Sheriff Bill Leeper, Clerk of Court John Crawford, Property Appraiser John Hickox and Tax Collector John Drew are unopposed for reelection.
One of only two countywide race on the ballot is superintendent of schools, where incumbent Kathy Burns is being challenged by to fellow Republicans: Dale Braddock and Albert Wagner.
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There is no Democrat or other candidates running for this office, so the August primary will be open to all voters.
Scroll down to read candidates’ responses to our News4Jax questionnaire, verbatim as provided.
Dale Braddock
Party affiliation: Republican
Age: 70
Candidate’s family: Carol Braddock-spouse, Children-Bishop Braddock and Blake Jenkins- 3 grandchildren, Jack, Lexi and Logan
Occupation: Retired educator
Education: BS degree in Physical Education --University of Florida
Political experience: Very little
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
- Budget-overspending and over taxing
- Revision of school schedules-delays
- Morale-rewarded with a “living wage”
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
EXPERIENCE-knowledge of county and secondary (high school and middle school)
I am the only candidate with secondary experience
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
To be a fair and honest educator who always made decisions with the welfare of the students and teachers foremost.
If elected how would you address the calls for racial justice?
I believe in the Golden Rule--I was taught at an early age by my parents to always live by the Golden Rule--to treat and respect others the way you want to be treated .!
Secondly, to make sure all schools are staffed accordingly.
What challenges does COVID-19 present to the office you are seeking?
The unknown--which can change with the wind! We must be vigilant!
Campaign website: dalebraddockforsuperintendent.com
Campaign’s social media pages: Facebook
Kathy Burns
Party affiliation: Republican (incumbent)
Campaign website: Facebook
This candidate has not returned the News4Jax questionnaire.
Albert Wagner
Party affiliation: Republican
Age: 46
Candidate’s family: (no answer)
Spouse: Kendra, Daughters: Rylee (11) and Addisyn (8)
Occupation: Educator
Education: BA - Elementary Education, Temple University, MA - Saint Joseph’s University, Educational Leadership
Political experience: None
What do you see as the top three issues in this race?
- Classroom Instruction - I believe we need to move beyond teaching to the test by empowering our teachers to have flexibility and focusing on developing the whole child - Intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
- Communication - When it comes to communication, I stand for transparency and accountability. As Superintendent I will focus on developing strong positive relationships with stakeholders throughout the district. In fact, over the past several months I have already begun by meeting with union leadership, parents, small business owners and leaders in local industry. Under my leadership there will be accountability to our stakeholders in explaining why my decisions and/or the decisions of our school leaders are made.
- Teacher Retention - I believe employees stay when they are respected and valued. From using teacher observations as a way to improve teacher pedagogy, to respecting teachers as experts in their field, we need to change the culture of our school community from top down leadership to bottom up leadership.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
As I stated before, my candidacy is about the education our students receive in the classroom. As an educator who taught in Nassau County, I had the opportunity to see the inner workings of the school district as a parent and a teacher. My experience is diverse in school administration and instructional teacher and I will be able to bring new eyes to our district and offer new solutions to our challenges.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
After my tenure as Superintendent, I would hope to be remembered as the Superintendent who transformed classroom education. A person who empowered the teachers to develop hands-on engaging activities, brought authentic literature to the reading program, provided access to STEM lessons for all students, integrated behavioral health and a Superintendent who cared more about the individual student's success - intellectually, socially, and emotionally then how they scored on a test.
If elected how would you address the calls for racial justice?
Racial Justice is an issue you cannot ignore. As I have stated previously, I believe in true integration of behavioral health. Our goal in education is to develop the whole child, meaning we want our students to be respectful of differences each person posses and humble to those around them. We need to make sure political bias, no matter what platform it takes, does not seep into our classrooms. I don't believe I have all the answers, but I can promise we will work together to identify areas of concern and address the issues with accountability and transparency.
What challenges does COVID-19 present to the office you are seeking?
COVID-19 offers distinct challenges to every school district. Challenges that have no easy solution. Priority number one is to make sure our staff and students are safe. District communication and transparency will be key in building trust with all stakeholders. Not all parents will want their children to return to school, so options in regards to having a traditional education, a virtual education, or a combination of both, will be important for our community. We will need to plan for students with disabilities and those who are in our free and reduced lunch program to make sure our most vulnerable are well cared for. With virtual school being an option, we will have to train teachers on successful virtual teaching strategies, we cannot assume that traditional teachers can immediately transfer their skills to be a successful virtual teacher. Transportation and the safety of our bus drivers will also be a challenge as students might have different schedules. There is no simple solution to this extreme challenge, but transparency, communication, and accountability to make sure our constituents have a voice in the process and have trust that the district is doing everything they can for the safety of everyone involved is of utmost importance.
Not having a specific vetted curriculum in the district that all schools use will be a tremendous challenge in regards to virtual and traditional school.
Campaign website: albertwagnerfornassauschoolssuperintendent.org
Campaign’s social media pages: Facebook