Jodi Riggins: Great communities= Great schools

As you might suspect, running for office is uncomfortable, at least for me. However, what makes it palatable is that I am not alone in this unique opportunity to serve the community I dearly love. The launch party yesterday at the Greenway Pavilion was confirmation that my short-term uneasiness is worth the long-term gain. The friends, family and supporters that participated were so encouraging and buoyed my spirits. I’m quite certain that I am not nearly as perfect nor righteous as the speakers claimed, but I must confess I was so humbled and honored by it all. Reba’s touching prayer, Maggie’s solemn pledge, even Norm and Janet’s singing were all inspiring. I will forever remember the beautiful and kind words of Augustine, Terry, and Vanessa. Your speeches were works of art that have and will continue to nourish my spirit, especially in the long hard days of campaigning. Of course, Andi’s introduction was touching and something any mom would proudly scrapbook. The precious gift of time and attention paid by those who showed up without being on the program did not go unheeded. I especially appreciate those of you who signed up to help when the stage lights are off. To all of you, your smiles and warm greetings before and after meant so much. A special “shout out” is overdue for the worker bees behind the scenes. Though not formally recognized, your hard work made this wonderful event even possible. Loes did anything she saw that needed doing, including setting up and taking down! Ethan created the beautiful brochures. Andi and Claire made cookies. Gary, my “driver” (as he likes to say) for many years made some of the signs and helped with the program. To paraphrase an old African proverb, it takes a village to elect a School Board Representative. Now it’s time to pound the pavement and greet our neighbors. Like so many times in this campaign, I am confident my “village” will show up. I am so grateful for you all. I will see you soon!!

You are invited to the Official Campaign Kickoff

According to the calendar and George Gershwin, “It’s summertime and the living is easy…” Some of you recognize that old Ella Fitzgerald tune from the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. However, whether you do or not, I’d like to invite you to the official opening of my campaign for re-election for the Cleveland City School Board. The curtain will rise this Saturday June 13, 10:00-12:00. The good news is that you won’t need a ticket or a swanky outfit. We’ve also scrapped the red carpet and I don’t think the paparazzi will show up. The other particulars are below. Please join us. Few things are as easy as Summertime, but together we will, to paraphrase Gershwin, “rise up singing, spread our wings and take to the sky.”

The Particulars:
What: Campaign Kickoff for Jodi Riggins, District 5 Cleveland City School Board
Who: “All God’s Children…” (especially those supporting this campaign)
Where: Greenway Pavilion (off Raider Drive in front of CHS baseball field)
When: 10am – Noon

Please help me get the word out! I really look forward to seeing you all Saturday. It will be a good time to greet neighbors, meet friends and chat with the candidate!!! Thanks!

Jodi Riggins

Everyday Epiphanies

Plain old fashioned thankfulness tends to trigger what John Milton called “everyday epiphanies…transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life.” After our family’s Sunday dinner yesterday, I think I know what the old poet meant. While some were washing and putting away dishes, Gary and I took time to say a simple “Thank You” to my family for their sacrifice and hard work on my campaign. They have variously helped with flyers, knocked on doors, made phone calls, provided technical advice way beyond my ability…all of which make it possible for me to do the things I do. To say “I’m grateful” is so inadequate. In that moment, I was overwhelmed by the warmth of their support and the depth of their love, awed by an everyday epiphany that I will treasure forever, regardless of what happens in August.

As I think about all of that and the honor of representing you on the School Board for the last four years, I realize I’m way behind on my debt of gratitude. I need to say “Thank You” to many more people than those who share my genes. Besides my dear family, here’s a beginning list of some others to whom I owe so much.

REELECTION COMMITTEE: George, Norman, Loes, Dan, and Lena were the brain trust of my unlikely election four years ago, and they are back for this cycle. It was their wisdom that guided me, a novice with no political experience, through the endless paperwork, signage issues, and the labyrinth that is City Hall. They have helped me learn to love the arena and the good fight for a voice at the table. I am so grateful (there’s that inadequate phase again), and I truly could not have done this without each one of you. “Thank You!”

SUPPORTERS WHO READ MY POSTS: These musings are equal parts reflection, diary, and therapy. I have loved your comments, been inspired by your “likes” and “loves,” and encouraged by your warm-hearted emojis. Thanks for listening to my thoughts. I would love to return the favor. For each of you that have commented, I have responded, but I just don’t know how to write you back if you don’t write a word or two (I really am not that tech savvy). So, drop me a note on Facebook. I’d love to send you a personal “Thank You!”

RANDOM STRANGERS: I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting those of you who have introduced yourselves to me. You may have seen one of my signs, knew one of my children, grandchildren, my husband, or someone at church may have put you up to it, but I want you to know how honored I am that you sought me out. “Thank You!”

MY CONSTITUENTS: This truly is “all about you.” It is not lost on me that a majority of you chose me to represent you and be your voice. I have taken that responsibility very seriously over the last four years, and I hope I have earned your trust for the next four years. Again, I am so grateful for the confidence you have placed in my ability to speak on your behalf. For that privilege, “Thank You!”

Gratitude never goes out of style. It’s a responsibility we actually never catch up on, but it’s like Miracle Grow for the relationship it nurtures. Like you, I am blessed to have family and friends that go out of their way to do sweet things for me. Anytime—even washing dishes—is a great time for a heart-felt “Thank You!” I’ve read in scripture about sowing and reaping and yesterday watched it in my own life. Milton was right. Everyday epiphanies that light up our lives can be sparked by a simple and heartfelt “Thank You!”

A “To Do” List
As I bet you’ve noticed, the race for the opportunity to represent the 5th District on the Cleveland City School Board is heating up. I need your support if we are to prevail in early August. Please look over the following list of ways to help and pick one or two (none of us can do “everything!”). Working together, we can ensure that we’ll have a lot to celebrate on election night.
1. VOTE: Make sure you and your family and friends and neighbors participate in our democratic process in the General Election on August 6, 2026. Here are the critical DEADLINES: Voter Registration, July 7; Early Voting, July 17-August 1; Absentee Ballot Request, July 27.
2. CONTRIBUTE to the Campaign Fund: I know these are hard times, but if you have a few bucks to kick in, I will guarantee it will not be squandered. Make your checks out to: Jodi for Reelection Campaign, Norman Wojcik, Treasurer, PO box 2761, Cleveland 37320.
3. STICK a SIGN in YOUR YARD: If you have space next to your plastic pink flamingo for more yard art, I’d recommend one of my lovely signs. It’s a real conversation starter and tells passersby who you are supporting. Call me (423-790-4341) or see me on Facebook. Unlike the flamingo, they’re free.
4. VOLUNTEER: In a few weeks, we will begin knocking on doors and visiting with your neighbors. We need drivers, water carriers, and of course exercise types looking for creative ways to get their steps in and meet some nice folks. I’ve taught school in Africa, so I know “it takes a village” to do special things. However, please remember that everyone campaigning on my behalf will be representing me and my values—decency, honor, and kindness—to those that support me and especially to those that don’t. If you can do that, please join our merry band of true believers.
5. HOST a NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOCRACY Meeting: Invite some neighbors and friends over for iced tea, lemonade and cookies and to meet me and talk about our schools. I’ll bring the refreshments and you supply the backyard or living room and “we the people” can get to know each other. Please, if you’re interested, give me a call and we’ll pick a date. This should be fun!
6. PRAY for Me: I’m not perfect…far from it. To paraphrase Mr. Lincoln, my prayer is not for God to be on my side, but that I am on God’s side. To do that, I’ll need your prayers that the grace of the better angels of our nature will guide us in this campaign. May it be so.

Now that the primaries are over, my husband Gary has been reminding me of the old George Jones hit, “The Race is On.” I don’t know much about “the Possum,” but in my corner of the world the race is a contest for the privilege to represent District 5 on the Cleveland City School Board. Most importantly, it’s a way for me to serve my community that I really love. Although I believe I am uniquely qualified and the best candidate, I’m certainly not the only one interested in this position. After all, we are all stakeholders in bettering our community and its public schools. As my slogan suggests, schools and the communities they serve are positively correlated, they rise and fall together. As communities improve, the effects are reflected in the quality of the local schools. The corollary is also true. Real progress in the overall education of our children—the community’s citizens and future taxpayers—is directly felt in the community served by that school. That is a notion I think we all can get behind regardless of the color of your bumper sticker.

Your vote matters; however, I don’t think it produces “winners” and “losers” as we generally know the terms. We don’t give the winners a lifetime appointment nor do we banish the vanquished, those we too often brand as “losers’ in the Jim Carey sense of the word. Those who finish the race, no matter what position, are Americans…neighbors and friends who just think differently. Elections are snapshots in time, and the results are temporary. If you thumb through your high school annual, you know that preferences and opinions change...about almost everything. That’s why we have elections regularly. In a representative form of government, those who get the most votes speak for the people in that district, regardless of how they cast their ballot. At least that’s the theory. Voting results of human beings are not a referendum on the value or worth of the man or woman who stand for an election. As I learned in Sunday School, that judgment is above my pay grade, and I suspect yours.

In closing, there will be only two of us running for this seat. After talking with my opponent and welcoming him to the race, I know he is a decent human being and a good person, and so am I. I just happen to believe that my record and experience over the last four years will be a better fit for this important role. So as opposed to calling either of us “winners” or “losers,” I hope the race results will show that this time he finished second, and I had to settle for next to last! But whatever the outcome, I know we will work together to improve Cleveland City Schools and our community.

Thank you for voting. Please message me if you would like to express your opinion. And, if you would like to donate to the campaign, send a check to Jodi for Re-election, P.O. Box 2761, Cleveland, TN 37320.

Friends,

To quote that famous American, John Denver, “it’s good to be back home again.” Gary and I just returned from our first vacation in a long while. I mean the real kind where you stay in places that are unfamiliar and eat strange and exotic things that will never appear on the Cracker Barrel menu; where people talk funny and you’re the strange one; where neither the street signs nor TV made sense, at least to me. It was all whacky and strange but judging by the activity in the markets and what we saw in their museums and libraries, it’s all working, and, I might add, impressively.

Our self-guided tour of Helsinki and two of the three Baltic capitals (Tallin, Estonia and Riga, Latvia) gave us a chance to test the truth of Mark Twain’s famous quip, “travel is fatal to bigotry and prejudice.” At each stop, we saw evidence that we Americans are not the only people in the world who love their families, cherish their freedom, and have the audacity to dream big and the courage to create. The architecture, cleanliness and emphasis on preserving the environment were impressive.

Another thing they do well is educate their children, especially the Finns. They are often held up as one of the models to be studied. I asked a young law student why Finland is so good at the educational game. He said that formerly, their system was based on an old colonial model of education in which students memorized great swaths of information and on test days those that could marshal these bits of information correctly passed, and those that couldn’t were weeded out. He pointed out that in the 1970s things changed to a more teacher-student focus on problem solving. The aim was on hiring great teachers with master’s degrees and then giving them the autonomy necessary to create a more problem-solving environment with fewer national exams, the first being in secondary school.

The other thing we noticed was their love and respect for democracy. That was especially true for the two Baltic countries. Their history is a long one of servitude to the more powerful countries in the north, west and east. This game of capture the flag went on through two world wars and ended with the collapse of the USSR in 1989. When that happened, such was their resolve to be free that millions of citizens in three vulnerable Baltic states formed a human chain from Vilnius, Lithuania in the south, through Riga, Lativa, to Tallin, Estonia in the north. These folks know firsthand the costs of freedom and, to the ones we talked to, democracy is their most prized possession. They cherish free speech and the right to choose their leaders.

In conclusion, this trip has taught me to hold my family tighter, to find happiness in odd places, and to be a better citizen. I think Twain got it about right. It’s easy to get complacent and let our guard down, to forget how good we have it. Let us treasure what we have and GO VOTE!!!

See you there!
Jodi

The Promise of Change

The foot prints in yellow pollen on my back porch are aggravating, but sure signs that Old Man Winter is packing his bags. He’s leaving behind a lot of good memories made around warm fireplaces and a March Madness that finally lived up to its name, at least for the UConn men’s team. I can’t say I’ll miss the old man all that much, but I know he’ll be back in a few months whether I like it or not. So, I’ll carefully put away my warm wool sweater. Right now, hot weather sounds good. However, ask me in July and August when I’m campaigning in the dog days of summer. My hunch is that by then I’ll be ready to welcome the old man back again. But on this cool last day of March, a long hot day on the lake and a vine ripe tomato sandwich sound great. However, things will change.

There are things about each of the four seasons that are really good and a few things not so good. These ups and downs are entirely predictable rhythms of life that keep it interesting. They are also reliable indicators that you are in fact alive. Like the graph produced by an EKG machine measuring the heart’s rhythmic tempo, real life has times of unbelievable highs and a few dark valleys. If that graph is consistently straight, I can tell you as a retired medical provider, you’re having a really bad day. For those in the valley, the best advice I can offer is something I borrowed from Churchill, “when you’re going through hell, keep going.” Things always change.

If you’ve had just about enough of Old Man Winter’s tricks, just wait him out. In the next cold snap (and there will be one or two), as Churchill’s neighbors in London would say, keep calm and carry on. It may be too chilly to sit on the porch, but look around you. I bet you can find a robin busy building a nest or dogwood tree flashing its flowers or a brave azalea bud peaking out. These are definite signs that something’s brewing and it’s all about to change. Not forever, but for the next little while. Life is a matter of perspective. Even the aggravating yellow cake mix Mother Nature sprinkled on my car today is just another sign from God reminding me to keep the faith. After all it’s that very pollen that will create the shade in my yard and make our community parks such beautiful respites in the long hot summer days ahead. Trust the mystery.
It’s now about 3:00 pm on March 3.

In just about 9 hours from now, the God that designed the seasons and made the pollen will open up a brand new, fresh out of the box day. It will be one without a single finger print on it and one that has never occurred before in the history of the world. What we do with Wednesday, April 1, 2026 will make a difference, one way of the other. Let’s make it count. As my first campaign and the kid from UConn proved, sometimes even long shots make a difference.

Thinking of you today,
Jodi Riggins, Representative
District 5, Cleveland City School Board