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Jackson Thompson
Jackson Thompson was a candidate for at-large representative on the Wentzville R-IV School District Board of Education in Missouri. Thompson was defeated in the general election held on April 5, 2016.[1]
Elections
2016
Three of the seven seats on the Wentzville R-IV School District school board were up for at-large general election on April 5, 2016. No incumbents filed for re-election. A special election for a one-year term on the board featured Kurtis Daniels, Damien Pisciotta, and Lezlie Stephens. Two seats were up for regularly scheduled election; candidates Saundra Garber, Dale Schaper, Jennifer Simpson, Jackson Thompson, and Betsy Bates vied for them. Schaper and Simpson defeated the other candidates to win regular-term seats on the school board, while Daniels won the one-year term position.[1]
Results
| Wentzville R-IV School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2016 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jennifer Simpson |
25.16% | 3,548 |
| Dale Schaper |
22.48% | 3,170 |
| Betsy Bates | 21.80% | 3,074 |
| Saundra Garber | 20.48% | 2,887 |
| Jackson Thompson | 9.63% | 1,358 |
| Write-in votes | 0.44% | 62 |
| Total Votes (100) | 14,099 | |
| Source: St. Charles County Clerk, "Election Summary Report OFFICIAL," accessed May 3, 2016 | ||
Campaign themes
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Jackson Thompson 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 February 10, 2016:
| “ | Prepare Students for the Jobs of Tomorrow. Education is there to create adults that are ready to build an economy and society. Our children will not stop learning when they graduate. They need to be well rounded people. They need to know team work and creativity as much as they do math, language and sciences (both social and physical). An eye on that big picture is important to every decision made in the district.[2][3] | ” |
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 Missouri. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Hands on education is my focus. This includes protecting and expanding extra / co-curricular and arts programs. It also means expanding vocational programs.[3] | ” |
| —Jackson Thompson (February 10, 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. Alternatives, new methods, and experimentation should be used in the district. But to put in school that have a private entity take profit out of our budget does not help. The budget is tight enough, we don't need to give any of it away. |
| 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 be involved in the district routinely. The two work together. Why is there a wall? The State sets standards, the district sets curriculum. Too many people don't know the difference and so they start a fight between the two. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. The are an important part of the metric, but not the complete picture. We need to collect data. But that should include data from former students and there successes after leaving the district. Not all students test well. Making standardized tests critical leads to Teaching the Test. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| I believe in common core should be included in standards. I do not believe it is the only driver of curriculum. We should Test what we Teach, but never resort to Teaching the Test. |
| 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. As an experienced manager I have found that under-performers many times don't know they are not performing to expectations. Setting policies to recognize and work to improve performance in a well structured way work. Many times clear communication and a structure to improve turn them into top performers. The structure also sets gates where, if not met, the employee knows that is cause for termination. They have a chance to work to improve or are dismissed, they in control of their own fate. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. Not just teachers but all staff members. Incentives work! A pat on the back and a plaque are nice, but cash says something more. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. It would just take money away from public schools. Public education is an important engine for economic development. Public education takes on ALL children. I believe in strengthening our public education system. Vouchers do not do that. Private schools are not responsible to the voters, so should not get public money. Our districts can work closely with private schools. And where funding is available can run programs with dual enrollment. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| We have a good alternative school. We should do everything we can to get students back on track. Expulsion should be a last resort, we will pay for it in the long run through law enforcement and corrections. We need to remove students that distract others and get them in to alternative programs. We have a duty to educate all students. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers Don't like this question. Life is not that simple. They all matter and balance each other. There are no Silver Bullets! Attitude and environment are two most important factors and all of the factors list contribute to those. |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Jackson Thompson' 'Wentzville R-IV School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wentzville School District, "2016 Board of Education candidates," accessed January 21, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Jackson Thompson's responses," February 10, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| 2016 Wentzville R-IV School District Elections | |
| Election date: | April 5, 2016 |
| Candidates: | One-year term: Kurtis Daniels • Damien Pisciotta • Lezlie Stephens Three-year terms: Saundra Garber • Dale Schaper • Jennifer Simpson • Jackson Thompson • Betsy Bates |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
