Jeffco Board of Education candidates team up

A few weeks ago, five of the 12 Jeffco Board of Education candidates gathered together in a living room in south Lakewood to discuss options and plan the final stretch of their campaigns.

“I have decided to run as a slate with five candidates that I believe could work –; we don’t agree on everything, I already know that,” said District 5 candidate Ron Mitchell, creator of the slate. “But they are people who do not have an agenda –; no political agenda –; and will try to do what’s best for Jeffco’s students.”

Formed by Mitchell, the group, made up of him, Susan Harmon (District 2), Ali Lasell (District 3), Brad Rupert (District 1) and Amanda Stevens (District 4), said they decided to come together as a slate to best utilize their resources, reach more people and combat the amount of outside resources being used in school board elections.

There are a total of 12 candidates running for the five Board of Education seats. Three are the incumbent board majority. Though candidates must reside in a specific district, all seats are elected at large by all eligible county voters.

“I am indeed working with Ron, Susan, Ali and Amanda to make the most of our individual resources in combating the large amount of outside money pouring in to the current board majority,” Rupert said of his decision to run on the slate. “The five of us have diverse backgrounds, perspectives and opinions, but we are in agreement that the focus of the board should be on providing an excellent education for every child every day.”

When asked for an opinion on the slate, the current board majority President, Ken Witt (District 5), highlighted the work that he and his counterparts, District 1 representative Julie Williams and John Newkirk from District 2, have done to-date. Some of the work he mentioned includes the setting of academic achievement goals, placing funds aside for a new school in the Candelas area and the implementation of Jeffco’s student based budgeting model.

Newkirk said the slate is not an amenable option.

“I strongly believe all Jeffco citizens deserve a voice at the Board table, and a union-backed 5-0 slate with no experience in policy governance does not reflect the diverse voices within our community,” he said. “For this reason, I’m encouraging all Jeffco voters to vote “no” in this recall election and allow the staggered term system to proceed as intended.”

Williams did not reply with a comment about the slate as of Monday.

“I am now partnering for the last stretch of my campaign with four other candidates I am confident share my commitment to serving students as our only mission, and not as the means to other ends,” Stevens said. “With any hope of competing with the amount of outside money now effecting our school board elections, we will pool the resources of our grassroots campaigns to reach voters more effectively and efficiently.”

While they have differing backgrounds and perspectives with education, the slated five said they will gladly work together, because they all say they all agree on one campaign goal –; doing what’s best for Jeffco’s kids.

“It was pretty fascinating, we’re not the same people and we had some disagreement,” Mitchell said of their first meeting two weeks ago. “(But) these are people that I would like to work with on the board of education.”