Stand for Children cleared of illegal campaign coordination allegations

by Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean - Stand for Children and four pro-charter school candidates were cleared of all alleged campaign finance violations during Nashville's school board election this year.

Tennessee Registry of Election Finance board members said on Wednesday they didn't see enough evidence to show there was illegal coordination between Stand for Children and the candidates and voted 4-0 to dismiss the case in its entirety.

"We are being asked to make an awful lot of assumptions," said board chairman Tom Lawless before the vote. (read more)

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Jackson MIller's ex-wife releases a statement in response to nasty campaigning by the Will Pinkston.

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A letter from Jim Overstreet, retired Hillsboro High Assistant Principal: Jackson Miller deserves your vote.

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Will Pinkston and Jackson Miller square off in forum focused on discipline

by Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean- Will Pinkston and Jackson Miller met in a public forum for the first time since each declared his candidacy for Nashville schools District 7 more than five months ago. ... "Budgets really are a reflection of our values. If we value certain outcomes then we need to put the money behind it to make it happen," Pinkston said. ... Miller, however, has called for increased freedom for principals to do what is right for their schools and communities. ..., he said numerous times the district doesn't need more top-down mandates, but the ability for schools to change the working culture and environment. "Just having money in the budget isn't enough." (link)

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Jackson Miller's School Board candidate interview with The Tennessean

For access to other candidate interviews, follow this link.

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SE Nashville Breakfast Club: Will Pinkston & Jackson Miller on District 7 Sch. Bd race; and, Mae Beavers on RNC convention. 5/21/16

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Meet Jackson Miller - Candidate for School Board District 7, Saturday Feb. 20th.

Jackson Miller

Meet Jackson Miller - Candidate for School Board District 7, Saturday, February 20 at 9 AM Red Bicycle Coffee, 2519 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN.   

Join Jackson Miller for a cup of coffee and learn more about him and why he is running for School Board in District 7. Stop by at anytime between 9-11 to chat with the candidate. For more information follow this link. 

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The Scene: A South Nashville school board race is already shaping up as one of 2016's most watched. That's because Will Pinkston's in it. In Defiance of Will

by Amanda Haggard, The Nashville Scene, Jan. 7, 2016 - At an open conference room in a shared East Nashville workspace, Jackson Miller utters the same phrase over and over again: "Be kind. Be brave." It's a mantra he uses in his life and with his six children, he says.

And it will be his guideline, he says, as he launches his Metro school board campaign against Will Pinkston.

In the race toward August's election — running against a self-described bomb thrower and hatchet man — it'll be tough to maintain the former. The latter, however, will be necessary.
More than a half-year out, the South Nashville school board race is shaping up as one to watch as observers gather along the sidelines. Few of those spectators are disinterested — not in a political climate laced with pro- and anti-charter school sentiment and sharp political maneuvering. And not when it portends the kind of political fundraising and spending once reserved for state legislative seats, a standard set by the hotly contested Metro school board race in 2014. .....

"I'm not the one who came up with the term 'divisive school board,' " Miller says, stifling a soft laugh in the back of his throat.......

"I want to push more autonomy on the school level," Miller says. "That's fair to our teachers and principals, and those kind of broad statements really don't solve a problem. Instead of setting an arbitrary goal of reducing testing, maybe let the schools make that decision." (link)

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The Tennessean's report: Miller kicks off District 7 school board campaign

Jackson Miller and his wife, Erica, talk with supporters after he kicked  off  his 
campaign for the District 7 school board seat at his house. The handsome old 
white-headed guy in the background is me, talking to Jackson's sister. This 
is a Tennessean photo, but since I'm in it, I am taking the liberty of posting it.

by Jason Gonzales,The Tennessean, 1-6-2016 - Introduced by his son and surrounded by. family, friends and supporters, Jackson Miller made official Tuesday his plans to run for the Nashville District 7 school board seat as a candidate that he said understands the hard route in life. ...."It's widely known that teachers have the greatest impact on student success, but we constantly burden teachers with program after program and take up time, along with mandated testing and training," he said. "They're not able to use their unique skills to have that extra time for students who need a little bit more support." (link)

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Jackson Miller kicked off his campaign for school board in a living room announcement at his home today

Jackson Miller kicks off his campaign for School Board

Jackson Miller kicked off his campaign for school board today in the living room of his 10th Ave South home across the street from Waverly-Belmont Elementary School. Twenty-five or so people crowded into the living room and dinning room for the announcement.  He was introduced by his son who is standing to his left in this picture. I am an amateur journalist and did not take good notes, so I don't recall what he said but he was cute and charming and his remarks were clever. Mr. Miller should be proud of his son.

Miller said that as a parent of six children, five of whom attend public schools in Nashville, and as someone who grew up attending  public schools, he had a vested interest in improving the city's public education climate.  He told of attending Eakin school as a child and how Eakin was a very good school.  He said he attended school with immigrants who were refugees from Cuba and Burma, as well as students who were children of privileged immigrant parents who were professors at Vanderbilt, and some of the best students from across the county. He said Eakin was an excellent school but he thought there should be good schools in every zip code.

After what he describes as a “phenomenal” experience at Eakin Elementary School, he said he attended J. T. Moore Middle School and Hillsboro High School. A devastating event in middle school changed his trajectory.  “During my second week at J. T. Moore, my mother was hit by a drunk driver and told she’d never walk again,” he said. “Middle school is hard enough when you’ve got a good support system at home. But that wreck shook our family to the core, and I quickly found myself on the ‘discipline’ track at school.”  He said that was back when they could still paddle in school and he said he got more than his share of paddling. He also said he spend a lot of time in the principal's office. "Books and instruction aren’t enough if a kid’s working through challenges, stress or trauma at home." he said. “I Know what It’s like to slip through the cracks,” he said. He dropped out of school and ended up getting a GED rather than a regular diploma.

He said that from his own experience as a product of Nashville public schools and as a parent of students in public schools he knows that we must do more than what we are doing for Nashville to have great schools.  He said that the most important factor in a child succeeding or failing is school is often a good caring teacher.  He said if the teacher's time is taken up by needless testing, training, and reporting that there may not be enough time for that child who needs extra help to get it.  He said he believes the key to a good school is a collaborative approach to learning within the school and a strong school leader. He said schools need more autonomy. He says he favors an organizational structure that goes from the bottom up, not the top down.  While I did not record the exact words, he said something to the effect that the dollars need to follow the child, and creating an environment that puts the child first is important to success in educating children.

It was a pleasure to get to meet Jackson Miller and his wife, mother and sister today.  I was impressed by what I heard and I am supporting him in his campaign for the school board seat to replace Will Pinkston.  I have already made my first contribution to his campaign, making it today as soon as I got back to my office from attending his announcement. When it comes time to put yard signs in the yard, I will put a Jackson Miller yard sign in mine.  The election is not until August of this year, so this will be a long campaign but the differences between these two candidates is clear and Jackson Miller is the kind of person we need on the school board.

To learn more about Jackson Miller or contribute to his campaign, follow this link: Jackson Miller for Nashville School Board. 

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