborough County’s public schools. District Personnel Each person employed by the district has a role to play in promoting educational excellence for students. For those on the frontline in schools, especially principals and teachers, it is important to remember the support they need from the district to facilitate their tremendous responsibility. Above all, school board members must always remember that all decisions should be based on what is in the best interest of students. School Board Leadership The Hillsborough County School District has high expectations for our students and our teachers, and I believe we must have the same high expectations for our district leaders and school board members. We need board members who are advocates for public education and who can work together with the community to solve the challenges facing the 8th largest school district in the nation. Board members must understand our community and the education issues that are important to our citizens and be able to work collaboratively with the district staff and community to ensure a quality education for all students.[3] |
” |
| —Michelle Popp Shimberg's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Michelle + Popp + Shimberg + Hillsborough + County + Schools"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, "Reporting group (Election/Committees) : 2014 Candidate Election Cycle (11/4/2014)," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Times recommends: For Hillsborough School Board," October 6, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Vote Michelle Shimberg, "Issues," accessed July 25, 2014
| 2014 Hillsborough County Public Schools Elections | |
| Hillsborough County, Florida | |
| Election date: | August 26, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 2: • Sally Harris • Michelle Popp Shimberg • Michael Weston District 4: • Terry Kemple • Dee Prether • Melissa Snively |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
