2022 Kentucky general election: Where the JCPS school board candidates stand on issues
Jefferson County voters are facing four of the most contested school board elections in recent memory this fall.
Voters in four of the seven Jefferson County Board of Education seats — those in the West End, northeast Louisville, southcentral Louisville and Newburg — have a chance to sway or even flip the board in charge of Kentucky's largest school district.
Each incumbent is running for another term, and each one is facing at least one challenger.
Meet this year's candidates. The responses below were edited for clarity and space.
Not sure if your board seat is up for election this year? Run your address through this search tool from JCPS to find out who your board member is.
District 1
Charlie Bell
Age: 45
Occupation: Program Manager at Goodwill, working directly with young adults 16-24 years old. Director at The Chandler Project, working with exonerated populations throughout the United States.
Political offices held: None.
Contact information: Charliebell4schoolboard.com
Ahamara Brewster
Age: 39
Occupation: Program Coordinator at Skillz 4 Life Development and Wellness Center.
Contact information: Brewster4SB@gmail.com and Almurbaninstitute.wixsite.com/Brewster4SchoolBoard
Carol Clark
Age: Did not respond.
Occupation: Master Barber for 31 years.
Political offices held: None.
Diane Porter (incumbent)
Age: Did not respond.
Occupation: Retired JCPS educator. (My JCPS jobs included: teacher, Human Relations Coordinator, Counselor, Assistant Principal, Vocational (Career and Technical Education) School Principal. Central Office positions: Student Assignment, retired as Director of School to Career Office.
Political offices held: Serving on the JCPS Board of Education is my first elected position.
Age: Did not respond.
Contact information: VanHoose Education Center, P.O. Box 34020, Louisville, KY. 40232-4020; VanHoose Phone: (502) 485-3566
What is the single largest issue facing JCPS right now?
Charlie Bell: Safety.
Ahamara Brewster: JCPS has been failing for the past 20 years due to the unethical and criminal nature of standardized testing. We no longer have learning institutions but behavioral institutions approved by U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S Secretary of Education Arne Starkey Duncan. It's time to get back to basics and adopt an education system that looks like the country Finland. Our system is outdated and not working.
Carol Clark: The largest issue facing JCPS right now, as far as I’m concerned, is equality for all students, this addresses the student assignment. Busing was stopped for white neighborhoods in the East and South ends of Louisville in 1985 but the West end of Louisville has continued to bus black students for 35 years.
Diane Porter: JCPS’ focus is providing quality education for all students. The pandemic has created national and local issues that must be addressed immediately - mental health and safety concerns for our students and staff. We must provide resources and supports to hire and retain all staff, in every position. It is important to listen and respond to our staff, students and families. I look forward to the work of our district and community as we work to provide access and opportunities for student success.
What is the first issue you plan on tackling if elected?
Charlie Bell: Safe schools promote the protection of all students and staff from violence, exposure to weapons and threats, theft, bullying and harassment, the sale or use of illegal substances on school grounds, and other emergencies. School safety is linked to improved student and school outcomes.
Ahamara Brewster: I have a 90-day "Call to Action" plan for all the schools in District 1. I want to gather parents who believe their children are at risk for street violence, gang violence, suicide, emotional trauma, environmental issues or behavioral issues to become vulnerable with me so we can get the most effective community partners to intervene to keep them out of risk of the authorities.
Carol Clark: Making sure that teachers are valued (financially, mentally, and emotionally). Providing a safe environment so they are able to teach our students and lessen teachers' workload.
Diane Porter: It is important for our Board to work together as we focus on the implementation of the Student Assignment/Choice Plan. Student and staff success is our goal. We are currently providing specific information by offering Community Conversations for our parents and families. Our Showcase of Schools provided information for families and students - questions were answered. As we implement the plan we will focus on academic accountability, staffing and resources for our district, annual consultant evaluation and adjustments as needed to achieve quality education to meet the needs of every student in our district.
District 3
Gay Adelmann
Age: 58
Occupation: Co-founder and unpaid director of two non-profits, self-employed marketing consultant, retired corporate financial services marketing professional, taught private school for two years in a small rural town between Corbin and London, KY, served as academic coordinator for Shawnee High School for two years.
Political offices held: None.
Contact information: GPA4JCPS.com; (502) 565-8397; Gay@AdelmannForKY.com
Sam Cowan
Age: 50
Occupation: Retired JCPS Principal
Political Offices: None.
Contact information: samfordistrict3.com; Twitter: @SamuelC80906451
James Craig (incumbent)
Age: 43
Occupation: Attorney
Political offices held: Board of Education
Contact information: jamesrobertcraig@hotmail.com, james.craig@jefferson.kyschools.us; Google voice: (502) 625-6272
Steve Ullum
Age: 45
Occupation: Realtor
Political offices held: None
Contact information: SteveForJCPS.com; Facebook.com/SteveForJCPS; SteveForJCPS@gmail.com
What is the single largest issue facing JCPS right now?
Gay Adelmann: The mass exodus of teachers, bus drivers and staff is the most urgent issue facing JCPS right now. It stems from ignoring the prolonged national effort by outsiders and opportunists to delegitimize and undermine the education profession in order to push charters, vouchers, and state takeovers. This effort is being compounded by broken internal processes and toxic, fraudulent behaviors by some administrators, resulting in grievances, lawsuits, settlements, retaliation, and sweeping recurring problems under the rug.
Sam Cowan: The largest issue currently facing JCPS is teacher/staff shortages. This issue encompasses many concerns for our schools across the district and causes stress for all stakeholders. It increases daily teacher-to-student classroom ratios in all of our schools and is preempted by negative student behavior, safety concerns, teacher/staff recruitment efforts, and the lack of a formalized program to actually collect data and listen to teachers exiting the field or JCPS.
James Craig: A lack of resources in classrooms for students who need them. First, the teacher and labor shortage will affect JCPS and could paralyze the district in years to come. We must retain our educators by respecting them, paying them well, and allowing them the freedom to practice their profession. Second, we must overcome the high poverty that impacts our students and prevents them from succeeding. That means more resources inside our classrooms.
Steve Ullum: The lack of adequate safety and the lack of effective and consistent discipline are directly related to each other and combine as the biggest issue facing JCPS. These things are creating a hostile work environment, a disruptive setting for our learning, and a danger to the safety of our students and staff. The proof is in the unprecedented bus driver and teacher shortages, the continued declining academic proficiency levels, and the record number of fights and guns in our schools.
What is the first issue you plan on tackling if elected?
Gay Adelmann: Kentucky led the nation in education reform with KERA in the 1990s. In order to achieve world-class schools, we must do it again. I will continue to lead coalition-building efforts with school board members and decision-makers across the Commonwealth who share stakeholders’ goals of reimagining and strengthening public schools, restoring local control, while addressing root cause issues and keeping outsiders and predators at bay. We must learn from our mistakes and build upon our successes.
Sam Cowan: The first issue I plan on tackling is the monitoring of the Student Assignment Plan. It's imperative that it is closely analyzed as it becomes a living document that impacts students' lives across the district. As a retired principal, I have time to spend garnering feedback from stakeholders and listening to families. I will question its impacts on taxpayers of District 3 and I will advocate that it doesn't negatively burden any student populations.
James Craig: I hope to lead JCPS with professionalism, maturity, and respect for our students, staff, and the community. After I voted for a major overhaul of the Student Assignment Plan, I will work to implement the new plan with fidelity. Plus, with nearly half of our school buildings past their end-of-life, we must rebuild our infrastructure. I’ve already voted to build 7 new school buildings during my time on the board, and more are on the way.
Steve Ullum: I will insist on armed security inside every school building, bus monitors to assist drivers on every route, and strict consequences for administration when safety and disciplinary procedures are not followed. When kids do not want to follow the rules and staff does not want to work, nothing else matters. You need safety and discipline as a foundation for schools to be able to perform to the level parents, students, and the public expect.
District 5
Linda Duncan (incumbent)
Age: 74
Occupation: For the past 16 years I have represented District 5 on the Jefferson County School Board. Before that, I retired from JCPS after having taught grades 7-10 at Fairdale and grades 9-12 at Southern for 21 years, finishing my last 10.5 years as Assistant Principal at Fairdale High School.
Political offices held: Elected member of the Jefferson County School Board since 2006
Contact information: lindadduncan@live.com; LindaDuncan4JCPS.com; 402 Old Towne Road, Louisville, KY 40214; 502-361-5973 or 502-819-9505
Greg Puccetti
Age: 59
Occupation: Retired Teacher
Political offices held: None
Contact information: gregpuccetti.com
Matthew Singleton
Age: 44
Occupation: Holiday Inn employee, Pastor at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, Tutor at Way of Wisdom Learning Center
Political offices held: None
Contact information: 502-380-7368; Facebook group: MJSingletonDist5 Schoolboard JCPS
What is the single largest issue facing JCPS right now?
Linda Duncan: The biggest issue facing us today is student misbehavior and how best to manage that, given the mental health issues many of our students are experiencing. If school staff does not have the right training to intervene to stop behavior that may hurt others, and if parents are not able to help correct that behavior, staff can feel abandoned and at the mercy of sometimes threatening students. Student misbehavior is contributing to our serious staff shortages.
Greg Puccetti: Student discipline is the most important issue facing JCPS Schools. Most JCPS schools are in chaos because of the lack of student discipline in school hallways and classrooms. Students are being bullied and terrorized by other students. In such situations, teachers can’t teach and students can’t learn. This has a direct effect on student achievement and bus driver and teacher retention.
Matthew Singleton: Economic corruption. The massive spending hurts the economy and the county's property value which affects a parent's ability to provide. It brings narcissism to the school system and asserts its privilege to deny parents rights. The love of money is the root of all evil.
What is the first issue you plan on tackling if elected?
Linda Duncan: I would encourage Dr. Marty Pollio to make sure our administrators have the training they need to help teachers deal more effectively with upset students before those students hurt others. Once they hurt others, our administrators need to know ways to hold those offenders accountable while keeping them connected to their academic work. No one feels safe at school if there is no system for discouraging hurtful behavior or if those causing harm are not held accountable. Support from administrators will keep staff.
Greg Puccetti: Re-examine the new Student Assignment Plan. Students need the option of attending the school closest to them regardless of what zone they happen to be in. Neighborhood schools allow parents to be more engaged in their child’s education and allows students to participate more fully in school activities and their local community.
Matthew Singleton: We need to enforce Kentucky Constitution Section 189. JCPS has become sectarian
District 6
Misty Glin
Age: 43
Occupation: Corporate Training Manager for a specialty pharmacy and an adjunct college instructor in healthcare classes.
Political offices held: None
Contact information: Mistyglinforjcpsschoolboard@gmail.com
Corrie Shull (incumbent)
Age: Did not respond.
Occupation: Pastor
Political offices held: I am running for a second term on the JCPS Board of Education.
Contact information: corrie.shull@jefferson.kyschools.us
What is the single largest issue facing JCPS right now?
Misty Glin: The single largest issue facing JCPS right now is the teacher and bus driver shortage.
Corrie Shull: Staff shortages.
What is the first issue you plan on tackling if elected?
Misty Glin: Safety. I believe that one of the biggest reasons teacher and bus drivers are leaving is the violence and lack of discipline in JCPS.
Corrie Shull: The implementation of the new Student Assignment Plan.
Reach Olivia Krauth at okrauth@courierjournal.com and on Twitter at @oliviakrauth.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky election guide: What to know about JCPS candidates
