WATCH: The Post’s Kansas State Board of Education forum

Four candidates vying for two seats on the Kansas State Board of Education laid out their views and priorities in a live forum hosted by the Johnson County Post Tuesday night.

The two seats at stake are the Area 2 and Area 4 positions on the 10-member state board. The two districts cover the northern half of Johnson County and represent parts of several local districts, including Blue Valley, USD 232 (De Soto), Gardner-Edgerton, Olathe and Shawnee Mission.

Check out this map to see if you live in an area covered by one of these two districts.

Who is running?

Area 2

• Software engineer and Democratic incumbent Melanie Haas
• Republican Fred Postlewait, a retired computer systems manager
• Independent Kiel Corkan (did not participate Tuesday night)

Area 4

• Democrat Kris Meyer, a former teacher and administrator and one-time executive director of the USD 232 Education Foundation
• Former Republican Kansas state representative Connie O’Brien

How to watch the Post’s forum

The Post livestreamed Tuesday’s event on our Facebook page, and a recording of the forum is embedded below.

Following the embedded video are the questions each candidate answered during the forum.

Timestamps are included in bold at the end of each question to help you navigate through the forum video if you’d like to jump around.

Questions and timestamps

1. Opening statements [4:55]
2. Biggest challenge facing schools: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the public districts you will represent on the state board, including those in Johnson County, over the next four years? And how will you go about addressing that challenge as a member of the state board of education? [9:40]
3. What the state board does: More than other offices on the ballot this fall, voters may need an explainer about what the state board of education does. What do you see as the board’s main responsibilities? What is your understanding of the state board’s role in relation to local school boards? [14:15]

   

4. Cell phones in schools: Districts and schools around the country have started imposing stricter rules on the use of cell phones, including some outright bans of the devices during the school day. In Johnson County, students in Olathe Public Schools starting this year must have their cell phones put away — either in a backpack or locker — during class. The Kansas state education board recently authorized a 30-member task force to look into the effects of screen time and come up with policy guidance for Kansas school districts. Do you think stricter rules are needed in schools regarding cell phones? Why or why not? [20:20]
5. Book bans/removal: Districts in Johnson County have continued to see parent and community member challenges to library books and classroom materials they deem to be inappropriate or offensive, usually along the lines of being too sexually explicit or addressing LGBTQ themes. This question comes directly from a reader email, “What is your position on book bans in Kansas public schools?” And I’ll add my own questions: when, if at all, do you think it appropriate for a district to remove a book, and by what mechanism or process? [26:48]

   

6. Gun violence in schools: This question in full written by a reader. I’ll quote it at length because it gives good background: “According to a recent article in the Washington Post, more than 382,000 children have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine shooting in 1999 as a result of more than 415 school shootings. We know that school shootings can happen in any state, in any school, at any time.” There was an incident two years ago at Olathe East High School that left a school resource officer, an administrator, as well as the alleged student gunman all injured. The questioner continues, “If elected or re-elected to the board, what will you do to ensure that all children, teachers and staff in Kansas public schools are safe from gun violence?” [31:33]
7. Special education funding (submitted by audience): What would you recommend to the Kansas Legislature regarding state funding for special education? And why? [36:45]
8. Student mental health (submitted by audience): As a parent and former educator, I am very interested in the role that the state board of education has in supporting student mental health. How would you address declining youth mental health and youth suicides in our districts? [42:10]

   

9. Vouchers and “school choice” (submitted by audience): Combining two questions received by readers. “Will you support parents who choose to home school their children financially?” And, “Do you support or oppose vouchers, including tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts?” What is the role of the public board of education on these matters impacting families’ private education decisions? [47:40]
10. Civic engagement and education (submitted by audience): State education commissioner Randy Watson has said the top priority of parents around Kansas is “civic engagement.” How would you respond to that assertion? How would you measure achievement regarding civic engagement in schools? [55:30]

    

11. Teacher attrition: Kansas has struggled in recent years with teacher attrition. Is there anything the board can do to attract more teachers and retain them? [1:00:10]
12. Closing statements [1:05:00]