The Sunflower reached out to candidates for the State Board of Education with questions on their platforms. Answers have been edited for clarity.
Betty Arnold (District 8)
What will be your top one to two priorities if elected to office?
Although school safety doesn’t come directly under the control of the State Board of Education, it ranks quite high on my list. Students, teachers and parents should not have to contend with gun violence or bullying. Additionally, it is time to rethink the model we use for classrooms.
What will you do for Wichita State University students? What’s at stake for students in this election?
Post secondary, by State Constitution, falls under the control of the Board of Regents and not the State Board of Education. Public education is at stake in this election. To continue underfunding public education will ultimately lead to the end of its existence.
Wichita has closed several elementary schools this year; what are your thoughts on preserving pre-existing buildings versus building new facilities from the ground up?
The closing of schools falls under the local Board of Education just as the decision of what to do with the vacated buildings. The state has no control over their decision.
What should Kansas school policies be on phones in classrooms?
Trying to find the perfect balance of technology is challenging, but my belief is that anything that interferes with learning or is a distraction to learning has no place in the classroom.
How do you keep teachers in Kansas and recruit new ones?
Compensation is certainly a factor in addition to the increased workload being handed to them; safety is also a major consideration. We must address the negative factors in a meaningful way to keep teachers and attract future teachers.
Jeffery Jarman (District 10)
What will be your top one to two priorities if elected to office?
Providing stable funding and attracting/retaining qualified teachers and staff are two key priorities. Both require strong advocacy from the Board to promote the importance and value of public education. While the Legislature appropriates the funds, there is an important role for the Board in advocating for stable funding. The current funding formula finally meets the minimum required by the state constitution, but it will expire in 2027. I support extending the formula to provide stability to school districts. In addition, I strongly oppose vouchers and other efforts to divert public funds from public schools.
What will you do for Wichita State University students? What’s at stake for students in this election?
The future of public education is at stake in this election. I am a strong advocate for public education and stable funding for our schools. My opponent favors vouchers which would drain hundreds of millions out of public school budgets (without any reduction in the number of students). This would lead to consolidation, school closures, increased class sizes and increased taxes. A strong system of public education strengthens communities, makes Kansas more attractive to businesses, and creates economic opportunities for all WSU students as they move from graduation into the workforce.
Wichita has closed several elementary schools this year; what are your thoughts on preserving pre-existing buildings versus building new facilities from the ground up?
Closing schools is very difficult, but it is a reality for many school districts in the area and it not likely to go away as a concern (due to population declines). This is one area where local school boards play a vital role in terms of planning and budgeting. They can anticipate what is best for their community and what is best for their students. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. For some, new buildings might be preferable as the best solution to serve the needs of their students.
What should Kansas school policies be on phones in classrooms?
The Board established a task force to provide recommendations on the use of personal devices in school, as well as screen time and mental health. The recommendations will be out this fall. This will be valuable information for local
school districts to use as they formulate their own policies. This is an important issue, but it is most appropriate for local school boards to set the policies for their district.
How do you keep teachers in Kansas and recruit new ones?
The shortage of teachers (and other key staff) is a serious problem. It is no surprise that we have a shortage given the false and misleading accusations that regularly are made against teachers. I served for more than 8 years on the Board in Maize where I saw first-hand the hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff. By contrast, my opponent stated that students are worse off now than in the 1700’s, which is insulting to teachers. We need to restore public support for the profession to encourage recruiting and retention of teachers and staff.
*Jason Carmichael (District 8) and Debby Potter (District 10) did not respond to The Sunflower’s questions.