Candidate Profile: School Board District 2: Rodney Jones

School Board: District 2

Candidate: Rodney Jones

Residence: Bradenton

Education: Associate's in Business Management from State College of Florida; Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from University of South Florida

Rodney Jones is running for the Manatee County District 2 School Board seat that will be vacated by longtime veteran Barbara Harvey. Jones, who has experience as a mentor and counselor, says he is currently substitute teaching in the district in order to get a better handle on what is happening in the schools.

In a recent interview with TBT, he says that he believes the district is suffering from low morale due to its recent fiscal problems and that teachers are concerned about job security. He also says that contentious relations on the board have had an unhealthy effect on the district, and that board members need to show more prudence and unity in public.

Jones has extensive experience in working with troubled youth, being involved in various local programs (including Manatee Glens) for more than 20 years. He also has experience in finance and grant writing; most recently, he was employed by SCF for a grant-deal project and currently serves on the district's Citizens Budget Advisory Committee.

A single father, Jones has four children - Imani, a student at Rogers Garden Elementary; Destiny, a Manatee School of the Arts student; Keyana, a soon-to-be North Carolina student; and Trent, a student at SCF.

Click here to read an in-depth article on Jones.