District 1 incumbent Beverly Slough is seeking re-election, and faces one challenger, Kevin Allen. As this is a non-partisan election, the candidates run without party affiliation, and the race appears on the ballot for all voters in District 1. Since there are only two candidates, it will be decided in the August primary.
News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES |
Kevin Allen
Occupation: Capital Medical Sales
Age: 35
Family: Married
Education: MBA - Corporate Finance
Political experience: None
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1. DEBT: $400M+ in long-term bond debt is placing an undue squeeze on the resources available in the budget to fund education. I would vote to slow the growth via the School Concurrency Reviews to admit to the developers proposing new developments that we do not have the capacity at this time to handle the infrastructure for their new projects. I will also vote to require that each department becomes 2-4% more efficient to add back millions of dollars back to the budget to retire debt early.
2. TEACHER WORK ENVIRONMENT: teachers are not supported by administration and often get bullied by the parents as well causing an inordinate amount of stress, which detracts from them doing their job effectively. I would vote to make a component of the principal’s compensation and evaluation reliant on teacher retention in their school, and would immediately implement exit interviews to all teachers leaving their post as well as parents pulling their kids out of the school to determine what the district can do to improve. I would also vote in favor of a Parent Code of Conduct, which would address the behavior and respect a parent is expected to show teachers and vice versa. I would also vote to have the Code spell out the responsibilities of the parents and the teachers and have them sign to acknowledge their part of the equation.
3. PRACTICAL CURRICULUM: students are going to school just to take numerous tests in order to create rankings of each district across the state. This creates a system of teaching to the minimum standard just to pass a test, and does not foster real learning. A major goal of mine would be to make a High School Diploma valuable again, and not just a minimum requirement box to be checked that does not actually unlock any opportunities post-graduation. School is not for administrators or government officials to pat themselves on the back, but rather for students to learn skills that they can use in their actual life. I would vote to implement a more customized schedule to allow students with different interests to begin their paths earlier. Students interested in STEM could go down that track, students more interested in humanities could go down that track. The universal basics that benefit all students would be more Physical Education & Nutrition (time away from screens and technology) to improve health and knowledge around foods to avoid, Financial Literacy to understand how to save and invest for their futures to increase economic independence, and Civics so the students can understand how our government works and to get involved into how it affects their daily lives compared to other forms of government (with the goal of every senior passing the US Citizenship test before graduating).
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
My background and expertise in finance is unique to the school board and its absence can be seen in how the finances have been thus far mismanaged. The answer to getting the school district out of debt is NOT to perpetually raise taxes. Bringing private sector knowledge to turnaround a struggling entity is something that no former teacher or principal has had experience with and that will give the school district a fresh set of eyes and opinions on how to solve the pressing issue of financial solvency.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I hope to be remembered for bringing an excitement back to going to Public School. With all the competitive options, it is more difficult than ever to keep students in the system and with the changes I listed above I believe that SJC families will see the value in sending their children back to our public schools because of the prioritization of practical curriculum that is better equipping them for success after graduation.
Campaign website: kevinallenforschoolboard.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
Beverly Slough
Occupation: Full time work with School Board
Age: 77
Family: Husband: Wes Slough
Daughters: Julie Simmons and Elizabeth Southard
Grandchildren: Raleigh and Carter Simmons
Education: BS in Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas
Political experience: I have served on the St. Johns County School Board for 24 years. In that role, I have always served as the Legislative Liaison for our board and have spent extensive time in both Tallahassee and Washington, DC, advocating for our children.
I ran for Congress in 2012, finishing third in a field of seven.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Navigating the change to universal vouchers. I plan to continue to work with the Legislature to move funding for vouchers out of the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). Having a separate line item for vouchers will allow traditional school districts to plan their budgets in a more stable manner. Currently, vouchers are part of the FEFP, which creates uncertainty about how state funds flow. Separating the two will help solve the problem.
Classroom Discipline. With a growing number of students with special needs and severe behavioral issues comes the challenge of maintaining an orderly classroom so that all children can learn. Finding a path to deal with the extreme behaviors of some students in consistent and fair manner, involving parents as partners, will ensure that every child gets the full benefit of instruction.
Attendence. A great number of students are absent more than 15 days in the school year and many are chronically tardy. A child cannot benefit from the excellence in education provided by our teachers if they are not present in the classroom. I plan to work to reduce absences and tardies by partnering with parents and utilizing available options to encourage consistent attendance.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I am available on a full time basis to do the job of school board member. This enables me to be responsive when constituents have questions, issues, need guidance, or just need a listening ear. I am accessible and responsive to the voters in my district and across the county.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope that people remember me as a person who always had the best interest of children at the root of every decision she made.
Campaign website: www.votebevslough.com
Campaign social media: Facebook