Voter guide: These Johnson County school candidates criticize masks, diversity efforts
Months of battles over school district COVID-19 rules, as well as diversity initiatives, have spilled into Johnson County’s school board races, with candidates sharply divided on issues local and national.
Several conservative newcomers have entered the Nov. 2 election, fighting for what they call “parent choice,” opposing mask mandates and questioning how schools teach students about racism, sexual orientation and gender.
Some voters in the Blue Valley district recently received a text message from the 1776 Project PAC, encouraging them to vote for conservative candidates that will “keep critical race theory out of our schools,” even though it is already not taught in Kansas K-12 schools.
In Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley and Olathe, some candidates have received the endorsement of the national political action committee that has been pouring money into local school board races. The PAC is “committed to abolishing critical race theory,” and opposes schools using The New York Times’ 1619 Project, which examines the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans.
Their opponents have urged voters to instead focus on important local issues and not let outside PACs influence schools.
School boards this past year have been shrouded by protests over masks and COVID-19 mitigation policies, curriculum on race, and diversity initiatives. Most recently, parents and some board candidates have criticized teaching on gender and sexual orientation, and have argued for some LGBTQ books to be pulled off library shelves, saying they worry about graphic depictions of sex.
School board meetings have gotten so tense that many incumbent board members have told The Star that they have received threats from the public.
The highly ranked school districts are often named as the main draw, driving population growth in Johnson County. And with many incumbent board members stepping down or facing fierce contests, this election has become increasingly critical for Kansas districts.
Residents can vote early at several locations. On Nov. 2, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find out more at jocoelection.org. The Star covered municipal elections in a separate story.
Blue Valley
With three incumbents stepping down, the race is divided into two factions: a slate of conservative candidates who oppose mask mandates and critical race theory, or CRT (even though it isn’t taught in Kansas K-12 schools) vs. three moderate candidates urging for more of a local focus in the race.
Residents can vote in all three contests.
The races have had their share of controversy.
Pediatrician Christine White dropped out of the running after facing backlash to her opposition on mask mandates, a view she said she later changed. Her name will still remain on the ballot, although White has said if she is elected, she will not accept the position.
But campaign mailers and signs continue to advocate for residents to vote for her, so that the board can appoint a conservative member to replace her, rather than elect her opponent.
She is joined on the conservative slate by Jim McMullen and Kaety Bowers. They have all been endorsed by the 1776 Project PAC.
McMullen also has dealt with criticism from the LGBTQ community and others over his social media posts that many families have argued are transphobic, downplay the risks of COVID-19, and question promotion of equity, as well as social-emotional support, in schools.
McMullen is a former teacher and lawyer, who now owns his own business, Royal Blue Capital. He is challenged by Lindsay Weiss for the seat in the southern region of the district, held by outgoing board member Mike Seitz.
McMullen has been criticized for posting on social media that, “there are no 8 year old transgender kids” and called the mother of a transgender child “a child abuser.”
He has advocated for the district to make masks optional.
Public health officials agree that masks are effective in preventing the spread of the virus, especially in classrooms where students are in close quarters and many are not yet eligible for the vaccine. Kansas public schools without a mask mandate report COVID-19 illnesses at more than four times the rate of schools with a requirement, state officials recently said.
McMullen also has argued that equality should be sought over equity in schools. Experts say equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and privileges, due to economic status, race, gender and other factors, and means that the appropriate resources and opportunities are allocated to reach an equal outcome.
Weiss believes that the district should use its “toolbox of mitigation measures” to help curb spread of the virus. Masking, she said, is one of those tools “and it has been incredibly effective for us.”
And she has said that the district is headed in the right direction with diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, work, but must ensure leaders hear from people of all perspectives as it continues. She said the work is “really just about making sure all kids feel safe, included and a sense of belonging in our school community.”
Bowers and Andrew Van Der Laan are both competing for the northeastern seat on the school board, currently held by Michele Benjamin.
Bowers owns her own cosmetic tattoo business. She is among the candidates opposed to the mask mandate. She also has argued that “some tenets of critical race theory are creeping into our schools hidden within (diversity, equity and inclusion work).”
Critical race theory examines the role of American institutions in perpetuating racial inequality. CRT has now become a catch-all term for schools’ teachings on race, diversity and equity and the target of parents and conservative politicians who say the concept itself perpetuates racism and division.
The Kansas Board of Education in July issued a statement calling CRT an “advanced and complex concept” that is often misunderstood and not a part of the state’s education standards. Scholars who study it say it is not a specific curriculum or ideology but a lens for examining how institutional racism and inequality impact criminal justice, law, health care, housing and other institutions.
Van Der Laan is a self-employed executive leadership coach and business consultant, with a background in finance and economics. He supports the board’s decision to mandate masks this fall, as the delta variant caused cases among children to surge.
He has said the focus should not be on critical race theory, which is not taught in Blue Valley, but rather the need to continue diversity and equity work, especially in light of several racist incidents at Kansas City area schools. In nearby Olathe, two white students posed for a photo holding a racist homecoming sign, sparking widespread outrage, for example.
Gina Knapp is the only candidate left actively campaigning for the northwestern board seat, since White dropped out. She is hoping to replace outgoing board member Stacy Obringer-Varhall.
Knapp is running for office for the first time, and has worked in nonprofit finance for the past decade, serving groups such as the Boy Scouts and Boys and Girls Club.
She said she was inspired to run for office by her oldest child, who is hard of hearing.
“We’ve had quite a journey with getting him the accommodations he needs as a result of his special needs,” she said. “Realizing how much you have to advocate for your kids to get them what they need, and the research you have to do, really surprised me.”
On the COVID-19 pandemic, Knapp said she supports the district’s current protocols.
On the issue of how race is taught in schools, Knapp emphasized that critical race theory is not being taught in Blue Valley.
She said that recent incidents of racism in surrounding districts show “we have a lot of work to do in our community surrounding educating people about different cultures. There’s a lot of work to do around cultural sensitivity.”
Shawnee Mission
Three seats are up in the Shawnee Mission district, with two incumbents running for reelection.
At-large incumbent and current board president Heather Ousley is seeking another term. Ousley, an attorney, is a member of the executive board for Climate Action KC, and a member of Equality Kansas and the NAACP. She faces a challenge from Brian Neilson, the only candidate in this district endorsed by the 1776 Project PAC.
On COVID-19, Ousley said the school board has done its best to follow guidance from public health officials. She supports the current mask mandate, saying that without it, district nurses would be unable to handle the demand from increased quarantines and testing.
She said that the term critical race theory, “has been weaponized to attack all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, in an attempt to stop or discredit efforts to ensure equitable access for all students.”
“There are anti-public education lobbyists who have for years created wedge issues with which to encourage families to leave public school and demand vouchers for private schools, in order to profit off of public education dollars. These same privatizers have misused CRT to increase outrage with public education, to promote their own agenda of dismantling public school.”
Her opponent Neilson has worked as an investment banker and commercial loan underwriter, who has previously volunteered on statewide campaigns in Minnesota. He is also the co-founder of a software development company. He has said he does not support the district’s universal mask mandate, and also has added that he would like Ousley to clearly indicate when the requirement could end.
At a Shawnee Mission Post candidate forum, he said that he supports the district’s desire to have more diversity, equity and inclusion. But he disagrees with the specific training program it uses, saying that it “pushes people apart” and “creates tension.”
“If we want to have a training system where we are going to divide, I have a serious problem with that,” he said at the forum. “There are other consultants we can hire to achieve the same goals.”
In the eastern portion of the district, incumbent board member Mary Sinclair is competing to retain her seat against Zach Roberts. Sinclair, who is serving her fourth year on the board, has a background in educational research and has taught the topic at area universities.
On COVID-19, she said she supports the current mask requirement, in an effort to keep students learning in person. She said that working with county and state public health officials has been critical.
On diversity initiatives, she said she supports the district’s approach, “which at its core is about creating opportunities for every SMSD student to be college and career ready.”
“The work of diversity, equity and inclusion should not be conflated or confused with critical race theory,” she said. “Diversity, equity and inclusion is about every student feeling a sense of belonging and welcome at school, along with all staff and parents. We know from decades of research that students are more likely to remain engaged in learning and graduate from high school if they feel like they belong.”
Her opponent, Roberts, is an orthopedic surgeon. He believes that “masks probably reduce transmission of COVID-19 in certain circumstances.” But he questions “whether mask mandates are necessary, and would support student and parent choice at this time.”
On diversity and equity, he said he supports “the accurate teaching of history and all of its elements, the good and the bad.” But he does not agree the district is taking the right steps toward DEI initiatives. He opposes the district’s equity-based professional development program that he said, “is focused on systems of power and marginalization based on identity and intersectionality.”
He added that, “The public school system should not be a training ground for student activists.”
“Technically, our schools are not teaching critical race theory in classrooms, but derivative training (diversity, equity, and inclusion), is mandatory for all teachers and staff,” he said. “There is a right and wrong way to do this. Diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency should take a pro-human approach, not one focused on power dynamics and oppression.”
Two newcomers, April Boyd-Noronha and Sean Claycamp, are running to fill an open seat in the western part of the district.
Boyd-Noronha is a professor of cybersecurity, computer information systems and health information management at the University of Saint Mary. She also serves as global diversity and inclusion adviser for XR Safety Initiative.
On COVID-19, she believes the school board has taken appropriate steps to keep staff and students safe, and agrees with the current mask mandate.
She also said that while Shawnee Mission has implemented cultural competency training for staff, more needs to be done to diversify staff within the district.
Opponent Claycamp has a background in journalism and media, but for the past 17 years has been in business development in various health care sectors.
He said that he is for “mask and vaccine choice, and my position on vaccines will not change despite upcoming FDA approval for school-age children.” He emphasized concerns about students’ mental health and learning loss during the pandemic, and said it’s time for families to be able to decide to remove masks.
On how race is taught in schools, he said Americans “need to be willing to speak up for marginalized people and challenge our friends and families if they express bigoted views.”
But “where an anti-racist curriculum crosses a line is when it begins to teach that the United States is a nation that is irrevocably flawed racially and must be rebuilt in a more equitable way,” he said. “That teaching fails to acknowledge the progress we have made as a nation and is itself a political belief not based in fact but instead opinion. It’s possible to teach our students that in America we still have racial and other demographic issues to work through while acknowledging we have made a significant amount of progress.”
Olathe
Voters in the Olathe school district will elect at least one new board member Tuesday, and decide whether to reelect two incumbents.
Three newcomers, Jennifer Gilmore, Robert Kuhn and Brian Connell, have received the endorsement of the 1776 Project PAC.
Gilmore and Julie Steele are contending for an open seat on the Olathe school board, hoping to replace the retiring Brent McCune.
McCune supports Steele, a former special education and early childhood teacher in Olathe schools. She said her priorities include student safety, addressing staffing shortages exacerbated by the pandemic and increasing the diversity of a district leadership that “does not match what our community looks like.”
On COVID-19, Steele has said she sides with the science and public health officials’ expert opinions.
Gilmore is a former planning commissioner for the city of Gardner. She has worked in several school districts as a substitute teacher, payroll and compliance coordinator and high school bookkeeper. She disagrees with the district’s mask mandate and believes the “district has done a poor job navigating the pandemic and communication with our school community.”
She also believes that the district has not been transparent enough with its diversity initiatives. And has spoken out against critical race theory.
“As a mother of a bi-racial child, I do not see how it is compassionate to teach our young students that skin color determines outcomes. In fact, I believe it devalues the person when we simply look at outer characteristics rather than the content of their character,” Gilmore said.
Incumbent Kristin Schultz is running to retain her seat on the board, up against challenger Robert Kuhn. Schultz, who has served on the school board for two years, has a background in marketing and fundraising. She also served on the Olathe Public Schools Foundation board for six years.
She said the board has navigated the pandemic well despite the challenging environment. She supported the district’s mask mandate and introduced the motion to extend the county mandate, requiring masks through middle schools, to be K-12. Now that COVID-19 cases are falling, she said she is open to changing that position “if there’s an indicator we should. I don’t have a fixed mindset about this.”
On the topic of critical race theory, Schultz said, “there’s a pattern of organizations fomenting distrust in public institutions, and no message gets at people’s fear more than corrupting children. That’s the hook in the Q conspiracy.”
“There’s a false narrative that’s been deliberately constructed to make people believe that CRT is going to be taught to K-12 students and that if schools say it’s not in the curriculum, they’re lying. We’re not,” she said. “We have nearly 35,000 people in our buildings every day; some are working, some are learning, and they all deserve a sense of belonging. That doesn’t happen by ignoring the historical importance society placed on race and the origins of suburban school districts; it happens by investing in DEI plans thoughtfully designed with the students and staff members of our organization.”
Her opponent, Kuhn, is general manager at Millard Lumber, according to a candidate survey. He did not respond to The Star’s request for an interview. When asked about COVID on that survey, he said, “We need to allow parents to make the health choices for their kids. Nobody on the board is a medical doctor but they all want to make health choices for the students. My child my choice.”
And incumbent Brian Geary is running for reelection, challenged by Brian Connell. Geary is seeking his second term on the board, and works as an executive for Bank of Blue Valley.
Geary in September voted against extending the district’s mask mandate to all grade levels, arguing that the district should not go beyond the county’s health order. He previously said he will continue using metrics from health experts, and that it will be important to ease back into normalcy.
He also has previously spoken about the importance of inclusion, highlighting racial diversity within his own family.
Connell, who owns his own firm and works in the technology consulting field, has frequently showed up to school board meetings and advocated for more transparency and communication with the public.
He has been a strong opponent of the mask mandate, arguing that “parental choice should be the model.” He said the school board “overstepped its bounds” by extending the mandate to all grade levels.
On critical race theory, he said, “There should be no debate on CRT. Treat all people with respect, show dignity and honor to everyone. Period.”
“I believe in uplifting and encouraging every person to be fully aware of and truly be valued for the person God created. I do not want anyone to tell or make anyone feel lessor for skin color or any other reason,” he said. “DEI at the base premise is not terrible. The devil is in the details and execution. And so far the district has not chosen to be 100% transparent with its intentions, actions and plans.”
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 1:09 PM.
