Sharon Jefferson, whose two children graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School, is asking District 2 voters to send a classroom teacher to the Manatee County School Board. Jefferson says that hasn't happened in years.

Jefferson, 54, a social studies and civics teacher at W.D. Sugg Middle School in Bradenton, is one of five candidates on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. She is challenging incumbent board chair Cindy Spray along with James T. Golden, Margi Nanney and JT White.

A personal case for the seat

Jefferson has spent 27 years teaching in Manatee County schools, starting in 1999. She grew up in the district, attending four elementary schools, two middle schools and graduating from Palmetto High School in 1990. Her children Tyra and Troy graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School in 2013 and 2020; a third child, Tyrese, graduated from Braden River High School in 2021.

"Who's going to speak out for that teacher? Who's going to come and fight for them?" Jefferson told the Your Observer in a profile published July 27. "I'm fighting for education that I've given my life to and that I love so very deeply."

Title I focus

District 2 is made up almost entirely of Title I schools, according to WUSF. Jefferson said teacher shortages hit those campuses hardest because new hires arrive unprepared for the challenges students dealing with poverty and trauma bring to the classroom.

Her signature proposal is a "Title I bootcamp" to train incoming teachers before they step into high-poverty schools. She also wants to hire more guidance counselors and social workers and strengthen partnerships with preschools and childcare providers.

Jefferson founded two nonprofits that serve the district's families. Recess Education Inc. provides free tutoring, summer programs, books, school supplies, food and clothing to students in need. Freedom Leadership Academy offers a high school diploma program for parents and virtual K-12 learning for their children, according to WUSF.

Discipline and accountability

Jefferson cited Florida Department of Education data showing disproportionate discipline rates among Black and Brown students in Manatee County, including referrals to alternative programs and law enforcement. She wants to replace suspensions and expulsions with restorative practices focused on communication and accountability.

She also said she would push for instructional materials free of vendor influence and would examine the district's budget line by line, telling candidates and voters at a June 24 League of Women Voters forum: "I can't be bought. I can't be bribed."

Campaign and endorsements

Jefferson has raised approximately $3,700 in campaign contributions, all from individual donors giving $200 or less, according to WUSF. That is the second-lowest total in the five-candidate field; Spray leads with nearly $27,000, including PAC and business donations.

Jefferson is a registered Democrat. She has been recommended by the Manatee Democratic Party and the Democratic Public Education Caucus of Manasota. She also serves as education chair of the Manatee County NAACP and sits on the Manatee County Children's Services Advisory Board.

What happens if no one wins outright

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote on Aug. 18, the top two finishers advance to the Nov. 3 general election. Voters can check their registration and find polling locations at votemanatee.gov.