Kansas State Board of Education will see three primary races, all between Republicans
Half the seats on the Kansas State Board of Education are up for election this year, but only three will be on the primary ballot.
The primary races — all between Republican incumbents and challengers — come as conservative leaders in the Legislature and other arenas have called for more conservative representation on the state's highest K-12 education body.
The Capital-Journal sent questions to each of the primary race candidates. Their answers, lightly edited for style and length, are listed below. A guide to candidates in the general election races for Kansas State Board of Education Districts 1 and 3 will be published later.
Early voting has started for the Aug. 2 election. The winner of each primary race will face no challengers from Democrats in the general election.
Kansas State Board of Education District 5
1. Tell voters about yourself:
Jean Clifford, incumbent: I currently serve on the State Board of Education and previously served on the USD 457 Garden City Board of Education for 10 years. I am a Kansas teacher certified in Elementary and Special Education and have taught at the elementary and college level and as a substitute. I am a retired Air Force Officer and attorney with 30 years of service as a Judge Advocate. I have been married for 40 years to my husband, Dr. Bill Clifford, an ophthalmologist with Fry Eye Associates in Garden City. We have six children, five of whom are adopted, and one grandchild.
Cathy Hopkins, challenger: Declined to respond.
2. What background or perspective in education do you bring as a State Board of Education candidate?
Clifford: I believe my experience as a parent, teacher, school board member and active community member allows me to have an understanding and appreciation for the issues and concerns of students and their families as well as educators and the community. A high quality education is important to ensure the success of students after they graduate and go on to college, technical school, military service or the workforce and is critical to the growth of the Kansas economy. Our Kansas schools must work hard and be effective in preparing the future leaders and workforce of our state.
3. What should be the priority of the Kansas State Board of Education in addressing lost learning opportunities, rebounding from the pandemic and ensuring students still succeed in school?
Clifford: Remediating the learning loss many students at every grade level experienced must be a top priority. Schools must ensure all students have necessary support and learning opportunities to be successful, including individualized teaching, additional tutoring, and learning opportunities to target and remediate deficiencies. Teachers should work closely with students and families to jointly assess areas of need and develop a plan to help students. Education service centers can increase professional development options for teachers to enable them to work more effectively with students. Additional teachers and staff may also be needed to work with students on an individualized basis.
4. What should the Kansas State Board of Education do to mitigate expected educator shortages over the next couple of years?
Clifford: I believe we need to both recruit new teachers into the profession and retain current teachers. We need to increase “grow your own” programs in schools and work closely with colleges and universities to reach out to students interested in becoming teachers, increase scholarship programs and provide alternative methods of meeting practicum requirements for preservice teachers. Retention of current teachers is critical as well. Improving teacher salaries, adding more paraprofessionals and substitutes to help reinforce student learning, providing additional professional development and training options, and career advancement opportunities may help with retention.
5. What role should the Kansas State Board of Education play in determining how the state’s public schools teach about sensitive topics and issues like civil rights, race and gender?
Clifford: Local boards of education, not the State Board, approve specific curriculum used in their districts and determine to what extent, if any, various topics, including sensitive ones such as these, are part of their curriculum. Schools must be transparent with parents to ensure their access to and understanding of the curriculum they propose to use, address and resolve questions and concerns that may arise and work to fully engage parents as true partners in their child’s education.
6. How should the Kansas State Board of Education balance its authority to regulate and execute education policy with that of the Kansas Legislature and local boards of education?
Clifford: The Kansas State Board of Education, Kansas Legislature and local boards of education have an important part to play in the education of students. All of these should work together to focus on issues that are most critical to our students and our State. The State Board’s general supervision over broad areas involving schools, combined with the Legislature’s law-making authority and the local board’s ability to ensure implementation of those policies in a manner that meets local needs will improve educational outcomes and success for students resulting in a strong workforce and a thriving Kansas economy in the future.
7. What should a Kansas high school diploma confer upon graduates of the state’s accredited K-12 schools?
Clifford: A Kansas high school diploma should indicate that a student has met a high standard of learning during their K-12 education and has the academic knowledge, reasoning, problems solving and cognitive skills, and the technical and specialized skills to be successful after graduation in their chosen career path, whether it is college, technical or vocational training, or entering the military or workforce. It should also indicate that the student has employability skills to meet the demands of the workplace, communicates effectively and works well with others and will be an involved and contributing member of their community.
Kansas State Board of Education District 7
1. Tell voters about yourself:
Ben Jones, incumbent: I am a native of Sterling and employed as the Director of Discipleship and Outreach at Lyons First United Methodist Church. I am also an active substitute teacher in Lyons and Sterling Public Schools and Vice President and Education Committee Chair at Family Community Theatre in Hutchinson. My parents live in Sterling along with extended family. My brother, his wife, and their child reside in Galva. I have served on the State Board for the last four years with varying responsibilities such as serving as a liaison to the legislature. Last year, I was appointed as a Republican Committeeman.
Dennis Hershberger, challenger: Declined to answer.
2. What background or perspective in education do you bring as a State Board of Education candidate?
Jones: I have been an assistant debate/forensics coach at Sterling High School the last 15 years working with kids on many Saturdays. During that time, I also pursued a music education degree. In my job at the church, I coordinate a community Vacation Bible School in June in Lyons and assist all our ministries as a staff person from little kids to adults. Coming from a small rural community gives me a perspective on the impact regulations have on a majority of public school districts across Kansas.
3. What should be the priority of the Kansas State Board of Education in addressing lost learning opportunities, rebounding from the pandemic and ensuring students still succeed in school?
Jones: Public school districts have provided many extended learning activities in the form of summer camps as well as bolstering staff to allow more one-on-one time utilizing ESSER relief monies. The Board also launched Sunflower Summer which allows families to explore educational places in Kansas at a reduced or no cost.
4. What should the Kansas State Board of Education do to mitigate expected educator shortages over the next couple of years?
Jones: Teaching is an honorable profession. Encouraging high school students to enter the profession through the teaching CTE Pathway is a start long-term as a grow-your-own program. Recognizing Educators Rising as a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) would elevate the profession to the same level as HOSA, FFA, SkillsUSA, FCCLA, FBLA, TSA, DECA, and BPA.
5. What role should the Kansas State Board of Education play in determining how the state’s public schools teach about sensitive topics and issues like civil rights, race and gender?
Jones: Kansans put into the State Constitution that curriculum is to be decided on a local level. Curriculum is the “how” standards are to be delivered. I encourage teachers to lay out facts and various viewpoints on matters and let kids critically think for themselves.
6. How should the Kansas State Board of Education balance its authority to regulate and execute education policy with that of the Kansas Legislature and local boards of education?
Jones: The most powerful elected official in a child’s education is the locally elected official. Our Constitution and subsequent court cases have laid out clear guidelines for the separation of powers between the three levels of government. I have voted and advocate against the expansion of the Board and State Government into local matters.
7. What should a Kansas high school diploma confer upon graduates of the state’s accredited K-12 schools?
Jones: The Graduation Taskforce has not made formal recommendations to the Board at this time but have previewed some of what will be recommended. Value-added diplomas would benefit students with access to more employment opportunities while attending post-secondary school or graduates that go into the workforce. Another item that is being discussed is the reduction of the arts credit. I do not support the idea of reducing the arts graduation requirement to a half-credit. Research supports increased academic improvement among students who participate in the arts versus students who do not.
Kansas State Board of Education District 9
1. Tell voters about yourself:
Jim Porter, incumbent: I have spent my entire career in public education as a teacher, principal and superintendent. I have taught both undergraduate and graduate courses as a university adjunct instructor. My teaching field is Music; I have also served as the church choir director in several churches for over 30 years. My wife and I have lived in Fredonia, KS for the past 20 years. We have three grown children and 4 grandchildren who all attend public elementary schools.
Luke Aichele, challenger: N/A.
2. What background or perspective in education do you bring as a State Board of Education candidate?
Porter: As mentioned in the first question I am a life long educator. I believe in the State Boards vision that “Kansas Leads the World in the Success of EACH student.” This require us to meet students where they are. Children are different and we must provide a system that meets their unique needs. I support and trust our teachers to do everything they can to meet the needs of EACH student. I am an unapologetic champion of public education.
Aichele: When running for a public office you are going to get supporters from all angles and different walks of life. On a daily basis I get support from people that I don’t necessarily support the way they handle themselves but that’s not really a part of the running process. I do feel like teachers need to feel support from parents and from administration and I do agree that it is a part of the reason why we have teacher shortages and they are going either out of district or to another profession. If elected then I would represent the voting public in my district but my stance would be to change the attitude towards educators and try to help build a positive relationship between the three: administration, educators and parents.
3. What should be the priority of the Kansas State Board of Education in addressing lost learning opportunities, rebounding from the pandemic and ensuring students still succeed in school?
Porter: All of those involved in education, especially students, have experienced varying degrees of trauma over the past few years. We need to recognize this fact and train teachers and others to help students cope with this trauma. We also need programs to help those who are behind to catch up. This can be done by enhancing summer school and before and after school opportunities. Students who find themselves behind need caring and compassionate teachers to help them improve and any improvement should be celebrated.
Aichele: Ever since Kansas schools starting putting more emphasis on social and emotional learning over academic learning has grade scores and achievements have went down consistently. Jim Porter has made it clear that he believes social and emotional learning has a greater importance than academic education for students. I agree parents should have the greatest role in parenting their children and have the final say when raising their children. Public schools should take the role of teaching kids on an academic level in areas that would help them achieve success in life after school. School counselors are trained professionals to deal with the children that aren’t receiving adequate love and support in their home life. This does not constitute teachers to push political points of views on their students.
4. What should the Kansas State Board of Education do to mitigate expected educator shortages over the next couple of years?
Porter: Teachers need to be fairly compensated. The last poll I saw placed Kansas at 44th when it came to average salaries for teachers. However, this is not enough. Teachers need to be respected for the professionals that they are. They need to be involved in decisions related to education and their recommendations and involvement needs to be respected. They are the ones on the front lines and they are the ones who are best suited to know the solutions. Teachers are heroes and need to be celebrated as such.
Aichele: N/A.
5. What role should the Kansas State Board of Education play in determining how the state’s public schools teach about sensitive topics and issues like civil rights, race and gender?
Porter: All “sensitive” topics should be age appropriate. Students are resilient and need to be introduced to the facts. They should be taught to be able to identity the difference between fact and fiction. All discussion should be objective without indoctrination. Avoiding “sensitive” issues will prevent students from having the basis for making rationale decisions about those issues that they will face throughout their lives. On summary — objectively present facts in an age appropriate manner and allow students to make their own decision.
Aichele: We have a huge issue when over half of the parents in the state of Kansas believe we have a problem with teachers and administration pushing objectable issues such as gender, sexual preference, race issues and political stances. Conservative teachers are also not in favor of being put in a position to emotionally parent children in their classes. When I hear of parents saying their children are having conversations with teachers about gender identity and or threatening to get in trouble if they don’t address a student by their preferred name or pronoun then I would have to say that would fall under liberal ideas. I don’t think political influence should be a part of public schools.
6. How should the Kansas State Board of Education balance its authority to regulate and execute education policy with that of the Kansas Legislature and local boards of education?
Porter: Article 6 of the Kansas Constitution establishes a State Board of Education and gives it “general supervision” over the public schools. It also states “the legislature shall make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state.” Therefore the State Board is responsible for things like educator licenses, accreditation, curriculum standards and other educational related policies, while the legislature is responsible for suitable funding. Kansas is a local control state so other decisions like curriculum adoption and personnel employment decisions, etc. are the responsibility of the locally elected Board of Education.
Aichele: N/A.
7. What should a Kansas high school diploma confer upon graduates of the state’s accredited K-12 schools?
Porter: A high school diploma should assure that the student has the tools to move on to the next stage of their lives with the skills necessary for success. Many students are now graduating with industry recognized certification and/or college hours, giving them a jump-start of their next stage. Kansas’s high school students are experiencing the highest graduation rate in our history. Kansas is second in the nation in graduation rates for Special Needs students and significant efforts are being made to identify the abilities of these students so that they can also become successful and contributing adults. We should not be satisfied until each Kansas student graduates with the skills for success.
Aichele: N/A.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State Board of Education candidates vie in Republican primaries
