Sherry Jones running for reelection to State Board of Education
Sherry Jones - follower of Jesus Christ, a conservative, and retired educator from Grand Island - is announcing her intention to run for reelection to the State Board of Education. She is the current representative for District 6 which is comprised of 17 counties in central and northeast Nebraska, extending as far west as Buffalo County, to Dakota and Thurston counties in the northeast, to Adams County in the south, and as far north as Knox and Cedar counties.
Jones is honored to serve the people of District 6, and believes there is more work to be done; her assignment is not yet completed. If reelected to the board, Jones will continue to work diligently to improve academic proficiency, address the educator workforce shortage, and bring attention to the issue of chronic absenteeism. She supports the board's literacy improvement goal evidenced by raising third graders' reading proficiency from its current rate of 59% to 75% by 2030. Jones believes the work of the current board supports this goal and is attainable for Nebraska students with the help of their teachers and families. Regarding the educator shortage, Jones believes the work necessary to ensure a supply of excellent educators must continue. At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year there were 669 unfilled positions reported in Nebraska schools - a decrease of 239 from the previous year. Jones credits the combined efforts of the Legislature, Nebraska Department of Education staff, State Board of Education, school districts, communities, and private partnerships in bringing about this significant reduction. The top five areas of shortage are elementary education, special education, mathematics, career and technical education, and speech/language. Regarding chronic absenteeism, Jones believes we have not yet "cracked the code" on how to address it. "With attention being given to literacy and workforce, I believe the issue of student absenteeism has taken a back seat and needs to be brought to the forefront. Currently, 22% of Nebraska students miss 10% or more of the school year. The reasons for not attending school are numerous including transportation issues, feeling unsafe, and lack of motivation. The board needs to support the efforts of school districts to better understand the reasons behind chronic absenteeism, and their actions to address it. Focusing on this issue is imperative, for attendance greatly impacts learning." In addition to focusing on academic proficiency, educator workforce, and attendance, Jones believes she has a responsibility to steward well taxpayer money. "Taxpayers need to know their money funding education is being used in a responsible way. We should not say 'yes' to every request coming before us." The State Board of Education oversees and makes policy for all forms of PreK-12th grade education in Nebraska - public, parochial, private, and exempt. Sherry attended public school K-8, parochial school 9-12, and Kearney State College. "I believe my personal experience in attending both public and non-public schools, my 35 years of teaching in public schools, and having friends and family members who homeschool, provide me a unique perspective as a board member. I see value in all forms of education, believing one form does not fit all children best." "When asked about my contributions to the current board, three things come to mind. Foremost, I offer preparedness. I am willing to 'put in the work' required to make decisions affecting the education of our Nebraska children. During my time in service, I have voted on over 500 action items.
This requires a great deal of preparation accomplished through reading information provided by the NDE staff, conducting investigative research, asking questions, and soliciting input from my constituents. As a result, I am able to vote confidently the majority of the time. In addition to preparedness, I am willing to respectfully work with all board members in spite of differing ideologies. And lastly, I believe I possess good ole common sense coupled with the Lord's guidance. I cannot do this work without Him." "Having served as the District 6 representative for nearly three years, I understand the work and commitment required. I am grateful for the opportunity the voters have given me to represent them, and would be honored to serve for another four years." To learn more about Sherry Jones, and how to join her campaign, visit her website: www.sherry4nekids.com, Campaign email: [email protected].
