Candidate: Joseph L Stokes

Joe Stokes never imagined taking the political path when he retired from Manatee District Schools in 2016. His plans included spending more time with family and friends, enjoying our beautiful beaches and traveling the world with his wife, Linda. Instead, Joe became increasingly concerned about decisions being made by the school board and their impact on the process of educating our children.

Joe saw the urgent need for civility, common sense reasoning and the ability to tackle problems in a cohesive and constructive manner on the board. He realized he had the unique qualifications and experiences to address the critical issues being brought forward to bring about positive changes within the district. 

Stokes had an exemplary 45-year career in public education, proving his commitment to student achievement, fairness to teachers and staff and a history of fiscal responsibility to the community. “Building morale and trust were always a focus of my leadership. The School Board should model the highest level of social awareness and procedural etiquette to ensure our constituents trust our actions.”

Joe’s career in education started in his hometown of Muncie, Indiana where he attended Ball State University, earning both his Bachelor’s (1971) and Master’s Degrees (1975) in Elementary Education. He continued his studies in Education Administration, obtaining his state certification. He then completed the Indiana Principal Leadership and Graduate Academies, two-year training professional growth programs.

For 17 years Joe was a classroom teacher, primarily in Title I Schools. He  was voted Delaware County’s Outstanding Young Educator of the Year in 1980 and went on to serve as principal of Washington Carver, Sutton, and Westview Elementary Schools, all in Muncie. 

In 2004, Stokes was hired as Principal of King Middle School in Manatee County, where he was highly regarded. He was promoted to Director of Elementary Education in 2009 and after five years, Joe chose to transfer to Samoset Elementary as assistant principal. As a failing Title 1 school, Joe knew the risks involved if Samoset’s grade did not improve. Under the leadership of Pat Stream, Joe was able to provide additional support to ‘at risk’ students and within one year, the school grade improved. Two years later, the school was safely removed from the state’s targeted list.

Faith and family have been the cornerstone of Joe’s life. He and Linda are the parents of Andy (Lili) and Jenny (Brian) and grandparents to Jonah (14), Josie (12), Grayson (10), Sammy (9) and Linley (7).  Describing the strength of his family ties, Joe shares “The future of Manatee County is the future of my own family. Three generations of Stokes’ live, work and attend school here. Manatee County is our home.”

Joe has led a life of service leadership, often placing the needs of others before his own. This was especially evident in the 1990s when Joe and Linda received specialized training to provide therapeutic foster care in their home. Over a seven-year period, thirteen different special needs children lived with the Stokes family, including those with significant emotional, behavioral or medical challenges. The youngsters were provided intensive intervention services until they were able to be reunified with their families. Although stressful, Joe recalls their experiences as being very rewarding. 

As a school board candidate, Joe’s platform is straightforward. He quotes:

“Fiscal issues and school management are very important and we have a  responsibility to           manage the most recent tax levy as sold to the public.”

“The continuing crisis of having a highly qualified teacher for every position, as well as bus drivers, custodians and other school personnel, will not be resolved without solid leadership and sound decision making.”

“School safety is legitimately on the minds of everyone in our community. Without this support, we are compromising our children’s ability to learn. The School Board of Manatee County must work in good faith with other community agencies to ensure the highest level of security available, modeled after the safety system used at our own Student Support Center.” 

Joe Stokes is the right person for our School Board at the right time.