I have volunteered for countless campaigns. Being a volunteer is great – you show up and someone tells you what to do. There’s no need to know how the backend works. So, what did I expect when I decided to run for office and run my own campaign? Lessons were learned

Take the big swing. I started collecting signatures before I said out loud that I was actually going to run for office. Be bold. Say the scary thing.

Seek advice. Having volunteered for campaigns before, I understood the need for meet-and-greets, text and phone banking, canvassing and mailers. But how do these things get done? And in what order?

Make a timeline, ASAP. Even if you have no idea how long it takes to put together a mailer, guess. You understand the basics of the USPS. Figure out when you want the items delivered, then work backwards. This will give you a sense of control and organization.

Mention your candidacy to everyone. Don’t assume people know you’re running for office, and don’t assume they will offer help. You never know who people can connect you with, and knowing people is half the battle.

The little conversations matter as much (if not more) than the big ones. Being yourself and having honest conversations with individual voters is the most effective marketing. Say, “hi” in the grocery store. Knock on doors. Make phone calls. People are (surprisingly) happy to talk to you. You never know who you’ll connect with. I ended up meeting someone who knew my grandma, and it turned into a connection that helped me reach parts of Shaker I wouldn’t have before.

Don’t assume every task is small and that you can handle it. Just because something seems small doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be delegated. Small tasks add up fast. So...

Take the help offered, ask for help that isn’t. People will offer help early on, when you don’t actually know what you need. Take notes. Get their name and contact information and hold them accountable a month or two later when you need volunteers. Having trouble getting the help you need? Delegate to your ardent supporters, near and far. They will rise to the occasion.

Over-prepare for everything. Know what topics different groups will want to focus on. Prepare, bring notes and take notes during forums and discussions to help form responses.

Don’t conform to what you think people want you to be. Stand your ground. Speak your truth. People who believe in you will follow.

Continually connect with the community. Be loud on social media, send texts, drop literature at doors, make cold phone calls, knock on doors and wait for answers, smile and wave while running errands and introduce yourself to strangers.

Being of service has nothing to do with your own comfort. As people started asking me, “Are you ready to lose friends?” and “Are you prepared to shop at a different grocery store?” and “Are you ready to make people mad?” I started to wonder if this was the right move for me. I checked in with myself. Am I really ok with these possibilities? Yes, I am, because being of service has nothing to do with my own comfort and everything to do with helping our community.

It’s ok to be emotional. It’s ok not to know. It’s ok to be your authentic self. I received the most supportive responses when I was my honest self. When I wasn’t trying to fit into a particular situation or say what a specific group wanted me to hear.

I’ve heard that campaigning is a marathon at a sprint pace. For three months, it definitely was. It’s hard to imagine devoting so much time and energy to something so intense and not achieving the expected outcome. I did not win a seat on the board, but I surprised myself by being at peace with the results. My drive to be of service is even stronger now, and the experience and connections I’ve made will only help propel it further. I won, just not in the way I expected.

All my best,

What’s your voting plan?

Tuesday, November 4, is Election Day.

Whatever day and time you plan to vote, make sure you have a backup plan. Don’t wait until the end of the day on Tuesday without a plan on how to get there if your transportation fails, or someone to watch the kids if you can’t take them with you, or what to do if you fall ill. ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN FOR VOTING.

Make sure the ID you will be using for voting is current. An expired ID will not be accepted. If your driver’s license has expired, get a new one ASAP! Digital IDs are NOT accepted.

EARLY VOTING:
This year, Election Day is my backup plan. I plan to vote early at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which you can do through this weekend. You cannot early vote on Monday. ALL THE DETAILS ARE HERE. Note the new BOE location. They have moved, and last I looked, GPS was not updated.

VOTE BY MAIL:
If you have an absentee ballot, it must be postmarked by Monday, November 1 OR dropped off at the Board of Elections (not your polling location) by 7:30 pm on Tuesday, November 2.

VOTING ON ELECTION DAY:
Do you know your voting location? Double-check in case it changed. (Mine did!) As long as you are in line before the polls close, you can stay in line to vote. Never get out of line!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Can you drop literature at doors this weekend?

Can we put a yard sign in your yard?

Can you make a few phone calls?

Are you interested in being a greeter at polling locations on Tuesday?

I NEED HELP WITH ALL OF THESE.

Even if you can give 30 minutes this weekend and/or on Tuesday, I’ll take it. Reply to this email and we’ll get you set up!

Thank you! We are in the final stretch!

It is an honor to be one of the three school board candidates to be endorsed by The Shakerite, Shaker Heights High School’s award-winning student news organization.

Thank you to the Editorial Board for their thoughtful questions, discussion and trust.

It is ONE WEEK to Election Day.

I AM ASKING FOR HELP:

Yard signs!

I have many yard signs left and would love to get them into yards. Yard signs don’t vote, but they do advertise! Please respond to this email with your address, and we’ll get one to your yard right away. Already have one? Ask a friend if they need one!

Literature distribution!

I have thousands of door hangers to adorn your neighbor’s front doors with. Could I drop off 50 for you to leave at your neighbors' doors? No knocking required.

Thank you for sticking with me through this campaign. It’s been a whirlwind and I couldn’t have done it without your interest and support.

But the bottom line is this: I want every child in Shaker to feel safe—physically and mentally. I want them to thrive throughout their entire Shaker career, because they have the support, the interventions and the opportunities they need to succeed—no matter what resources they have outside of school.

And I want our teachers, staff and professionals to have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.

Because let’s be honest: I don’t trust our government to set us up for success.

In fact, they are working against us—refusing to pass sensible gun laws, cutting funding, stripping away mental health and family support, limiting healthcare access, even pulling back on nutrition programs for kids, in schools!

Ultimately, my wish list—my ultimate wish list— is universal pre-K, free lunch and breakfast for all, a 504 for every parent who requests it, a paraprofessional for every kid, and universally free access to school sports. Are there resources for those who need them? Mostly, but not all.

These shouldn’t be seen as extras. They should be part of what it means to go to school in Shaker. Because when we normalize support, we normalize success.

Our district motto is: “A community is known by the schools it keeps.” Too many people have never heard it. But I want us to live it. I want our community to take pride in our schools again—to celebrate the amazing work being done while also recognizing the struggles we face.

The truth is, our nation isn’t set up to help public schools succeed. It never was and doesn’t look like it ever will be soon. But here in Shaker, we can be bold. I want to serve on the school board to do my part—and I want all of you to be part of it too. Because communication matters. When the public is informed, engaged, and heard, the whole community is stronger.

Shaker has its challenges—but we are amazing. Together, we can make sure our schools reflect the very best of who we are.

YARD SIGNS. GET INVOLVED.

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Thursday, October 9, 7 - 9 pm
Shaker Heights High School, large auditorium
Shaker League of Women Voters Candidate Forum

Friday, October 10, 10:30 - 11:30 am
Cafe Indigo, 13201 Shaker Square
Grab a drink and let’s have a chat!

Tuesday, October 14, 7 - 8 pm
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Building
Shaker Dems Endorsement meeting

Of course there are plenty of questions about the nitty, gritty of my “why” and a lot of that is to come but, to answer this one question… there are four ways to support my campaign.

1. Share with your Shaker community. Forwarding this email would be the easiest. I’ll make it even easier! Here ya go:

   Share Jenny Steadman for Shaker Heights School Board

2. Give an official endorsement. It would be the greatest honor to add you to my endorsement page. Learn more here.

3. Donate! When it comes to spreading the word, money talks. Yard signs, postcards, mailings, stickers, buttons, t-shirts… Donate here.

4. Host a meet-and-greet. I’d love to get together with a group of your friends, neighbors, co-workers, maybe have some coffee, snacks, wine… and share about my campaign.

5. BONUS: Sign up to get a yard sign! I hope to have them in the next week or so. We’ll deliver it straight to your yard.

I look forwarding to hearing from you and seeing you on the campaign trail!

Here’s to Shaker!

Jenny

ADD YOUR ENDORSEMENT

The news landscape is moving faster than ever, and it’s hard to keep up, let alone consume it all. Here is some content I have found interesting, along with issues I am keeping an eye on. This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list.

updated 9/30/25

Education Dept. partners with conservative groups for civics programming

The Limitation Effect: Experiences of State Policy-Driven Education Restriction in Florida’s Public Schools

5 Reasons to Pay Attention to Local School Board Elections

Thousands of Ohio students left without a school bus ride as private school transport expands.

Trump Administration Puts 46 States and Territories on Notice to Remove Gender Ideology Content from Sex Ed Materials (Ohio included)

Education Department quietly removes rules for teaching English learners

Are ‘COVID kindergarteners’ ready for school?

Ohio lawmaker seeks to bar school discrimination against protective hair styles

Remember running the mile in school? The Presidential Fitness Test is coming back

Six months in, how Trump has changed the Education Department.

Ohio Statehouse Legislation Tracker

Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong (podcast)

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Communication & Transparency

Communication builds trust. Our school board shares information, but it’s not easily accessible, and too often it’s difficult for families and community members to share their voices back. As a board member, I want to be proactive about getting information out into the community. I will work to create two-way communication so everyone, not just those on social media or email, can be part of the conversation. Every family, across every neighborhood and economic situation, deserves to be heard.

Some of these ideas include:

• Break down board meeting content into easily digestible content that is provided online, in print and video.

• Create community bulletin boards to post updates.

• Use local publications to push content to the broader Shaker community.

• Dedicated community hotline/voicemail for questions and comments.

• Paper feedback boxes in schools, libraries, and rec centers.

• Printed & online surveys, with drop-off bins in schools.

By sharing information clearly, listening proactively, and meeting people where they are, we can make sure the Shaker Heights community feels informed, respected, and included in the decisions that affect our schools and our tax dollars. Where there is transparency through proactive communication, there is trust, and where there is trust, real progress can thrive.

Protecting Progress

Our schools don’t exist in isolation. As a board member, I will keep a close eye on policies from Columbus and Washington that could harm our students, and I will work with our community to keep Shaker schools safe, inclusive and focused on learning.

There will inevitably be policies that could harm both our ability to educate students and to keep staff and students safe. While I will ensure compliance with state requirements, my priority will always be advocating for and protecting our kids. I’ll check the box when necessary, but my focus will be on protecting our children.

Questions & Decisions

Even in normal times, there are always hard questions to ask and difficult decisions to make. But these are not normal times. Politics and policies are increasingly volatile, funding is shrinking and curriculum are under intense scrutiny. That is why I want to be at the table—to ask the tough questions, make thoughtful decisions, and help protect and strengthen our schools for every student, family and staff member.

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I look forward to hearing from you!

Please reach out via email to: jenny4shaker@gmail.com

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CLICK HERE TO GET INVOLVED

About Jenny

I’m Jenny Steadman, a Shaker Heights parent, neighbor, communications professional and longtime believer in the power of community.

My husband and I chose Shaker because we want our kids to grow up in a place where public schools are celebrated, differences are embraced and neighbors look out for one another. Our two kids attend Shaker schools, and over the years I’ve watched how a classroom, and a community, can shape not just a student’s education, but who they become.

Community Leadership & Experience

• Organizer with Hope in the Heights: Co-organizer of the TroubleNation group formed to fight extremism, protect democracy and empower neighbors to take meaningful local action to keep our community informed, safe and engaged.

• Personal trainer, group motivator and community director: Five years at Burn Boot Camp Beachwood brought me the experience of commanding a room while understanding the personal needs of each individual in it. Active listening and community building make it a safe space for everyone.

• Co-creator of Onaway’s Annual Fall Family Harvest Picnic: Launched a free, no-barriers community picnic that brings together more than 500 students, caregivers and staff each year around locally sourced food and a seat at the table for everyone. Watching families connect with teachers and each other right on the school lawn reminded me how powerful it is when we make space for community.

• Advocate for healthier, greener cafeterias: Successfully pushed for the introduction of salad bars, recycling and composting at Onaway. This pilot program became a district-wide initiative that has helped students learn to make healthier choices and reduce their environmental impact.

• Founder of Macaroni Kid Cleveland East: Created Ohio’s first Macaroni Kid site to help caregivers discover local events, support neighborhood businesses and ease the mental load of planning family time. Under different leadership, the site continues to serve thousands of families across the east side today.

• Communications professional in the nonprofit sector: Spent the majority of my 10 years at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum managing internal communications and international public relations, experience I now use to lift up voices, strengthen institutions and build trust through transparency.

Why I’m Running

I’m running for school board to strengthen communication, protect progress, and ensure thoughtful decision-making for Shaker schools. Families deserve true two-way communication, not just announcements—so I will work to make information more accessible and create clear opportunities for feedback. At the same time, I will stay vigilant about harmful state and national policies, complying where necessary but always prioritizing the safety, well-being, and education of our students. And in a time of shrinking funding and heightened political pressures, I will be at the table to ask the tough questions and make the decisions that protect and strengthen our schools.

In the Community

You’ll find me volunteering at school events, walking our two dogs through the neighborhood or grabbing coffee and ice cream at Van Aken. I’m always ready to discuss what’s working in our schools and where we can improve together.

I believe the school board should feel less like an institution and more like a neighbor. I’m running to listen, to lead with integrity and to keep Shaker moving forward, with all of us at the table.

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