I am running my campaign in the same manner that I have run our small business... and in the same manner that I will serve. As a school board member, I will have to operate with little administrative support, minimal finances (a $5000 a year expense account plus phone), and a whole lot of heart. In these fiscally strapped times, I feel that the set of skills to serve in any elected position has to be vast because I will be held accountable for each and every decision.

To play with my Hokey Pokey Theme - Can I help "Turn this thing around?" I have to try. I love this city, public education and the people of Denver. I may be JAW - Jousting At Windmills - as I try to make sure that Art, Music, and Physical Fitness are not cut FIRST as we continue to make cuts in education. We need to continue to INSPIRE EXCELLENCE!

I am often inspired by the poetry in great songs. "To Dream the Impossible Dream" is one of those songs. - I just want others to... "Be better far than you are" because then "my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest." JOIN ME IN THIS QUEST! Hey... and remember to ask ... What If the Hokey Pokey IS what it’s all about?

Ask yourself 3 questions today..

If you were Arrested for Kindness, Could You Be Convicted?

and Would S&P downgrade your fiscal health because of your physical health?

and What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?

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Why I am Running....

We have to quit ignoring that cutting Arts, Music and Physical Fitness has
devastated our public education system over the last 30 years!

1) Academic Achievement has fallen!
2) Drop-out rates have increased!
3) Our children's health is seriously compromised!
So how do we pay for it? Put an Entrepreneur on the DPS Board!

as a Teacher With over 25 years of teaching experience in higher education and in the community, Jacqui is a Denver Public School Board candidate who received all her degrees from public education institutions. Her practical approach to learning is evidenced in her advanced degrees of practical math (finance, accounting, economics) and practical science (kinesiological & behavioral research in prevention.) Partnering with her husband, she combines her creative side with her practical education to create a successful health education business.

as a Parent Jacqui’s words on being a parent:

“In 2016, my youngest child will graduate from Denver Public schools. My oldest entered DPS in 1994, and at least one of my three children has been attending Denver Public Schools since then.

The greatest pain of any parent is losing a child. Second to that is feeling that you failed in some way as a parent. The third greatest pain is to feel that the system has failed your child.

The greatest joy is to bring a healthy child into this world or adopt one as your own. Second is to feel that you have succeeded in giving your child the tools to succeed for themselves. The third greatest joy is to celebrate the immense ‘village that has helped to raise your happy child.’

I have experienced all of these pains and joys as a parent. I hope to use these experiences to make compassionate decisions as a DPS Board member. I have grown as a human being, been humbled by it all, and flourish to this day.

My children experienced their greatest successes in the system when integration of AMP (art, music and physical fitness) was present in their school curriculum. My husband and I also made sure that AMP was present in their home and spiritual life. Our society needs more people like me - parents of public school children, as well as successful products of public education - serving on the public school boards.”

as an Entrepreneur Jacqui’s understanding of general finances (including budgets) and her initiative, creativity, and abundant energy have allowed her family business to not only survive, but thrive in a competitive market. Her behavior change research supports studies that indicate that by reducing and sometimes eliminating art and music integration in our schools, we risk losing our competitive edge around the world. Overwhelming evidence is also showing that by eliminating physical activity, we endanger the mental, emotional, and physical health of our children and of our nation.

She has Never Believed that Art, Music and Physical Fitness are “Extracurricular!”

Art, Music and Physical Fitness need to part of the curriculum - not extra! They are the reason we all loved to go to school! If a child is being driven across town to attend a school of choice, then that is time not spent walking or biking to their neighborhood school. She has been advocating for policy changes which address EWAP (Exercise With A Purpose) and the Chinese Five Excellences since moving to Denver in 1988.

Jacqui decided to run for school board because her many years of working with local, state and national officials have influenced few to seriously address these critical issues. She decided she just had to “BE THE VOTE.”

She believes that Art, Music and Physical Fitness Create Enjoyable Learning...

For years we have balanced the budget in the schools by eliminating art, music and physical fitness programs (both physical activity and physical education) from the curriculum. Research shows that good nutrition contributes greatly to what Jacqui terms the “educating of the spirit.” As rates of obesity and depression rise among young people, the need exists to educate our children to do more in life than take multiple choice tests. Our schools should be just as responsible for a child’s fitness and creativity level as they are for their math scores. Research has shown that if education becomes nothing more than test taking, our young people will not compete well with those in other countries. American creativity is our greatest advantage in creating the new opportunities of the future.

Teachers, staff, parents and the greater community also need to be encouraged to model these healthy behaviors. The teachers need to be better prepared for integrating music, art and physical activities into their teaching day. We need to do more than think outside the box when it comes to strengthening our neighborhood schools, we need to “ACT OUTSIDE THE BOX!”

We need to realize that adults may transfer our job dissatisfaction and stress to our children and we need to lighten up and make learning fun for all children, parents, and teachers. We have taken the "spirit" out of public education and our lives because we have separated our minds from our bodies. Our physical interaction with our world through writing poetry, drawing a picture, acting in a play, singing a song or playing a drum are just as important as the physical act of walking to school. They give us a greater reason to graduate than just to find a job.

Improved Discipline in the Classroom translates to Greater Learning!

Although the school district has made attempts to improve behavior in DPS Schools, there are still too many parents who are pulling their children out of the public schools to put them in private or other school districts. These parents often cite the need for greater discipline and having their child feel safe as major reasons for their child’s not learning. A child’s energy needs to be used to enhance their learning, not suppressed with drugs. Physical Activity, Music, and Art have all been shown to effect a child’s ability to cope with stress. Children cannot learn in a chaotic environment, no matter how many tests they are required to take.

Teachers and principals must be supported in enforcing discipline policies and the district needs to respond to concerns about its policies when they arise. The schools must be given real tools to create order out of the chaos. Those real tools should include physical fitness, music and art.

Teachers and their Principals need Greater Autonomy and Money in the Classrooms!

As we are forced to make even more budget cuts with the current economy, we must make certain that we maintain the best teachers we can find... and give them the art, music, and physical fitness integration resources and training to do the job for which we will hold them accountable. We need to keep the teachers and principals who are dedicated to the joy of learning and passing that enthusiasm on to the next generation. If cuts are to be made, then reducing the number of salaried administrative positions should be considered before cutting further into the classroom resources.

You should Vote for Jacqui because...Her Real Life Experience is a Dynamic Combo... as a Teacher, as a Parent, and as an Entrepreneur!