Candidate questionnaire: Gerald Adams

NAME: Gerald Adams

AGE: 61

PLACE OF BIRTH: Cape Girardeau

SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES:

Spouse - Nancy

Children - Nathan, Josh, and Jacob

Grandchildren - Madelynn and Olivia

EDUCATION:

BS in Agriculture at University of Missouri

OCCUPATION:

Printer

EMPLOYER:

Mondi USA

BUSINESSES OWNED, ALL OR PART:

G-N-A Dairy

PUBLIC OFFICES HELD OR SOUGHT; GIVE DATES:

Jackson R-2 School Board 1998 - present

Missouri State Representative 2012

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST NEED YOU HOPE TO ADDRESS IF ELECTED?

I have two very important issues. The first is school safety. Jackson R-2 has been pro-active, Strategos an outside firm has done hands on training on lock down procedures for three years. We also have Safe Plans, a company that is reviewing and updating all our safety plans. The district has installed buzzers and cameras at all sites and the high school has a full time resource officer. I would like to carry this one step further and put a trained officer in each building. Either an active or retired police officer, deputy sheriff, or highway patrolman. Most people think Newtown couldn't happen in Jackson, but I would like to think our school is well prepared in the case it does. Keeping high standards for our academics is another top priority. Jackson just received another district of distinction award; on the academic portion we received a 100%.

WHY ARE YOU THE BEST CANDIDATE?

I constantly communicate with parents, teachers, and students. If I am contacted by anyone in the community about an issue that has happened, I always respond to the issue. Last year, I visited all the elementary buildings to speak to teachers about the common core state standards. Our teachers have spent countless hours implementing these new standards, they have done a fantastic job. There has been a lot of misinformation that it was a federal program. It is a state led effort launched by a group of governors and state commissioners of education. They had teachers from across the country and some were from Missouri to draw up these standards. Three years in and our test scores are still going up, beginning 2014-15 the state test will be based on these standards. Let's continue to go forward and make our district even better.

I ask for your vote April 2nd.