2023 Kent Voter Guide: City Council Ward 4 and school board races contested
Welcome to the 2023 Voter Guide produced by the League of Women Voters and published by the Record-Courier.
This story focuses on the contested elections for Kent City Council Ward 4, which covers part of campus and southeast Kent, and the Kent Board of Education, where four candidates are running for two four-year terms.
The rest of the Kent City Council races are unopposed in Wards 1 (Melissa Celko), 2 (Jack Amrhein), 3 (Robin Turner), 5 (Heidi Shaffer) and 6 (Jeff Clapper).
This year's general election on Nov. 7 also will see Ohioans voting for two statewide and various local issues. Early voting is taking place at the Portage County Board of Elections, 449 S. Meridian St., Ravenna.
Responses are not edited, vetted or corrected by the League of Women Voters or Record-Courier to allow candidates to speak in their own words.
Kent City Council Ward 4
Christopher Hook
Party: Democrat
Training & Experience: Chris is an experience community leader, and aspires to be a role model for what humble and loving public service looks like. Chris' career has spanned from working in the Office of then-Congressman Tim Ryan in 2011 to working on gender equality policy and programs with USAID and Save the Children and Equimundo since 2011. In addition, Chris has given back in substantial ways to his community. From 2007-2011, Chris ran the student chapter of the Portage County United Way, winning campus Volunteer of the Year in 2008. In 2020, Chris coordinated a campaign which raised $10k for Kent Social Services, co-founded Allies for Racial Justice. and currently serves on the Board of Townhall II
Education: B.A., International Relations & French, Kent State University '11 (Summa cum laude); Masters of Science in Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health '16.
Website: www.hookforkentcitycouncil.com
What is your vision for your community and how would you implement it? My vision for this community is as a friendly, diverse & inclusive melting pot with residents who strongly identify as being from Kent, and who are deeply invested in its future. So, what does this look like? First, the city must continue to attract local businesses which pull people downtown, offer high-quality jobs to residents and are easy to access. Safety is a core part of belonging: the city should ensure that the police, fire and EMS keep public health at the center of their mission and build trust with its residents. Transport is also a core part: the city can build out more PARTA bus lines, but also encourage walking, biking and safe electric personal transport as a means of promoting healthy lifestyles. Last, Kent should be a haven for people threatened by the growing chorus of anti-democratic, non-inclusive voices in our wider world. We've long been a community of rebels, beatniks, & visionaries, and we should be loud in our defense of that legacy!
What do you see as the most important issue facing your City and how do you propose addressing it? The most important single issue facing the city is ensuring that people, continue to choose for Kent to be their home. This is largely being achieved already with the incredible small businesses that have come to Kent in recent history, new multi-unit housing developments going up, and with remote work more available, people (like myself) are choosing to stay and work in Kent. We need to continue this trend. How do we do this? First, we need to create incentives for builders to construct quality, affordable units, ideally connected to downtown and local transportation, and for landlords to improve existing rental housing stock, and make tenants aware of their rights. We must also improve transportation infrastructure that pulls people downtown and invite local, sustainable businesses to put down roots here. Last, we must also better involve residents, especially young people, in long-term visioning: how can we integrate their diverse voices on our Council and city Committees?
Identify the challenges facing your City and your recommendations for solving them. The first job of the Councilperson is to ensure that city institutions are empowered to maintain quality services coming from the city that 'keep the lights on' for residents. One major challenge foreseen in our city's offerings is our water and sewer service. Going forward, the City needs to look at replacing aging water/sewer infrastructure, and how to pay for it. We should find ways to do this without asking strapped citizens to pay for it (or very much), e.g. state and federal infrastructure grants. The second challenge is selecting where to go with our Climate Action Plan. The City of Kent has a vast array of options available to it, and I would encourage residents to read them on the City of Kent website. These options include developing climate-friendly city legislation for all new construction, expanding access to renewable energy for homes and businesses, continuing investing in climate-friendly transportation infrastructure, waste composting, and others. A tension there is navigating what the City can actually do - legally vis-a-vis existing governmental regulations especially from the state, and financially, vis-a-vis available city revenue and competing-but-pressing pressing projects. This is where the city can be innovative with public-private partnerships and leveraging federal/state grants as well. The third challenge is the growing and unchecked state power vis-a-vis local control. You saw that with the August special election, you see that with efforts to censor what's being taught in our history classrooms or in university HR initiatives. And now folks in Columbus threaten to overturn the will of the voters when it comes to Issue 1 and 2. Much of this is beyond our City's control, but what we can do when the law is failing us is in these domains is a) defiantly speak in defense of our city and its residents through resolutions, b) allow our residents' voices to proliferate in our public meetings, and c) build solidarity among diverse residents. Appointing community members to city committees. Advocate for and help constituents.
John M. Kuhar
Party: Republican
Training & Experience: Dozens of hours of continued education real estate ,core law, ethics , security electronics, applied solar technology , construction and trades
Education: Theodore Roosevelt High School
What is your vision for your community and how would you implement it? Continue to bring Kent into a bright new vision where all people can prosper, feel safe , and enjoy the great benefits of our community.
What do you see as the most important issue facing your City and how do you propose addressing it? Continued success for the development we have started. We need to bring in more higher income jobs and opportunity for our citizens.
Identify the challenges facing your City and your recommendations for solving them. Finances are always a challenge. That is why I always try to make sure we are always being wise with our spending along with new ways to make sustainable income without over taxing.
Kent Board of Education
Vote for two candidates.
Alicia R. Crowe
Education: 2001, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, Major: Curriculum and Instructional Leadership, Minor: History 1997, M.Ed. Social Studies Education, Peabody College at Vanderbilt University 1994 B.A. History, Secondary teaching certification in Social Studies University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Training & Experience: 2001-present Kent State University (Currently Associate Dean and Professor in the College of Education, Health and Human Services)
What are the current challenges facing your school district and how would you address them? A challenge that Kent City Schools faces, and will continue to face, is how to navigate the impacts that larger societal issues like poverty, lack of access to mental health supports, and political polarization have on the day-to-day functioning of schools and the needs students come to school with each day. A second challenge Kent City Schools faces is the growing educator shortage. As a board member, I would begin by developing an understanding of how our current policies and practices help or hinder addressing these challenges. I would then work to learn how other districts have found success. Then, I would use this knowledge as I collaborate with the superintendent as he navigates these matters as the district leader.
How would you be an effective school board member? To be an effective school board member, I plan to stay current on emerging issues in the district, listen to members of the community, and continue to educate myself on school finance, state and federal policy, and educational initiatives as relevant to the district. Of utmost importance to be effective though will be to develop and nurture a positive and trusting relationship with the superintendent and the treasurer.
What is the responsibility of a board member in addressing emerging controversies? As a board member when a potential controversy emerges, I should explore the issue to understand what is at the heart of the matter, consider the nuances of the issue and the potential impact of the controversy on the district including impact on students and staff, collaborate with the superintendent to develop a response and shared message regarding the controversy, and speak with members of the district and the community as needed.
Kevin Elrod
Training & Experience: Current educator.
Education: Bachelor of Science - Education
What are the current challenges facing your school district and how would you address them? The Pandemic and how it has impacted students is something that will be studied for decades. Staff shortages in education from teachers to bus drivers and everyday support are coming to Kent. We have to face these problems while the funding of schools is challenging in today's economy. People are having to do more with less in our town. We can't just go to voters and ask for more money. So many of our issues can be resolved with community involvement. Over the last 6 months I have talked with many people in the community. The general consensus is that their voices are not being heard. As a teacher and someone in schools on a daily basis, I know the problems facing Kent (and other districts) will not be solved overnight. I will be a sounding board for everyone. I do not have all the answers nor will I pretend that I do. However, I will listen to everyone and anyone and bring "community" back to local school boards.
How would you be an effective school board member? I have lived in Kent for over 40 years. As a graduate of Kent City Schools I know the value of an education in the city of Kent. I left for a minute and came back. Kent is committed to community. I am a member of that community. As a school board member I will represent everyone. Every decision I make will have the good of the community in mind. I went door to door and talked to people. All had the same general statement : No one in Kent had ever done that in their part of town. I did. I will continue to do it. I will have a phone number for any and everyone to call or text at any given time. I will be an on call liasion for the community.
What is the responsibility of a board member in addressing emerging controversies? This is the big question in school boards across the country. The responsibility of the board member is to listen and act in the best interest of the community. I am huge on community. We are literally in this together. Decisions will be made that do not always make everyone happy. Board members need to be willing to listen to everyone and not issue blanket statements on community involvement.
Rebekah Wright Kulis
Training & Experience: As a lifelong resident of Kent, I have been actively involved in the community through service to the Kent Board of Education (16 years) along with active participation in the Rotary Club of Kent, the United Methodist Church, and service on a variety of boards. In addition to my education and background in the business, I continue to seek out opportunities to serve, as well as learn and develop skills and perspectives in ways that can help others.
Education: BBA, Kent State University, MBA Kent State University
What are the current challenges facing your school district and how would you address them? Budgeting will remain a challenge for public schools for the foreseeable future. Public schools are almost entirely dependent on government funding and taxes, which, by and large, are fixed over periods of time, even as expenses increase. Controlling the budget, managing expenses and procuring additional sources of revenue is vitally important. Student achievement is a statistic by which our district is measured. Since 2020, so much ground was lost through no fault of the students or teachers. With an outstanding effort by the entire staff at Kent City Schools, the ODE report card indicates 5 stars in growth of all students, 4 stars in achievement, and 5 stars in gap closing. We must remain laser-focused on these tasks using every possible resource. Changing demographics is a huge concern. Children in low-income situations have lower word acquisition and homework support. In addition, they often experience instability and food insecurity. We use targeted interventions to boost academic skills and family support. Clothing closets are in many of the schools and Kent Schools is lucky to have generous community partners who provide for those in need. Despite competition from private/charter schools, public education is key to the vibrancy within a community. We encourage families to be part of their students educational journey. At the other end of the spectrum, we've expanded partnerships with colleges and maintain strong career-tech programs to enhance pupil experiences. Community engagement has changed as people consume information so differently than they used to. Traditional daily papers are still viable, yet many use the Kent Schools website and social media to gather information. Being in the schools is crucial to learn about the wonderful programs and success stories. Nothing is better than face-to-face interaction and we will continue to welcome community members into their schools to engage in the life of the district.
How would you be an effective school board member? Many people don’t know the role of a board member. The board exists to create policy and advise the superintendent. Board members do not involve themselves in the daily operation of the district or hire/evaluate staff. So being an effective board member is about knowing the role. In addition to seeking opportunities to educate myself on important issues, I believe that means gathering information about the opinions and thoughts of the Kent community and using that input to advise the superintendent and influence policies and decisions that come before the board. I am very involved in community activities, which gives me an opportunity to interact with a wide variety of people in that respect. It also works the other way, in that I have a chance to educate and inform people about what is happening in our schools and I LOVE talking about Kent City Schools!
What is the responsibility of a board member in addressing emerging controversies? It is the responsibility of community leaders to be aware of emerging controversies and issues which may impact the district, and by association, the broader community. To dig deeper, board members must educate themselves on the stances, impacts and resolutions available to address these topics. I believe it is also important to have thoughtful discussion before action, allowing all parties to gain and gather broad-based information, community input and a balanced perspective about potential impacts to the district.
Joy Pattison Vallen
What are the current challenges facing your school district and how would you address them? 1. Teachers teaching to many students, abilities, and different learning styles to bring each individual to his/her ability and grade level. Have the teachers of the same grade or subject in all the buildings plan together, share ideas to save everyone time, and discuss concerns. Allow board members to sit in on classes, read curriculum agenda for each grade, talk to teachers, and bring ideas to the board to discuss with the teachers, principals, other teachers, and parents. Provide encouragement and positive feedback to all educators. Having staff meetings that address teachers concerns, teaching style and ideas, hands-on activities to increase the teachers' teaching skills and abilities, and how to provide alternative ideas and materials without the finances.
2. Influences and ideas outside education that are not true, wrong techniques, wrong focus. Remember why we are in Education to teach the students at their level, to teach what is personal and practical to their lives today and in the future. Listen to parents concerns about the curriculum, what is or is not being taught, What is appropriate and discuss these concerns and teaching before school board meetings. Remove any books or ideological teachings from the curriculum. Do not allow outside Influences, wrong ideas, and lies divert from teaching the truth and objectives needed for life long learning.
3. To teach in away that creates success. To be bold and share with the Ohio State Board our concerns, ideas for changes, and success or failure to these approaches.
How would you be an effective school board member? How could I be an effective school board member in Kent... From my experiences working at different schools and different curriculums. Teaching preschool to 6th grade, having combined grades. Tutoring all Grades preschool to grade 12. Working with special needs and gifted. Focusing on the individual and his/her learning styles. Having to teach many ESL students learning in a second language. As well as learning from the students and colleagues ideas and experiences from over ten different countries with different cultures and different teaching approaches. Having worked with limited resources and little financial provision, creative ways to improvise what we have available with materials and finances.
What is the responsibility of a board member in addressing emerging controversies? Listen to and be open to all ideas and suggestions being kind and respectful to others and different approaches. Agree to disagree. Work together to come up with a correct answer or various solutions. Be open minded and not judgmental. Remember our purpose for being on the board to create ways for each student to be successful where he/she is preforming and aim to take them to the next level. Remember we are serving our community, state, and country. Research and compare our curriculum to other schools, states, and other countries objectives and teaching styles like that of Korea and Japan. Investigate what are the objectives of our national educational associations of different subjects.(America's National Association of Mathmatics). Board members need to interact with teachers, parents, students, principals, and transportation or other forgotten areas that all impact the Kent educational system.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 2023 Kent Voter Guide: Meet City Council, school board candidates
