For Immediate Release

Local Union Supports Metro School Board Candidates With “Real World” Experience in Public Education

(Nashville, TN) Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 205, the labor organization representing support employees working in the Metro Nashville Public Schools, announced the names of candidates the organization will be supporting in the School Board elections to be held on August 4, 2016.

In the race for school board District 3, SEIU Local 205 endorsed incumbent Jill Speering, a retired teacher. “Jill knows that without an experienced support staff, teachers aren’t able to teach,” said Recco Seay Sr., an in-school suspension monitor and SEIU member. “Not only does Jill have decades of experience as an educator, she also has compassion for school employees and understands their needs and concerns.”

In District 5, SEIU endorsed Christiane Buggs. Christiane is a newcomer to politics, but served for many years as a Metro school teacher. “Christiane was a teacher and her parents were school support staff,” said SEIU member Lilldeus Russell, a paraprofessional in MNPS. “She has a lot of firsthand knowledge of how schools work on a daily basis and that perspective is needed on the board.”

In District 7, the union is supporting Will Pinkston who is running for re-election. “Will is a strong policy advocate and he’s been militant when it comes to transparency, accountability, and engagement,” said James Brown, a computer network engineer for the district and the union’s chief steward. “The moneyed special interests are putting their bets on his opponent, but voters should bet on Will Pinkston in this election.”

In District 9, SEIU Local 205 endorsed incumbent Amy Frogge, a community activist and parent volunteer. “As a parent with children in Metro Schools, Amy understands the needs and concerns of families who have a stake in our school system,” said SEIU member Deborah Dial, a secretary who works at Hillwood High, which is in District 9. “She has always relied on data and her compassion for others to be a leading voice on the school board and we want to see that continue.”

Election Day for the school board races will be on Thursday, August 4. Complete information on early voting dates and voting locations is available from the Davidson County Election Commission at 615-862-8800.

SEIU Local 205 represents support employees working in the Metro Nashville Public Schools and has since 2001. Members come from nearly every department in the district and include school secretaries, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, education assistants, campus supervisors, maintenance workers, crossing guards and others who play a role in shaping the lives of children in Davidson County.