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Former Naples Park Elementary teacher and mother of four Jen Mitchell filed for candidacy in the 2018 election Monday, following in the footsteps of repeat School Board candidate Kathy Ryan, who filed Aug. 4.
More:Retired educator Kathy Ryan to run for Collier County School Board for fourth time
“This is all new to me. I’m not a politician — just a mom who loves our public schools,” Mitchell said.
The District 3 seat is currently held by School Board Vice Chairwoman Erika Donalds, a strong supporter of school choice.
More:Charter school advocates cheer big win in Florida education budget
Donalds has not made a firm statement as to whether she plans to run for re-election but issued the following statement to the Daily News via email:
“It's great when citizens value education enough to step forward and run for office. I'm currently focused on making positive changes for students as Vice Chair of the School Board, and as a representative for southwest Florida on the Constitution Revision Commission. There will be plenty of time for election politics during campaign season next year.”
More:Erika Donalds appointed to Constitutional Revision Commission, likely to advocate for voucher programs
Mitchell, 44, graduated from Purdue University in 1996 with a degree in elementary education and moved to Naples the following year with her husband, a partner at an engineering firm and Naples High graduate. After teaching for one year at Naples Park Elementary, Mitchell left to start a family and earn her real estate license.
Mitchell has three children who attend Collier County Public Schools and a son who graduated from Gulf Coast High School and attends the University of Florida.
She’s been an active volunteer in her children’s schools and has sat on two Parent Teacher Organization boards. Mitchell has also served on the superintendent’s district advisory council and has worked with the Education Foundation to develop a vision for the district.
Mitchell praises CCPS for its successes over the last year, including its “gold standard” rating by accreditation agency AdvancED and its rise in rankings to fifth in the state from 33 six years ago.
More:Collier school district graded A, ranked fifth by Florida Department of Education
More:Pep rally for Collier's teachers, administrators highlights district's accomplishments
Mitchell voiced frustration over Collier’s vocal education groups who often speak negatively about the school system. It’s unsettling that these groups have ties to sitting School Board members, she said.
“My concern is that, at a minimum, our representation on the board should be rooting for its success, and I don’t feel like that’s happening,” she said.
As a parent, Mitchell said, she’s witnessed the “great work” the district has done and “takes offense” to those who are pushing an alternative narrative.
“It really bothers me that this is the perception, and my bigger concern is where it’s coming from,” she said.
As a real estate agent, Mitchell said she knows how important a quality school system is to the county's economy. “How are the schools?” is often the first question customers ask, she said.
If elected, Mitchell said she would put politics aside to work collaboratively with other board members and would focus her efforts on improving preschool and career readiness programs.
She hopes to develop more options for students who chose to forgo college and thinks leveraging business relationships in the community would be a good first step.
“They’ve got to be ready to come (to school), and they’ve got to be ready to go,” she said.
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