Jamar Brown is one of five candidates running for four Champaign Unit 4 School Board seats up for grabs in the April 5 election. A Champaign native and product of Unit 4, he works as a Lab Mechanic apprentice in the University of Illinois’ Department of Civil Engineering. Brown has been active in the community; over the past two years he has served as the Vice Chair Human Relations Commissioner for the City of Champaign, and he is also in his second year as a member of Unit 4 Education Equity Excellence Committee, a group that came about as a result of the consent decree. Jamar and his wife, Erica, have two children — 19-year-old Abi and Ashton, a third-grade student at Bottenfield Elementary.
See why we think Jamar Brown is a Chambana dad to know.
Q: Why did you decide to run for Champaign Unit 4 School Board? (Editor’s Note: need to register to vote for the April 5 election? Smile Politely tells you how – the deadline is March 8.)
I have decided to run for a seat on the Champaign Unit 4 School Board so that I may assist in the growth of the desire to learn in our community’s children; so that I may be a dependable person of access for parents and local tax payers; and to bring a diverse perspective to the board in order to make the best decisions for our Champaign Unit 4 Schools.
Q: The era of the consent decree is over. How do you feel you can help move the district forward?
I feel that I can help move the district forward post consent decree by adding a different perspective to the decision making process. Being from Champaign I have deep ties to the communities that were affected most by the consent decree and I will make it a point to keep these families informed on what is going on in the district. I will not only be a voice for them at board meetings but I will also encourage them to get involved and become personally invested as well.
Q: What do you think of the kindergarten assignment process? Do you think it should be changed or remain the same?
Although the city of Champaign is very diverse, many of our neighborhoods are largely segregated, and I feel having an assignment process like the one Unit 4 has implemented is imperative to fully enrich the educational experience. Having a selection process ensures that all students will have an equal opportunity to get the best possible education, since each school presents the curriculum in its own unique way, it gives parents some say on which method may work best for their child. With that said, I know there are some concerns about the process and I am willing to take a deeper look into that and if necessary, tweak the program, but at this point in time I feel it would do more harm than good to eliminate the program all together.
Q: You have been a member of the city’s Human Relations Commission during a very tenuous time in the city’s history. What has that experience taught you?
Being a HRC commissioner in tough times has taught me to listen to the constituents, make sure I have all the information, collaborate with others, and most importantly it taught me to have fun. These skills will help me tremendously over the next four years since the school district is currently going through it’s own tough times, and as a servant to the community I will have to listen to the concerns of staff, parents, students, and taxpayers of the district. I will have have to continually gather information to ensure the district is on track with our outlined goals. I will have to collaborate with many individuals because I won’t have all the answers and I need to be able and willing to reach out to those that do. Being a school board member is a stressful position because you are in responsible for so much, but if you learn to have fun with it and keep your eyes on the prize, keeping the kids first, it will make it all worth it in the end.
Q: What does fatherhood mean to you?
For me fatherhood means always being accountable for my actions. In a time where we are bombarded with so much negative imagery of fathers, it is my job show my children something different, and make sure everything I do always gives them a positive experience with dad. Fatherhood means making sacrifices to be at basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, parent teacher conferences, school concerts, etc. Most importantly fatherhood means that no matter what is going on in the rest of my life I have someone that loves me unconditionally even when I don’t fully live up to my end of the bargain.
Do you know of a Chambana mom or dad to know? We love nominations!