Jeff Davis is a long-time member of the Jackson-Madison County Education Association.
He’s also moved up the ranks of Jackson-Madison County Schools to his current role as Director of Transportation.
He’s spoken at multiple JMCSS Board meetings in recent months on behalf of the teachers’ union, and on Tuesday, April 23, he was one helping get people to a JMCEA gathering at Parkway Middle School.
About a dozen members of the organization met with five candidates for school board in the school’s library.
The candidates in attendance were incumbents Kenneth Newman, Janice Hampton and Debbie Gaugh along with Dwight Jones, who’s challenging Marcia Moss, and Winnette Bobo, who’s challenging Hampton.
“This isn’t a formal gathering or anything like that,” Davis said about the event. “It’s still early in this election season, but we wanted to give the candidates and our members a chance to meet each other, put faces with names and just talk about issues.”
At different tables in the library, teachers sat with one or multiple candidates.
All of the discussions were respectfully quiet as they didn’t want to interrupt other conversations in the room.
There were questions about charter schools, about helping teachers, about taking care of teachers and the students.
“That’s what we really care about – the children – because that’s why we’re here,” Davis said. “And the candidates I’ve talked to personally, they seem to be in this for the kids too.”
When discussing his own views on certain issues, Davis said the union has “a few hundred” members, and there’s no expectation about everyone having the same view point on any issue other than simply supporting what’s best for JMCSS as a whole.
“And I’m sure the candidates and those serving on the Board already have that in mind, but they may have different ideas about what’s best,” Davis said. “But this is our first chance to hear from them about those views.”
Davis confirmed there are similar gatherings like this one planned for later in the election cycle.
Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news
KEEP THE LEFTWING UNION NUTS AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD!