Running for Oak Ridge School Board is something I have considered since my son was at Oak Ridge High School. In the past when the school board election came up there were other pressing commitments that would interfere with the time I would have to devote to the board. This year my time is more free, and with the incumbents not seeking reelection the pieces came together for seeking a seat on the board. I am very interested in the education and future of our children. Our schools need to be a top priority for our community. I feel that I have the time and resources to devote to this position.
I have both teaching and leadership experience.
The most pressing issue we face in Oak Ridge is the increasing population. We need to address the need of classroom space for increasing student populations. This will require close attention to the financial conditions of our district.
Oak Ridge is the best school system in the area and one of the best in the state. The educational opportunities and extracurricular activities are outstanding.
As a board member I would like to talk with each teacher to find out their ideas and needs. I would push to make our schools great places to work, and excel.
Age
37
Remarks
I believe in strong public schools. I stand firmly against vouchers and against armed teachers in the classrooms. I want to ensure that our school are meeting the needs of our students - whether that be basic needs like food, academic needs like reading intervention, or extracurricular needs to grow interests and build friendships. I believe in supporting our teachers and creating avenues for clear communication. Most of all, I want the Oak Ridge schools to be safe, inclusive, and places where students can learn and have fun while being given every opportunity possible to succeed in their next chapter of life.
My family and I moved to Oak Ridge because of the excellent school system. With two school board members retiring, I wanted to step up and do my part to ensure our schools are as safe as we can possibly make them. I want to ensure we continue to grow opportunities for our students to be as successful as possible, and that we support our teachers while amplifying their voices and expertise in the decision making processes.
I am the daughter of two retired public educators. I have a Masters degree in conflict resolution. And I work as a Senior Project Specialist in the veterinary industry. These three things give me the ability to have a deeper understanding of the public education system, the ability to work collaboratively with others for solutions, and have given me experience working with budgeting and capital expenditures and growth projection.
I am also a mom/step-mom to young children. My kids are 11, 9, and 2. We are working through pre-algebra, spelling words, and learning the alphabet. I'm living the same experience as so many parents of kids in the Oak Ridge School System and can relate to the struggles and the successes. I'm also invested in the long-term success of our school system with a 2-year-old I fully intend to see walk across the Oak Ridge High School stage with his high school diploma.
The biggest challenge to our school system in the next few years is going to be student population growth. I support the growth plan currently developed to build a new elementary school on the west end of town and expand the capacity of the other existing elementary schools. This would allow the 5th grade to be moved back into the elementary schools and our current middle schools could hold grades 6-8.
We need a board that will continue to work closely with our city council and continuously make decisions with students as our first priority.
The Oak Ridge school system is one of incredible student opportunity. My husband and I moved here so our little one would be zoned for the Oak Ridge School System. One of the biggest indicators of student success particularly in early grades student to teacher ratios.
Oak Ridge maintains a low student to teacher ratio. For2 years in a row, an Oak Ridge Elementary School has been a Blue Ribbon award winner to be recognized nationally for the growth in their students' performance.
We also fund our schools well above the state average. That is reflected in the number of course offerings and programs that our students have access to. And we have some of the absolute best teachers you could ever want in the classroom with your child.
First and foremost we need to make sure our teachers have a seat at the table when decisions are being made. Making decisions for our schools and our students without teacher input is a recipe for failure. Our teachers and our administrators are the experts of our classrooms. They know their kids, they know their needs, and they will be advocates for their students.
I also strongly believe we need to make sure we are paying our teachers fairly, finding avenues to support work/life balance, and make sure we are retaining our incredible educators because they are backbone of our schools and the reason Oak Ridge has the legacy of excellence we are known for.
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My name is Keith Jeter and volunteering to help our youth has been a priority for me my whole life. I have worked with three different churches for 15 years as a youth leader. As my two sons went through the school system from kindergarten through graduation, I volunteered at Linden Elementary as the PTA President for 2 years, Robertsville Middle School helping the cross country and track teams, and Oak Ridge High School helping the cross country team, track and field team, and the Wildband acting as transportation coordinator for 3 years. I drove the truck and trailer for the band to numerous home and away football games and competitions. I also volunteered in our community by coaching AYSO soccer for 6 years. I have served as the scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 328 for 13 years having guided over 100 young men with 30 achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Serving others is important to me!
In my professional career, I have managed a multi-million dollar laboratory for the past 23 years. It has been my responsibility to manage budgets, capital projects, and schedules. These skills will be greatly needed on the board of education. Also, I will be retiring in November and will be able to give my full attention to this important position.
Oak Ridge's growing population is a great thing. Our school system is already facing the challenges of the rapidly increasing student population. It will be necessary to expand our facilities to accommodate these students. Input from students, teachers and the public on where to locate these new facilities is vital, and I pledge to listen and evaluate their input.
Oak Ridge Schools are the premier public school system in the state of Tennessee. We have top scores from the state for our elementary, middle, and high schools. Each child receives individualized instruction to meet our expectations of our students, staff, and families. Our district has core values that are in place to emphasize that students are unique in their interests and needs from preschool through high school. Oak Ridge Schools has a plan for your child.
I am the spouse of a 30 year educator who taught at Robertsville Middle School. I have a lot of insight into the needs of our teachers. As a board member, gathering information from other local school systems regarding salary, benefits, and working conditions to compare with what is offered by Oak Ridge will be crucial. Other systems are catching up with the standard Oak Ridge has set making it harder to attract the best available talent. We must prioritize bringing the best teachers to Oak Ridge.
Age
44
Remarks
Electrical Engineer and Mother of 3, with 2 children currently in Oak Ridge Schools, who is passionate about education and wants to contribute to shaping policies and decisions that affect students, teachers, and the community.
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Tiffany Malone for Oak Ridge Board of Education
I was prompted to seek a seat on the Oak Ridge Board of Education because I believe that the issues that are concerning our schools such as school vouchers, book banning, arming teachers and district growth affected not only my two children who are currently in Oak Ridge Schools but all children and I wanted to be a voice for them.
I believe that education is vital to our children. Policies can affect our children’s educational experiences and outcomes. My goal is to ensure that every student continues to have access to high-quality education, resources, and opportunities that will prepare them for future success. I am committed to fostering a supportive and enriching learning environment for all students and teachers, and I aim to bring a fresh perspective and innovative solutions to the board.
As a career problem-solver and electrical engineer, I have worked with people of varied backgrounds and experiences to find common solutions. I have also worked with and planned budgets to ensure that transparency and accountability in the management of resources are maintained. As an active parent and youth volunteer, I have demonstrated a commitment to student development and community engagement advocating for educational initiatives and fostering community partnerships. I have experience in governance serving on 2 non-profit boards, overseeing budget management and strategic planning. I have strong written and verbal communication skills, critical thinking skills, active listening skills as well as the ability to work well in teams. This combination of experience and qualifications would enable me to effectively advocate for students, engage with the community, and contribute to the strategic direction of the school district.
The challenges I anticipate in the next few years include aging infrastructure and student population growth. To address aging infrastructure, a short term and long-term strategic plan would be needed to prioritize assets and provide a detailed account of all assets to start with the most urgent needs, secure and plan for funding, and have a plan to sustain the infrastructure after repairs, renovation or new purchases to alleviate long term operational cost.
Secondly, to address school population growth, a short term and long-term plan that addresses the immediate needs, looks at short and long-term solutions, provides engagement with the community so they are involved and aware, and find secure funding to ensure that those solutions can be met.
Oak Ridge Schools is an excellent school system that has a strong academic culture that consistently achieves high academic performance. ORS has advance curriculum offerings, low teacher student ratios, and highly qualified and experienced teachers. ORS has an emphasis in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education that gives
students access to cutting-edge experiences. STEM starts in elementary school and goes to high school. ORS provides the students different avenues to complete school rather it be through college or trade certification. I have 3 kids. One has graduated from ORS with a high school diploma and associates degree through the Middle College Program. My other children currently attend ORS and love it.
As a board member, I can best support the teaching staff by advocating for teacher resources and professional development opportunities. I would advocate for competitive salaries and benefits for teachers to attract and retain top talent. I would listen to teacher concerns by establishing open lines of communication between the board and teachers to hear about challenges and needs. I would promote teacher well-being by supporting policies that promote work-life balance, including reasonable class sizes and sufficient prep time. I also believe teachers should be celebrated for achievements and milestones.
