Students First. Families First.
Why I’m Running
I believe that a strong and vibrant public school system is the cornerstone of a successful community. For the last few years, students and families in Fayette County have been left out of the conversation on how to build the world class public school system that they deserve. I entered this race for school board because I want to bring community voices back into that conversation and to serve as a member who values transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility with improved educational outcomes as a metric of success.
As board members, our focus should always be on the students and the classrooms that they learn in. We should never allow the politics of the day to be put before the interests of the students and families we represent.
As the parent of students in Fayette County Public Schools, I know how important it is for our community to change the culture of our school board. Our kids are counting on us to find a new way forward and begin to put students and families first.
My Priorities
Student Success
- Provide teachers with the resources they need to fully fund the operations of their classrooms.
- Ensure that students are receiving the extra help they may require with after school programming and tutoring.
- Employ & appropriately compensate trained nursing staff providers for students that require care during the school day.
Fiscal Responsibility
- Perform a comprehensive evaluation of where every dollar is spent within the public school system.
- Provide an annual report that details the return on investment that taxpayers are receiving for their property tax payments.
- Ensure that taxpayer funds are focused on the classroom and student success instead of central office bureaucracy.
Transparency & Accountability
- All stakeholders have access to information that informs the decisions that board members make.
- Acknowledge what is not working and hold leadership accountable to institute change.
- Create and implement public facing performance dashboards utilizing metrics for student achievement, graduation rates and attendance.
About Me
I’m Rodney Allen Jackson. I grew up in rural eastern Kentucky where I learned the values of hard work, community and the importance of a good education. I attended our local public schools that invested in me and gave me opportunities I could only dream of. I went on to attend the University of Louisville and then the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, where I earned my dental degree. Afterward, I completed my Pediatric Dental Residency at the University of Kentucky. As a pediatric dentist in Lexington, I have been blessed to serve families across Fayette County. Our patients represent the racial and economic diversity that we see in our community and it has been my honor to treat them with the same care and concern that I do with my own children. No matter what zip code they live in, no matter who their parents are, no matter what color their skin is – they all matter to me and I want to provide them with the quality of care that they deserve.
I have been an active member of our community serving on the LFUCG Board of Health, Delta Dental of Kentucky Board of Directors, Fayette County Education Foundation, Ashland Park Neighborhood Association, Kentucky Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Board and a Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
I am married to the love of my life and best friend, Wendy, and together we have two sons who attended Fayette County Public Schools – one a recent graduate and the other a current student.
Rodney
