Early voting in Johnson County begins Saturday, Oct. 19, and voters will be able to cast advanced ballots between then and Election Day on Nov. 5.
This critical election season, the Johnson County Post gave our readers in-depth, informative coverage of the races affecting Johnson County.
We hosted 18 separate public, in-person candidate forums spread out over eight nights.
We garnered responses to reader-generated questionnaires from nearly 65 candidates who are seeking federal, state and local offices impacting Johnson County.
All of that, so we could give you access to those who would govern your communities, control your tax dollars and make important decisions on your behalf.
As Johnson County residents head to the polls and mail in ballots (or drop them off at secure drop box locations), we’ve put together election primers for each of the races in the Post’s coverage area.
These guides will give you an easy way to find out more about the candidates and where they stand on the issues important to our readers, so you can decide for yourself who will best represent you in Washington, Topeka and closer to home.
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The candidates
Area 2
- Software engineer and Democratic incumbent Melanie Haas
- Republican Fred Postlewait, a retired computer systems manager
- Independent Kiel Corkan, a Ph.D. student
*Read more about the candidates at the KC Voter Guide.
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
*Read more about the candidates at the KC Voter Guide.
The key issues
The Post crafted a five-item questionnaire for this race based on our readers’ input about what they wanted to hear from candidates.
Click on the links below to read the candidates’ responses to each of the following issues:
- Student achievement
- Standards and curriculum guidance
- School choice and privatization
- Book bans
- Bullying and inclusivity
Watch our candidate forum
The Post hosted a forum for Kansas State Board of Education candidates on Sept. 17.
A recording of the forum is embedded below.
Following the embedded video are the questions each candidate answered during the forum.
Timestamps are included at the end of each question to help you navigate through the forum video if you’d like to jump around.
- Opening statements [4:55]
- 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]
- 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]
- 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]
- 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]
- 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]
- Special education funding (submitted by audience): What would you recommend to the Kansas Legislature regarding state funding for special education? And why? [36:45]
- 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]
- 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]
- 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]
- 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]
- Closing statements [1:05:00]
