Fox Leads All Mayoral Candidates With Close To $1.75 Million Raised & Almost $1.14 Million in Cash on Hand

David Fox

Press release, Nashville, Tenn -- The David Fox for Mayor Campaign today reported bringing in $437,569 for this campaign finance period and just under $1.75 million total since Fox began raising money back in October of 2014. Based on all available information, The Tennessean, via its Twitter account has already labeled Fox as, "your money leader so far in the Nashville mayoral race."

Perhaps more important, the Fox campaign announced having close to $1.14 million cash on hand in the bank. "The Fox campaign is right where we hoped we would be. Halfway to our campaign budget of $3.5 million. Check. Over $1 million cash on hand. Check. Now at 20,000 neighborhood door knocks and counting, while setting the pace on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Check. We also added in a few hundred cell phone ‘speed dates,’ which was fun. People seem to love those. The Fox train is really rollin’,” said campaign CEO Chris Turner.

Fox has built his campaign around the theme of protecting what he calls, our "Nashville Way," the "special sauce" that makes Nashville the friendliest and best city in America. "The Nashville Way is not just a quality of life, it's a way of life and it's under severe strain right now. Folks are honking their horns more on the roads. The public square is not always as civil as it used to be. Our streets are getting clogged, water mains are breaking, schools are filling up, crime's affecting too many of our neighbors, and our city's debt problem limits what we can do about these things. Because of all this, people I talk to are just feeling stressed. We're at a 'fight for it' or 'lose to forever moment,'" says Fox.

"This campaign is about beating the odds and growing our city while maintaining and hopefully strengthening our Nashville Way. Together we can do this," said Fox.

For more information or to volunteer for the David Fox for Mayor campaign, please visit FoxforNashville.com, like the campaign on Facebook, or follow David on Twitter and Instagram.

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State Representative Ryan Haynes Elected as the New Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party

Ryan Haynes

Press Release, NASHVILLE, Tenn.— The State Executive Committee of the Tennessee Republican Party today met in the state’s capital to select Knoxville State Representative Ryan Haynes as the new TNGOP Chairman. The special meeting was called after the March 23rd announcement that Chairman Chris Devaney would be stepping down effective April 11th.

Haynes prevailed on the first ballot. Other candidates for the position included SEC Member Rebecca Burke, State Representative Mary Littleton, and Vanderbilt Professor Carol Swain. “I am excited to take on this challenge and humbled by the support of the State Executive Committee,” said Chairman Haynes. “I want to pick up right where Chairman Devaney left off: building our Party, maintaining and growing our strong financial advantage over our opponents, and getting as many votes as possible for our GOP nominees.”

Devaney remarked, “There is no doubt in my mind Ryan will be a fantastic chairman for the Party. The TNGOP is in as strong of a position as we have ever been heading into a presidential election cycle. It has been an honor to serve this organization and be part of its rise to dominance in Tennessee. I look forward to working with Chairman Haynes to ensure our success continues.”

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FREEMAN CAMPAIGN CLOSES FINANCIAL PERIOD WITH $610,175 FROM INDIVIDUAL DONORS

Campaign Raises 3x’s that of other candidates

Press Release, NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Bill Freeman’s campaign announced today that it has raised $610,175 from individual donors during the campaign’s first reporting period. This amount is three times that of what other mayoral candidates have raised during the same reporting period. “I am very thankful for those that have financially supported my campaign,” Freeman said. “I grew up in Donelson. I built my business and raised my family here in Nashville. I am proud to call Nashville home and I’m ready to lead this great city,” Freeman added.

“As mayor, my focus will be on recruiting jobs and businesses right here in Davidson County. I will also focus on affordable housing, improving education and solving our regional mass transit problem,” Freeman added. “Our campaign is going to work as hard as we can between now and August to earn the votes of the great people that call this city home,” Freeman said.

The campaign has enjoyed financial support from both Republicans and Democrats. “I have known Bill for many years. He’s grown a successful business and raised a great family right here in Nashville. He is a leader with the business experience that’s needed to lead this city. I’m proud to support him for mayor,” said Republican businessman Tom Cone.

“I have worked closely with Bill as a major supporter of the President since 2013. Bill is the kind of leader Nashville needs and who I strongly support. He has the business experience, the commitment to progressive social values and the wisdom to lead Nashville into its next exciting phase as Mayor. I am honored to be a part of his team,” said Democrat Jim Messina.

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Public input sought on New Director of Schools. Share your opinion.

To take the survey go to: https://survey.ecragroup.com/index.php/782219/lang-en

I am afraid, Metro schools are on the verge of taking a step back instead of advancing recent reforms.  I want a director who will embrace reform, rigorously tough academic standards, and parental choice.  I want someone who is welcoming to charter schools, magnet schools, scholarship programs, and who is willing to learn from the success of charter schools and implement in all our public schools the same things that have made charter schools a success .  I want someone who will stand up to the teachers union and stand up to those who accept failing schools.  I want someone who embraces the concept of making the school principal the CEO of his school and giving that school principal greater authority and responsibility and holding that principal accountable for the performance of his school. I want a director who will replace principals who are not improving their schools. I want a director who will advocate for less micro-management from central office.

I think we should hire a director who has a good track record of taking a bad school district and turning it into a great school district. I am not too concerned about someone focused on building consensus and a collaborative approach to decision making.  I want someone with a vision that Nashville can have great schools and is not afraid to hurt feeling, bruise egos, or ruffle feathers in the process to make it happen. I want a strong leader.

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How NOLA data reminds us that Nashville high schools are lagging

Reposted from TN Edu-Independent, 4-9-2015 - The state of Nashville high schools continues to lag, so says the data, although that's not the popular narrative that you hear on the streets of the supposed "IT CITY" these days. You hear our city's high schools are great.

The data tells a different story than the one high school leaders at the district want you to hear.  A recent article published by the local paper in New Orleans highlights some of the progress New Orleans' high schools have made, and provides some cold water in the face reflection on how Nashville high schools are faring:

"Of the students who graduated from New Orleans public schools last year, 59 percent immediately enrolled in college, according to recently released state data. That's a 4 point increase from the year before, and right on par with the state as a whole. In comparison, only 37 percent of the New Orleans Class of 2004 enrolled in college the year they graduated." 

59 percent college going from 37 percent in 10 years.

That's huge.

Think of all the students and families for which earning a college degree will make a significant difference. Think about the economic impact to the city of New Orleans with the boost to the labor force (a much more educated one).

If you think the rate jumped so much because the demographics of the kids in the schools changed, think again. (Katrina was in 2005)

"Test scores and graduation rates have climbed steadily. And while there are fewer public school students than before the storm – 43,000, down from 65,000 – the demographics are similar: 90 percent African-American (compared with 94 percent pre-Katrina) and 82 percent low-income (up from 77 percent)."

This big boost in college going rates has come with New Orleans schools becoming MORE low income.

So how does Nashville compare?

Well, not good. 

Nashville's most recent known college going rate of 52.5% is lower than New Orleans' rate of 59%.

New Orleans & Nashville ? 

That doesn't sound very "it city" to me, and New Orleans has a higher student poverty rate. I point that out because poverty rates strongly influence student college going, for all sorts of reasons. What if Nashville boosted it's college going rate 22 percentage points like New Orleans did? 

This handy tool lets you explore college going rates for districts across Tennessee and individual high schools within a district. College going rate means any student that enrolled in a 4 year, 2 year or TICUA.

*12-13 rate received via email, THEC data will update soon

Since 2010, Nashville has seen a steady decline in the college going rate.

One of the drawbacks of this tool is that it takes some time to generate these college going numbers and then make it public (enough time to allow the graduates to enroll in a postsecondary institution post high school graduation).  Hence, we still don't know the most recent 13-14 MNPS senior class college going data.

There are more data points from New Orleans to share which can help inform our perspective here in Nashville, and I'll do so in forthcoming posts, but we need to wake up in Nashville and realize our high schools continue to lag academically and are trending in the wrong direction when it comes to sending kids to postsecondary. 

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Who has the money in the race for Vice Mayor, Council-at-large, and District Council.

Below is the summary of funds raised and spend by candidates for the office of Vice Mayor, Councilmen-at-large, and District Councilmen.

What is noteworthy about the reports is that some candidates raised a lot of money by the end of the first reporting period. Several candidates for district council have already raised over $20,000! This campaign will probably prove to be the most money ever spend by candidates for district seats.

This summary is for the period that ended January 15th.  Since then another period has ended, that being the report period that ended March 30th. The filing deadline for that report is tomorrow, April 10th.

I will be analyzing each candidates financial report as soon as the April 10th reports are posted to the website of the Election Commission and reporting who is contributing to which candidates. There are many people of influence that I do not know however, so you may wish to look at the full report of the candidates yourself. To see the financial disclosure reports follow this link.

What is shown below are the candidates who had filed a report by January 15th.  Some candidates did not appoint a treasurer until after that date. No candidate is supposed to raise money until they file a report naming their treasurer. Expect to see quite a few more candidates listed when the April 10th reports are filed.

Candidates for Vice Mayor	Balance on hand at start of this period	Money raised	Money spend	Balance on hand 1/15/2015
David Briley	15,825	44,500	15,406	44,919
Tim Garrett	3,058	0	0	3,059

 

Candidates for Councilman at Large	Balance on hand at start of this period	Money raised	Money spend	Balance on hand 1/15/2015
Walter Hunt	2,162	6,000	954	7,208
Ken Jakes	1,200	80	1,152	128
Don Majors	0	7,075	2,312	4.763
Lonnell Matthews	101	0	100	1
Jim Shulman	0	11,485	149	11,236

District Councilmen candidates	District	Balance on hand last report	Funds Raised	Funds Spent	Balance on Hand 1/15/2015
Ruby Baker	1	0	1,200	821	379
Loneil Green	1	0	3,752	2,712	1,040
Melvin Black	2	0	0	0	0
Carrie Search	2	0	1,512	1,512	0
Bobby Stockard	2	460	925	0	1.385
Peter Westerholm	6	0	9,525	82	9,443
Stephen Clements	7	0	1,260	257	1,002
Robert Sawyers, Sr	8	0	0	0	0
Nancy VanReece	8	0	3,998	975	3023
Kevin Rhoten	14	0	5,900	1,484	4,416
Jeffrey Syracuse	15	10,795	6,714	3,148	14,361
Paula Foster	17	0	10,481	817	9,664
Peter Colby Sledge	17	0	20,330	1,196	19,134
Burkley Allen	18	1,551	12,300	171	13,680
Freddie O’Connell	19	0	22,335	2,395	19,940
Bill Shick	19	0	100	0	100
Sheri Weiner	22	929	14,250	13,792	1387
Mina Johnson	23	0	0	0	0
Allen Grant	24	0	25,052	1,466	23,585
Kathleen Murphy	24	0	10.975	441	10,534
Russ Pulley	25	0	24,473	4,400	20,072
Davette Blalock	27	2	0	0	2
Gary Clement Ledbetter, Jr.	27	0	0	0	0
Melissa Smithson	28	0	8,300	153	8,147
Tanaka Vercher	28	0	5,295	0	5,295
Fabian Bedne	31	1	2,699	1,062	1,634
William Kizzie	32	0	0	0	0
Steve Butler	34	0	500	247	252
Angie Henderson	34	0	17,633	$5,672	$11,960
Dave Rosenberg	35	0	6,900	428	6,472
Lonnie Spivak	35	138	0	75	67

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