Jeffco school board candidate Ron Mitchell

Lifelong Jeffco resident and retired Jeffco teacher and principal Ron Mitchell is now jumping back into the education realm, running for the Jeffco Board of Education.

“I’m very concerned about what’s happened to our schools in the past two years –; very concerned,” he said. “I am running to take back local control of Jefferson County Public Schools.”

Mitchell, who said he’s concerned by low morale and the political agendas being implemented within the district, said he was convinced by several friends and community members to run for the board. He is one of five successor candidates running in the recall election of the current Jeffco board majority of Ken Witt, Julie Williams and John Newkirk. Specifically, he’s running for District 5, in competition with Witt and Paula Noonan, a former Jeffco board member.

A “forever” Jeffco resident, Mitchell said he’s invested his life in the county. A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Mitchell took a teaching position in Jeffco, swiftly moving into an administrator role as an assistant principal, a principal and an area achievement director.

Now retired, he has worked as a volunteer and consultant for the district, filling in roles such as a “firefighter” fill-in assistant principal where they’re needed.

Along with his experience in the district, Mitchell said he’s a person of high integrity who values honesty, transparency and decision-making processes.

If elected, he said he would re-establish credibility in the board room, look at extending the teacher contract, stop teacher attrition and establish a task force to review the current compensation plan.

Outside of running in this election, Mitchell said he enjoys spending time with his wife, hiking, biking, and going on road trips. He also loves to sail and gathers a group of eight to sail on a catamaran once a year.

“I invested my life in education in Jefferson County. I believe it was a great school district –; was it perfect, no; were we trying to make it better every day, yes. Was it a very good school district? Mm hmm.”

“I want all of our employees to know that we’re at least valuing them and are concerned about them as employees of our district,” he said. “They all play a role in making a school a great school

“I was convinced that perhaps I could take back Jeffco Schools,” he said. “If I could help take back Jeffco Schools, then that’s a battle I want to fight.”