Incumbent Rachael Ann Elrod to face independent, winner of GOP primary in District 2 school board race

by Clare Amari, The Tennessean, April 14, 2022 - The expansion of charter schools, how board members should engage with their constituents, and student and staff retention are key flashpoints in the District 2 race for the Nashville school board.

The incumbent, Rachael Anne Elrod, is running for reelection as a Democrat. Her opponents are Edward Arnold, an independent, and one of three Republican candidates in the Aug. 4 general election.

... Janeen Kingma, Todd Pembroke and Mark Woodward are seeking the GOP nomination in the May 3 primary. Early voting runs through April 28.  ...

Edward Arnold

Janeen Kingma. Kingma, who is running as a Republican, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Tennessean. 

Edward Arnold. Arnold is an independent candidate running to represent District 2. Currently a doctoral student in education at Tennessee State University, Arnold's diverse professional background includes experience in psychology, technology, teaching and Child Protective Services.  Arnold is running for school board to promote a funding model he created called Teacher Incentive for Public Schools or TIPS.

Rachael Anne Elrod. Elrod, the incumbent school board representative for District 2 and school board vice-chair, is running as a Democrat for a second term. Endorsed by the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, she has drawn attention as an advocate for mask mandates and an opponent of charter schools.  

Todd Pembroke.

Todd Pembroke. Pembroke is running to represent District 2 as a Republican. He comes from a family of educators ... is the father of three young children and his eldest will be starting at Granbery Elementary in the fall.  A native Floridian, Pembroke moved to Nashville in 2003. He opened and runs a branch of Farmers Insurance, and is a captain in the Tennessee Army National Guard. ... Pembroke’s priorities include running a full audit of the budget to ensure “fiscally efficient spending.” ... He would also work ... and remove divisive or controversial subject matter, such as critical race theory and gender identity, from the curricula. 

Mark Woodward

Mark Woodward. Woodward is running as a Republican. The director of music and drama at a local Montessori school, ... “I have been a teacher for 11 years,” he said. “I understand classroom budgets, classroom management, the importance of healthy parent/teacher relationships, and the incredible potential of students.” Woodward’s experience at a Montessori school has left him concerned that some MNPS policies are “damaging” to children. Woodward’s priorities for the school board include advocating for parents, attracting and retaining high-quality teachers, the responsible stewardship of district money, and adopting best practices for early childhood education.  (more)

District 2, is located in South Nashville, for more information on District 2, follow the link. 

Top Stories