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Jennifer McCormick

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Jennifer McCormick
Jennifer McCormick - 2024 Indiana Gubernatorial Candidate
44th Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
In office
January 9, 2017 – January 11, 2021
GovernorEric Holcomb
Preceded byGlenda Ritz
Succeeded byKatie Jenner
Personal details
Political party
SpouseTrent McCormick
Children1
EducationPurdue University (BA)
Ball State University (MA)
Indiana State University (EdS, PhD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Jennifer McCormick is an American politician and educator who served as the 44th and last Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. Formerly a Republican, she upset the Democratic incumbent Glenda Ritz in the 2016 election and served one term. Switching to the Democratic Party in 2021, she was their nominee for governor of Indiana in 2024 against Republican nominee Mike Braun and Libertarian nominee Donald Rainwater.[1]

Biography

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McCormick began her career as a special education teacher. She later worked as a middle school language arts teacher from 1996 to 2004. Then she became principal of Yorktown Elementary School in 2004. In 2007, she became the assistant superintendent of Yorktown Community schools and served in that position until she was selected as superintendent in 2010. She serves on the boards for Ivy Tech East Central Region, the Indiana Association of School Business Officials, and Delaware County Youth Salutes. In 2014, she was invited to the National Connected Superintendents Summit at the White House in Washington D.C.[2] In June 2021, McCormick announced that she had officially switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.[3]

State Superintendent

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Election

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McCormick was chosen by the Indiana Republican Party as the nominee for Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 11, 2016. At her convention speech, McCormick said Indiana must continue to reject national Common Core learning standards. She said "days of reckless testing must end" and that she knows what it takes to recruit the best teachers.[4] McCormick and Ritz had one debate on October 17, 2016, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[5] McCormick defeated Ritz for the position of Superintendent on November 8, 2016.[6]

Tenure

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Jennifer McCormick at Bloomfield High School during the final Workplace Simulation Project Day

McCormick ran as a Republican candidate for Indiana superintendent of public instruction. She defeated Dawn Wooten and won the Republican nomination at the state party convention on June 11. McCormick defeated incumbent Glenda Ritz in the Indiana superintendent of schools election. The theme of her campaign was to remove politics from education and that the superintendent should again work in tandem with the Department of Education. It also stated including support for improving the current state assessment program and providing teachers with quality tools to enhance instruction. A primary responsibility for the superintendent will be to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal education law that replaces the No Child Left Behind Act signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002.[7]

2024 gubernatorial race

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In May 2023, McCormick announced that she would enter the 2024 race for Indiana Governor as a Democrat.[8]

Personal life

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McCormick is married to Trent, a public school science teacher and wrestling coach.[9] They have one son, Cael, who attended the United States Military Academy.[10]

Electoral history

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2016 Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction election[11][12]
Candidate Party Popular vote %
Jennifer McCormick Republican 1,423,042 53.0%
Glenda Ritz Democratic 1,240,474 47.0%

Awards

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  • Outstanding Contributor to Education Award from the Muncie Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
  • 2013: Person of the Year, Yorktown Chamber of Commerce

References

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  1. ^ Davies, Tom (May 4, 2023). "Ex-Indiana schools chief McCormick enters governor's race". Associated Press. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jennifer McCormick - Ballotpedia".
  3. ^ "Former Indiana GOP schools chief changes party affiliation to Democratic". Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  4. ^ "Indiana GOP pick nominees for Attorney General and State School Superintendent". June 11, 2016.
  5. ^ "Ritz, McCormick To Debate For State Superintendent Race". October 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Republican challenger McCormick wins over Ritz".
  7. ^ Balonon-Rosen, Peter (November 8, 2016). "McCormick Ousts Ritz To Win State Superintendent Race".
  8. ^ "Ex-state schools superintendent Jennifer McCormick joins Indiana governor's race as Democrat". Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System".
  10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "Indiana Superintendent of Schools election, 2016 - Ballotpedia".
  12. ^ "Election Results". in.gov. November 8, 2016.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
2016
Last
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Indiana
2024
Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction
2017–2021
Succeeded by
Katie Jenner
as Secretary of Education of Indiana