Jennifer McKeever, mother of three and local attorney, announces her decision to seek election to the Charlottesville City School Board. Jennifer enters this race mindful of the hard decisions recently made by the School Board with a commitment to seeing those decisions come to fruition. Jennifer has been involved with the local Community Development Block Grant Task Force and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board advocating for children and education during her five year tenure on the boards.
Jennifer’s goal is to continue the current Board’s legacy of success. Stephanie Bolton, a City parent, says “Jennifer has an analytical mind, she will ask questions and seek input from all parties to make good decisions for students.”
Jennifer believes that great teachers are the key to creating a community ripe for student learning and achievement. The number of teachers graduating from education schools continues to decline, Jennifer believes the focus should be ensuring the most talented teachers come to Charlottesville. To do so, Jennifer states she “will champion initiatives that provide mentoring to new teachers and ongoing peer support for all teachers, in addition to professional development opportunities that inspire creativity and innovation.”
Jennifer will advocate to ensure equal access to technology and an environment suitable for learning in the 21st Century. Specifically, Jennifer will ask City Council to expand wireless internet access to areas of the city currently underserved by internet access so that all students will be able to take advantage of the School’s technology initiatives at home and at school. Also, she will support school reconfiguration that brings a modern learning environment to Buford Middle School.
The state’s contribution to the City’s school system shrinks every year. The BLAST Initiative is an excellent example of reducing textbook costs with technology– additional cost savings should be explored every year.
Jennifer and her husband, Chris, have three boys. Two of her children, David and Andrew, are currently at Burnley Moran Elementary School entering second and third grade and the youngest is nine months old. The election is November 8, 2011.
“Jennifer enters this race mindful of the hard decisions recently made by the School Board with a commitment to seeing those decisions come to fruition.” Exactly what does this mean? Is this a way of saying she supports a $56M expenditure to remodel our schools? If so, why not just say so?
“Specifically, Jennifer will ask City Council to expand wireless internet access to areas of the city currently underserved by internet access so that all students will be able to take advantage of the School’s technology initiatives at home and at school.” It is my understanding that all areas of the city have internet access. Is this a way of saying that she wants the City to provide free internet access to the homes of low income children or all homes in a neighborhood with certain demographics and anyone living in that neighborhood can access the internet?
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on four six and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #
Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
Her press release follows.
“Jennifer enters this race mindful of the hard decisions recently made by the School Board with a commitment to seeing those decisions come to fruition.” Exactly what does this mean? Is this a way of saying she supports a $56M expenditure to remodel our schools? If so, why not just say so?
“Specifically, Jennifer will ask City Council to expand wireless internet access to areas of the city currently underserved by internet access so that all students will be able to take advantage of the School’s technology initiatives at home and at school.” It is my understanding that all areas of the city have internet access. Is this a way of saying that she wants the City to provide free internet access to the homes of low income children or all homes in a neighborhood with certain demographics and anyone living in that neighborhood can access the internet?