All three candidates running in the Nov. 7, 2023, general election for Jeffco Board of Education District 4 — Amara Hildebrand (nonpartisan), Erin Kenworthy (nonpartisan), and Joel Newton (nonpartisan) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.
Here are the candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?
Hildebrand:
- “Our achievement scores have been slipping for over a decade. We need to determine what barriers exist to excelling in literacy and mathematics and make changes to reverse this trend.
- We have been outspending our budget for many years and with declining enrollment our tax base is shrinking. The district needs to act fiscal responsibility with accountability for funding. Expenditures should be dedicated to those that directly impact the achievement of students only.
- Social media is degrading our society. Our children need to dedicate time to community service to build purpose and perspective.”
Kenworthy:
- “We must attract and retain highly qualified educators with competitive pay, fair benefits, and healthy work environments in order to meet student needs at every school in our district.
- Our students deserve a variety of college and career readiness pathways that provide them with agency and ownership of their own learning experience, and allow for them to engage their academic interests.
- Our schools must be focused on meeting the needs of our vibrant and diverse community of learners where they are academically, socially, and geographically, exactly as they authentically show up, inclusive of lived experience, identities, and varied strengths, without allowing external political agendas to distract our focus.”
Newton:
- “Safe Schools: … One of the core foundations of public education is that our schools are safe for every student. A student cannot learn and thrive if they don’t feel safe at school. There must be policies and systems in place to ensure this is a reality and provide safe spaces where students can give feedback when it is not the reality.
- Inspired to Learn: Students and educators deserve school buildings and spaces that inspire them to learn and grow. This is especially true in east central Jefferson County where a majority of students come from historically marginalized communities. … Our students, educators, and families in east central Jefferson County deserve to have the same access to inspiring learning spaces, classes, and programs that students in other areas of the county receive.
- Prepared for College or Career: … Jeffco’s focus on Reimagining High School is an opportunity for the community to come together and reimagine what the high school experience can look like. Today’s preschool students will enter a college and career landscape that will look different than today and we can be proactive in preparing them with the tools for that world. …”
Click on the candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.
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