In June, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education granted the State of Utah's request for a waiver of requirements to comply with parts of the Federal "No Child Left Behind" Law.  Lawmakers and educators through out the State Laud the waiver as an important step forward in re-establishing local control in public education, and freeing teachers and students alike from burdensom Federal Regulations and accountability quotas that have been counter productive.  However, the Federal waiver comes with strings attached, including that the lowest 5% of Utah Schools in performance shall become classified as "priority schools" with possible consequences of closure or conversion to charter schools with drastic cuts in teaching staff.  R. Wagner (Dick) Jones will fight to keep Granite Districts schools among the highest in performance.  He believes that the federal waiver is a good thing that focuses local control challenges on School Boards and the legislature to find effective ways to prepare students for college and careers.  "To me, motivating students to want to learn and teaching them critical thinking, are essential features that must be included", says R. Wagner (Dick) Jones at the candidate meet and greet events being held before the election.  (See Evens subtab under the "Contact me and Events" Tab above for scheduled dinner and public meetings)  "In order to motivate and teach critical thinking we need to dramatically lower the student/teacher ratio in Granite School District.  It is the largest School District in the State with an annual budget of over a half billion dollars for 68,000 students.  I will fight to see that Granite administer its budget to lower the number of students per classroom, deliver critical thinking skills, and keep Granite's schools among the highest proficiency schools in Utah".    (Google:  Utah no child left behind waiver" for more on this issue)

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This election is one where the voters must choose between re-electing an incumbent administrator who has a conflict of interest that impacts some Land and Construction issues that the School Board must make decisions about, or to elect R. Wagner (Dick) Jones, an administrator who committed a sex crime 23 years ago and has paid his debt to society. The contrast between these two administrators is that the incumbent has a serious ongoing conflict of interest, while the challenger paid his debt to society decades ago, and has no conflict of interest at all to influence his service to administer the Board of Education's budget.  However, with a Board seat at steak with over a half billion dollar annual budget, special interests are likely to throw mud from wide and spacious places in an effort to confuse voters to abandon Christian principles that embrace two decades of giving back, and instead risk re-election of the inclumbent with a conflict of interest that will continue to put school board tax payer money at risk. 
Jones represents no statistical risk to public safety, while Lofgren has a conflict of interest that carries with it the risk that spending choices regarding tax payer school board funds may not be in the interest of voters.  R. Wagner (Dick) Jones is committed to oversight by voters on all spending issues, while his opponent, Mr. Lofgren, has regularly made motions to recuse himself from voting, and to move some Land and Construction issues into executive sessions where the public is prevented from understanding or hearing the issues discussed.

                          (Please see the "Controversy" Tab for more information about conflicts)


R. Wagner (Dick) Jones has a strong history of Grass Roots accessibility. (See also the "Qualifications and Service" Tab)    


R. Wagner Jones, Candidate, Granite School District #1   dick4acre@hotmail.com              Contact me If you wish to volunteer or donate. 

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