Conservative Candidates for Polk County School Board

Meet Pam Luce – Conservative Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 3

Meet Pam Luce – Conservative Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 3

Pam Luce is a Florida native and a graduate of Auburndale High School. She earned her AA in education at Polk Community College, then went on to earn a degree in Organizational Management, with a specialty in Public Administration from Warner University. She is married to Rory and has 3 children and 7 grandchildren.
Pam began her employment with the Polk County school system more than 23 years ago. She worked as a paraprofessional and later as a secretary while she finished her degree. She was promoted several times and recently retired as Senior Coordinator in the Facilities Planning Department.
Her responsibilities and achievements included:
➢ Ex-Officio (non-voting) Planning Commissioner for Polk County municipalities.
➢ Tracking and projecting student enrollment, considering shifting demographics and growth, to advise administration of need at every school.
➢ Facilitator and school subject matter expert for Attendance Boundary Committee
➢ Facilitator of Sales Tax Oversight Committee
➢ Worked with Finance and Facilities staff to develop 5-year Capital Improvement Plan for submission to DOE.
➢ Developed Deferred Maintenance Report in cooperation with all facilities staff. In one-year, compiled information and evidence for needed school projects; the cost of which totaled one billion dollars.
➢ Met with Architectural Services, Construction Services, School Administration and others to create comprehensive facilities lists for new construction and remodel projects.
➢ Managed portables, including installations and demolitions for all schools.
➢ Worked with Safe Schools Department to improve security as part of requirements of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Act.
➢ Served as property manager after downsizing. Handled all property files, lease agreements and property transactions for the district.
➢ In coordination with the legal department, drafted many interlocal agreements and joint use agreements between municipalities and outside agencies.
➢ Coordinated with all municipalities in the County for the writing of the Interlocal Agreement for School Concurrency. This agreement is required by Florida Statute and approved by the School Board and all municipalities of Polk County.
➢ Facilities and Operations Division contact in 2014 for the revision and replacement of Board Policy as it pertained to all departments within the division.
Priorities:
▪ Return to educating students to think critically rather than teaching them what to think
▪ Fiscal responsibility
▪ Data driven decision-making
▪ Comprehensive review of pay scale for all positions including support staff
Phone: 863-535-6441

Meet Rick Nolte – Conservative Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 3

Meet Rick Nolte – Conservative Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 3

My name is Rick Nolte and I’m running for Polk County School Board, District 3. I have five grandchildren who currently attend Polk County Schools, and they are my main reasons for running for this position. We need to take back control of our schools for the future of America.

    The students of Polk County need an advocate who will work to ensure they get a quality education. No one knows what is better for a child than their own parents and guardians. Parents Choice matters to me and every voice should be heard. 

    I graduated fro Florida Southern College with a degree in Physical Education and Health. I then attended Rollins College Graduate School on a full scholarship and received my Masters degree in Administration Supervision.  I have two children one of which is a nurse, and the other is a teacher. My wife is a veterinarian, and we attend Heritage Baptist Church. Family and family values are very important to all of us. 

    As a former educator, I understand that no one chooses a career in education in order to become rich, but we must provide financial incentives and raises to keep our best teachers in the classroom. Our district can’t run on just teachers alone, so we must also find the funding needed to obtain and retain staff. 

    The students of Polk County need more vocational opportunities. Not every student will go to college, but every student can and should be prepared for the workplace or entrepreneurship. Our students need to be encouraged to think for themselves and not be told what to think. We need to get back to the three R’s while adding Respect and Responsibility. 

    I will use my 36 years of teaching experience in Orange, Polk and Hillsborough counties along with my business experience, to make Polk County Schools the best for all parties involved. My vision is to work to unite students, parents, teachers, and faculty to ensure everyone is heard, and the students receive the best education to lead them into a bright tomorrow. 

 [email protected]

Meet Justin Sharpless – Conservative Republican Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 6

Meet Justin Sharpless – Conservative Republican Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 6

Justin Sharpless is a law-abiding, constitutional conservative, assistant professor of agricultural studies at Warner University. Born and raised in Polk County, Justin graduated from Lake Wales High School in 2002.
As a teen, Justin discovered his passion for the agriculture industry through his involvement with the Future Farmers of America (FFA). After graduation, Justin served as a statewide FFA officer, visiting school chapters throughout the state and promoting FFA initiatives to students. After his year of service, he enrolled in the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and masters of agribusiness. From there, Justin returned to Polk County to teach agriculture at Ft. Meade Middle-Senior High School. He subsequently taught at McLaughlin Middle School and Lake Wales High School before returning to graduate school at the University of Missouri, where he earned a master’s degree and is currently a PhD candidate in Agricultural Education and Leadership.
Justin is married to his wife, Emilyn, and they have two small boys, Wyatt and Rhett, and they reside in Lake Wales. Emilyn and Justin each have parents who are career educators in Polk County, both for LWCS and PCPS. They are active members of High Point Church and remain involved in the community through FFA.
Justin is running for Polk County School Board to give back to the education system that prepared him and his wife for success. He also wants his boys to have access to the best education possible.
As a board member, Justin’s top priorities are the following:
  1. Work with Superintendent Heid to improve Polk school and student achievement, as Polk currently ranks 54th out of 67 Florida districts;
  2. Champion continued advancements and equitable access to high-demand career and technical education programs across the district;
  3. Increase school choice offerings, to ensure all parents have the right to choose the best educational option for their child;
  4. Promote pro-student and taxpayer budget and operational reforms, to ensure more resources are devoted to students and the classroom as possible.

Meet Jill Sessions – Conservative Republican candidate for Polk County School Board, District 7 

Meet Jill Sessions Conservative Republican candidate for Polk County School Board, District 7 

“Jill was born and raised in Tampa and lived in Hillsborough County for most of her adult life. She moved to Lakeland slightly over 3 years ago. Her 3 kids are in their mid-30s and have graduated from college.
Jill has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of South Florida and an MBA from the University of Tampa. She worked for Tampa Electric Company for 28 years, mostly as a project manager in commercial and industrial construction and also in Regulatory Affairs as a business analyst and economic researcher. She worked for the City of Tampa for 5 years as the Manager of Audit and Contracts for the Solid Waste Department, managing over $100M in contracts. She is currently the Director of Solid Waste for the City of Plant City, where she has served the community for over 6 years. She has worked part-time as an adjunct professor of economics for over 7 years.
Jill is a proven transformational business leader in the private and public sectors. Her extensive experience in budgeting, contract management, operational efficiency, project management, and on-line learning platforms will be of significant value to improving the Polk County school district.
Jill will take an active role in improving the quality of education for all students and strengthening the focus of curriculum on reading, writing and math. She will work to make Polk’s school system a model for other counties in Florida for turning out workforce-ready adults who contribute positively to the communities in which they live and work.
Jill is committed to:
1. Improve the academic performance record of Polk County schools
2. Increase the focus of school curriculum on academics, not social/political ideologies
3. Raise transparency of the school board with parents, teachers, students and community
4. Increase fiscal responsibility
5. Improve pay and benefits for teachers

6. Improve school safety

Jill Sessions for School Board, P.O. Box 90602, Lakeland, FL 33804
Email: [email protected] Phone: 863-323-6648

Meet Terry Clark – Conservative Candidate for Polk County School Board, District 5

Meet Terry Clark Conservative Republican candidate for Polk County School Board, District 5

“My name is Terry Clark and I’m running for Polk County School Board, District 5. I am a Christ follower, a husband, a father and a grandfather. I graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in Elementary Education.
But as I continued to seek God’s will, He led me into being a Worship Pastor. Even though I continue to lead worship on a part-time basis, I felt impressed that God wanted me to get involved with our public schools.
All 3 of my adult children and 3 of my grandchildren have graduated from Polk County public schools. I presently have 2 grandchildren at McKeel. In just a few years I will have 2 more grandchildren entering school.
I am greatly disturbed with what I see in our public schools, and I lay much of the blame on a School Board that won’t stand up for what’s right. That is why I’m running. I want the best possible educational experience for my grandchildren and all the children of Polk County.”
My 3 greatest concerns are:
  1. Transparent Curriculum
  2. Return to Academics
  3. Instill a love for our County
My campaign theme is “Education not Indoctrination”
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