Get to know the 4 candidates for 2 seats on the Kent school board

Two of the five spots on the school board for Kent City School District are open in the upcoming Nov. 7 election.

Four candidates – Alicia Crowe, Kevin Elrod, Rebecca Wright Kulis and Joy Pattison Vallen – are running and offer a variety of experiences, including teaching, higher education and business.

Here’s a look at each candidate:

Alicia Crowe

Crowe is the associate dean in Kent State University’s College of Education, Health and Human Services. She has served on the school board since July, when she was chosen to fill the open position after another board member resigned. She has also been a social studies teacher.

Crowe said she believes her experiences help her understand the perspectives of teachers and administrators and incorporate those into her role on the board.

One of the most controversial topics for school boards recently has been parents’ challenges to books, and Crowe took a stance against bans.

“I don’t think we should be limiting what children have access to when there are educators who are professionals and know what children should be exposed to,” she said. “You should be paying attention to what their recommendations are and listening to them, asking them questions.”

Why does she want to be on the school board?

“I just want to share that I have a long-standing commitment to a healthy democracy," she said. "And I think this is one of the important roles because education really plays a key part in the education of our citizenry. And so being on the board allows me to have a place in policy that will continue to create a just, equitable world for all students.”

Kevin Elrod

Elrod has lived in Kent for 40 years, and is a seventh grade social studies teacher at Milkovich Middle School in Maple Heights.

In 2008, he left teaching for economic reasons, but he’s now returned and is working toward a master’s degree. Elrod went door-to-door to collect the required 75 signatures to become a school board candidate and emphasized that he viewed that discussion as a way to listen to the community’s concerns.

He said he hopes to address controversies, like curriculum and challenges to books, in a similar, community-focused way.

“I'm there to listen and help make a decision, to help make a decision that is in the best interest of the community,” he said.

Instead of restricting books, he said “we should be adding books” to the library.

Why does he want to be on the school board?

“I got into this for a lot of reasons," he said. "Education is really important to me… I want to be a part of something like this going forward.”

Rebekah Wright Kulis

Wright Kulis has spent 16 years on the school board and has served as president. Her experience has given her an understanding of how to balance the concerns of students, parents and teachers. Kent performed well on the Ohio Department of Education’s report card, and Wright Kulis highlighted the five stars the district received for two benchmarks: progress and gap closing.

Teachers made up for ground that was lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she said she is “super pleased” and plans to continue using resources toward supporting those benchmarks if she wins a seat on the board.

Wright Kulis took a stance on banning books, saying, “I think everybody has the right to read ornot read.”

“Our school librarians are at the forefront of that, and they do an excellent job of deciding what is appropriate. I have full confidence in them; that’s their job, not mine,” she added.

Why does she want to be on the school board?

“As a parent, I take a keen interest in student success, safety and opportunity," she said. "As an employer, I'm genuinely interested in workforce development in our career tech programs. As a community member, I know good schools keep families in Kent, increase property values and provide a good environment to prosper.”

Joy Pattison Vallen

Pattison Vallen is a longtime teacher, both in the U.S. and internationally. At a Sept. 30 League of Women Voters Candidate Forum, she introduced herself just as she said she would to a classroom of students. With a box of props that corresponded to each fact, she explained that she has taught students from preschool to sixth grade, has helped in special education classrooms and has served as a children’s director at churches.

As a school board member, Pattison Vallen said she would evaluate teachers’ progress with curriculum. On the topic of curriculum and choosing books, she described a time when she had her students skip chapters of a book when they didn’t agree with that section.

“If I don't approve of a book, I can put it down and put it away,” she said.

Why does she want to be on the school board?

“I have a lot of experience: different grades, different schools, different levels," she said. "And I would like to bring that to the school board.”

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 4 candidates compete for 2 seats on Kent school board