Jennifer Freemon

Jennifer Freemon

Age: 35

Occupation: stay-at-home mom, former Glendale Unified teacher

While studying at Occidental College in the 1990s, Freemon did her student teaching at Roosevelt Middle School. She later taught at Toll Middle School for a decade, and headed up the boys’ and girls’ water polo and swim programs at Hoover High School for three years. Freemon’s daughter is enrolled at Franklin Elementary, and her son will start there in the fall. Freemon’s husband, Allen, is a teacher at Crescenta Valley High School.

Why are you running for school board?

I am passionate about public education and see a need for change on the current school board. I am frustrated with the current school board’s lack of responsiveness to our community and teachers. As a board member, I can fight to keep the focus of the district on the classroom and class sizes. I am also well-equipped to be a bridge between the district and our parents, teachers, City Council and community. With my experiences as a teacher, and as a parent in this district, I am uniquely qualified to be on the school board.

What does the district need to improve on?

First and foremost, the district has a major issue with communication. The board does not provide adequate leadership in reaching out into the community with issues, such as school boundaries for magnet programs, asking for input on the programs that will most benefit classrooms, or working to end the rift between the teachers and the district.

The district also needs to work on prioritizing in this era of massive education cuts statewide.

What is your stance on Measure S, and why?

I am not in favor of Measure S. The state budget is in such arrears that we are looking at major cuts to education over the next few years. While it is true we need to finish the work of Measure K, keeping class sizes small to provide individualized instruction is more important right now. If the June state tax measures do not pass, we are looking at increased class sizes, beyond what this district has ever seen. If we pass the bond in April, we will have no other options available to offset that loss, and our students will suffer.