Tammie Foore McClafferty is running for St. Johns County School Board District 4 in the Nov. 3 nonpartisan election. Jillian Tozer is also running for the seat, according to BallotReady election data.

Asked why she is seeking the office, McClafferty said in our candidate questionnaire, "I believe my lifetime in education and nearly two decades of living, working, and serving in this community have prepared me to make a meaningful difference." She added, "Our students deserve academic excellence, our teachers deserve strong support and pay, parents deserve a meaningful voice, and taxpayers deserve responsible stewardship."

Candidate information

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: "My family and I have called this county home for nearly two decades. My husband and I raised our three children here, and our family has been deeply involved in our community and schools throughout the years," McClafferty said in our questionnaire. "Our children attended PVPV Rawlings Elementary, Valley Ridge Academy, and Nease High School, where all three graduated." She added, "My husband is a pastor, and together we have always sought to serve our community and invest in the lives of others. We also helped establish NPAA, creating opportunities for local children to participate in youth sports."

Education: "I earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, followed by a Master's degree in Teaching and Curriculum Development. I also earned a Master's degree in Biblical Studies," McClafferty said in our questionnaire. "I later earned my Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership in Education, with a focus on leading and developing effective educational organizations and educators."

Experience and public service

McClafferty said in our questionnaire, "I currently serve as CEO of Lifework Leadership First Coast, a global nonprofit focused on developing leaders who serve and strengthen our community. At Lifework, I also created GRIT, a youth leadership program designed to develop character, leadership, and purpose in young people. I serve on the Board of Trustees and as an adjunct professor at Trinity College of Jacksonville."

She described her career path: "I began as a public school teacher, serving two years as an Emotional Support teacher and five years as a third-grade teacher … I later founded and operated four early childhood education centers and served as principal of Accotink Academy in Ponte Vedra Beach."

She holds no previous elected or appointed offices.

On the issues

Asked about critical differences between herself and other candidates, McClafferty said in our questionnaire, "The most significant difference is the depth and breadth of my experience in education and my longstanding connection to St. Johns County." She said she brings "a conservative philosophy grounded in parental rights, academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, school choice, strong teacher support, and keeping politics and ideology out of the classroom."

McClafferty cited her record as evidence she can handle the job: "As the founder and owner of four early childhood education centers, I managed multiple locations, staff, budgets, and significant growth while advocating at the state level for education." She added, "I was entrusted with securing the largest state grant awarded for my schools, allowing me to bring my staff to Disney World for professional development."

Asked about the best advice she has received, McClafferty said, "'The only way to lead people well is to remember that leadership is not about you.' That advice has stayed with me throughout my career." She added, "I have also learned that leadership requires the courage to make difficult decisions, stand by your principles, and do what is right even when it is not easy or the most popular choice."

Endorsements

McClafferty said in our questionnaire that she is "honored to have three of the four previous District 4 School Board members endorse me—leaders who know what it takes to build and sustain excellence." Individual endorser names were not provided.

The election will determine who represents District 4 on the St. Johns County School Board.