Jackson School Board: Terri Tomlin

Terri Tomlin

Name: Terri Tomlin

Age: 59

Place of birth: Jackson, Missouri

Spouse, children's names: I have been married to my husband, Michael Tomlin, for 35 years. I have one son, Josh Tomlin.

Occupation: semi-retired from the health insurance industry

Employer: Senior Health Care Benefit Services

Businesses owned, all or part: Senior Health Care Benefit Services

Previous offices held or sought: Jackson R-2 School Board member since 2002

What is the most important issue facing the Jackson Public Schools and what can be done about it?

Continuing to provide the best education for our students, staying current with technology, supporting the teachers and principals, as well as remaining fiscally sound are all important to the success of the District. Working together with staff, parents, and community partners will help us achieve our objective of providing the very best environment for excellent student learning.

What in your background or education makes you qualified for this office?

Along with a degree in Business Administration, I have been a member of the Jackson R-2 Board of Education for 12 years. As a member of the Missouri School Board Associations Board of Directors since 2009, I have had the opportunity to network with board members from across the state of Missouri. Over the past 25 years, I have served on many community and church boards/committees that make difficult decisions regarding the organization's future.

Where do you stand on the issue of Common Core standards?

Since Missouri has utilized the Show-Me Standards of academic expectations since 1996, I feel the Common Core standards for English/Language Arts and Math will enhance the knowledge and skills of our students. It is important to understand that the curriculum for Jackson schools is created by the district's own teachers and administrators as a roadmap to better prepare students for future success. I feel confident that our teachers are very capable of accomplishing the goal.

Do you think the Jackson School District is a good place for teachers to work? Why or why not?

The Jackson School District offers teachers competitive salaries and benefits as well as provides ongoing professional development in order to stay current with educational learning tools. The commitment of our teachers and principals is shown in the high academic achievement of our students. They tend to go over and beyond their duties in order to generate students who are capable of obtaining their goals of further education or choice of career.