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Joan Chavez-Lee
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Joan Chavez-Lee ran for election to the Jeffco Board of Education to represent District 4 in Colorado. Chavez-Lee lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.
Chavez-Lee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2019
See also: Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2019)
General election
General election for Jeffco Board of Education District 4
Susan Miller defeated Joan Chavez-Lee in the general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 4 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Susan Miller (Nonpartisan)  | 53.5 | 87,624 |
| Joan Chavez-Lee (Nonpartisan) | 46.5 | 76,309 | ||
| Total votes: 163,933 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
For a complete list of Chavez-Lee's endorsements, please click here.
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Joan Chavez-Lee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Chavez-Lee's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I have been involved with Jeffco Public Schools since my daughter began kindergarten in 1987. As a parent, I was treated in a positive and respectful manner by all school staff members and I quickly became an involved parent at the school as well as at the district level. I served as the PTA president and a member of school accountability committees. I also served on district committees, such as the Jeffco Language Development Preschool Advisory Board. Encouraged by mentors in Jeffco schools, I became a teacher and principal. I taught at three elementary schools in grades K - 5, and I was the principal at Russell and Molholm elementary schools and Wheat Ridge Middle School. Since retiring, I have been an active member and treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Wheat Ridge, participated on the education committee for the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge and am a current board member for CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin counties. I continue my involvement in the district by serving on the District Accountability Committee and volunteering in my granddaughter's classroom.
- Supporting teachers, investing in classrooms
- Graduating career-ready, college-ready, life-ready students.
- Stronger safety measures and mental health support.
I am passionate about providing a safe, engaging and caring school environment for all students, families and staff members. It is difficult for students to engage in the learning process if they are depressed, worried, or anxious. All students need to be surrounded with members of the school community who are supportive and hold high expectations for their learning. In addition, it is very important that both family members and staff members feel and are treated in a manner that recognizes that they have important and integral roles in the success of a student's education.
It is important that Jeffco Schools provide access and the opportunity for multiple learning pathways that are aligned to students need and interests. This pathway should begin as early as middle school and should lead to the use of Individual Career and Academic planning. Once a pathway is developed it is important that Jeffco Schools continue to promote links with college and industry partnerships that will help our students be college or career ready.
I have always looked up to my father, George J. Contreras, who was a Navy Seabee during WWII and used the GI Bill to attend college. My father was the first one in his family to attend college and he graduated from USC. At that time, he was one of only a few Latino students who attended that university. My father worked for the California Dept. of Corrections and served as a parole agent. I always admired how he would connect those on his caseload with available employment opportunities and other services that would help with the transition back from prison life to community life. While I was growing up, my brother had some serious medical issues. My brother had epilepsy and then at the age of 16 he had a blood clot in his brain which caused him to stay in the hospital for a long time. I remember that my parents would visit him on a daily basis and that during this time my father acknowledged how difficult this was for all members of the family and showed me additional support during that time. My father was an all-around good guy, and despite how tough things were at times, he always had a positive attitude and he was always willing to help out others to help solve problems.
As a former Jeffco teacher and Principal, and a former Jeffco parent and now grandparent I believe that I have a vast wealth of knowledge and experience that will allow me to be a contributing member of the Jeffco School Board. I understand child development, how students learn, and educational pedagogy. From firsthand knowledge, I know what successful teaching and learning looks like and I know what some of the barriers are that can hinder successful teaching and learning. I understand how school budgets work, and how to problem solve with others in a collaborative manner that result in agreeable outcomes. In my roles within Jeffco Schools, I was a fearless advocate for all students, and I will bring that advocacy for Jeffco students to my role as a school board member.
I believe that the most important core responsibility of a school board member is to be an advocate on behalf of students and schools. Another core responsibility of a school board member is to hold the superintendent responsible for managing the schools in accordance to school board policies and federal and state laws. It is important that school board members understand the educational needs of our school communities. School board members are also responsible for approving educational goals, overseeing the district budget, reviewing and adopting policies, and making sure that there are systematic reviews and evaluations of all aspects of the distract departments and programs.
The Neighborhood - Los Lobos. I have seen this band at least ten times and this song strikes a chord with me because it reminds me of the area where I grew up in the L.A. metro area as well as the neighborhood I currently live in. I especially like the part that says, "Thank you, Lord, for another day. Help my brother along his way. Please bring peace to the neighborhood. To the neighborhood. Grant us all peace and serenity."
I believe that Jeffco Schools provides families many choices for their children's educational experience. Charter, neighborhood, and option schools provide particular school learning environments that help meet the needs of our student. One of the best ways that I can support the diverse needs of our district's students, faculty, staff and community is to conduct school visits, attend parent meetings, and attend school functions so I understand what concerns families have about their children's education and to find out what the distinct features each school offers to our families. It is also important that I advocate that membership on district led committees and task forces represent the diversity of our district community.
I believe that the skills indicated on the Jeffco Generations document are those that will enable our students to be successful in the 21st century. The skills are communication, critical and creative thinking, self-direction and personal responsibility, collaboration and leading by influence, civic and global engagement, content mastery, and agility and adaptability. Jeffco needs to continue on the path of facilitating learning that takes all important aspects of the learning process into account. Our students need to have a mastery of content knowledge and the ability to transfer this knowledge as needed. In addition, it is important to realize that students are more motivated to learn when they can connect it to real life experiences. Finally, students need to use their knowledge to build upon new learnings and to develop new ideas.
I believe that it is important to help our students uncover their interests, talents and aspirations as soon as middle school. This will help to the development of Individual Career and Academic pathways for our students and can also help with any changes in curriculum and class offerings at our middle and high schools. Middle schools must continue to promote career awareness programs so that students know what jobs, occupations and careers are possible to pursue when they graduate from Jeffco Schools. Once a pathway is developed it is important that Jeffco Schools continue to promote college and industry partnerships that will help our students be college and career ready. We need to promote expanded educational opportunities for our students like concurrent enrollment with local colleges, apprenticeship programs such as Career Wise Colorado, and the educational opportunities that are offered at schools such as Warren Tech.
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See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
