Laura Kelly calls herself the 'education governor.' Derek Schmidt says she broke promises to Kansas.

As Gov. Laura Kelly proclaims herself the "education governor," political rival Derek Schmidt isn't ceding the issue. He's fighting back by attacking Kelly's record.

"Everywhere I go, Kansas parents express immense sadness, frustration, worry and sometimes anger with the still-lingering harm to our kids from Governor Kelly’s school lockdowns and mandates," Schmidt said.

"She promised to be a champion for students and, in particular, to improve mental health outcomes. She broke those promises, and her heavy-handed pandemic response did more damage to our kids than any other governor in Kansas history."

Schmidt, the Republican nominee for governor, made his fiery statement as students head back to school this week. Meanwhile, the Kelly campaign announced the endorsement of a Shawnee Mission schools advocacy group and the Kansas Democratic Party is hosting a "back to school, not back to Brownback" roundtable in Johnson County with educators and politicians.

More: With amendment vote in rearview mirror, how could abortion impact the Kansas governor's race?

"After defending Brownback’s education cuts in court, the question for Derek Schmidt on education is simple: Who’s been better for our students, Gov. Brownback or Gov. Kelly?" Kelly campaign spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald asked.

"Brownback never shut down schools," said House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R--Olathe. "Laura was pretty heavy-handed when she shut down our schools and then attempted to keep them shut down."

Education, along with jobs and taxes, is one of the top three issues in any statewide general election, said Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty.

He said Schmidt was wise to engage on the issue and put Kelly on the defense, even though "there's a bit of a legacy that favors Kelly."

"There's some real baggage there from the Brownback years in terms of education that I think will make it difficult for him to win the issue," Beatty said. "That doesn't mean a good campaign doesn't try to put the opponent on the defensive. Sometimes just muddying up an issue can help."

COVID-19 shutdowns

Schmidt's statements primarily knocked Kelly for COVID-19 shutdowns and a failed effort to mandate masks in schools. Kelly was the first governor in the country to shut down schools in March 2020.

"We knew at the time it didn’t have to be this way," Schmidt said. "Many other states kept students safely in the classroom without lockdowns and centralized mandates.

"Governor Kelly instead ignored desperate pleas from parents and students, as well as the experts who told us in-person learning was safe, and tried to press on with her one-size-fits-all statewide lockdowns into a second school year. Many of our kids are still paying the price."

More: Only 4.4% of youngest Kansas children vaccinated against COVID: 'It's certainly sad. It's tragic'

State school board member Ben Jones noted that educators aren't health experts.

"Kansas didn’t do a lot that was different than any other state, regardless of other state’s leanings," he said. "For those first six months, we all did the same thing. Nobody was unique. We were one of the first states back. ... We followed the protocols that health experts asked us to follow, to keep everyone safe."

Test scores, mental health, teacher shortage

Schmidt also cited declining student achievement and mental health and a wave of teachers leaving the profession.

State test scores suffered during the pandemic, though the dropoff appeared less severe than some other states, The Capital-Journal previously reported.

The Schmidt campaign pointed to a Khan Academy survey finding that student behavioral and mental health issues are the biggest barrier to addressing unfinished learning.

"Because of the shutdown, because of the mask mandates, you're seeing a decline in our test scores and especially their emotional abilities," Ryckman said. "It's sad to see what's going on with mental health of our kids."

Schmidt cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study linking the pandemic and school closures to worsening mental health among youths, including increased suicidal thoughts.

More: Kansas assessment scores show post-pandemic dip in academic achievement

Teacher shortages aren't new, but they have become more pronounced, as labor shortages are widespread in the Kansas economy. But education is in such dire straights that Topeka USD 501 will pay retention and recruitment incentives of up to $8,000.

"Calling Laura Kelly the 'education governor' is like calling Joe Biden the 'no-inflation president' — the facts just don't match the rhetoric," Schmidt said. "Kansas can do so much better, and our kids need us to."

Other than committing to constitutionally fund schools and keep students in the classroom, Schmidt's statement wasn't accompanied by a more robust policy announcement. He has previously announced a school safety and mental health plan.

"He'll be looking at the entire system, not just what the unions want to see happen," Ryckman said. "He'll look at it from a kids, parents, teacher, administration approach and from a bottom up instead of a top down."

Laura Kelly focuses on funding

Kelly has focused her education messaging on school funding. She has claimed that schools are fully funded, despite a failed attempt to increase special education funding this spring.

"I ran for Governor in 2018 because I knew that properly funding our schools was the first step to ensuring our kids receive the world-class education they deserve," Kelly said in a statement announcing an endorsement. "The next generation is our future workforce pipeline — and our schools are key to meeting the needs of our growing economy."

That endorsement came from Education First Shawnee Mission. Its chair, Jenifer Boles, said Kelly is the reason "our education system is back on track."

"Just a few years ago, our public schools were chronically underfunded and our children were suffering the consequences," Boles said. "Now, we’ve fully funded schools, and our children are getting the world-class education they deserve."

Jones, the state school board member, expressed disappointment in education being political.

"It turns into a partisan issue when people want to not invest in it anymore," he said. "It turns into a partisan issue on whether we consider education an expenditure or an investment, and anyone who works with money knows that you need to invest a little and save a little. Investment is a good thing, and education is an investment in all of our communities.

"People want a quality system with qualified educators who go to every length to succeed with every kid. People want their kids to graduate high school, and to have all the tools they need to do what they want in life. People want a safe place to send their kids, and that’s not just in regard to (school shootings), but they want a safe place mentally and a safe place emotionally as well."

Former Gov. Sam Brownback's shadow

Democrats have sought to tie Schmidt to the shadow former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback casts over Kansas politics.

Schmidt cannot totally distance himself from Brownback, just like Kelly can't totally distance herself from Biden, said Beatty, the political science professor.

"Laura Kelly has spent this entire campaign running against someone who hasn’t been on the ballot in eight years," said Shannon Pahls, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party. "She’s either just as confused as Joe Biden or she’s trying to distract from her own terrible record, which involves doing more damage to education and killing more jobs than any governor in Kansas history."

Brownback is perhaps best known for his failed income tax experiment, which saw huge budget deficits and cuts to government spending, including the K-12 public school system. A lawsuit by several districts ended with the Kansas Supreme Court ruling the Legislature was unconstitutionally underfunding schools.

Schmidt promised to abide by that ruling.

"Kansas must never repeat this disaster," Schmidt said. "As governor I commit to fully funding our schools as our constitution requires, keeping our kids in the classroom, and empowering parents so that each student can receive the education they deserve and that fits their own unique needs."

As attorney general, Schmidt was responsible for defending the state's funding levels in court, though the lawsuit was first filed before Schmidt and Brownback took their respective offices.

In a statement via the Kansas Democratic Party, one of their roundtable speakers noted Schmidt's defense of the state.

"These claims — coming from the same man who wasted at least $1.4 million taxpayer dollars defending Brownback’s tax cuts to public education in court — are laughable," said Laura Guy, a former teacher and former Shawnee Mission school board member.

"Governor Kelly inherited an education system in shambles thanks to Sam Brownback and his right hand man, Derek Schmidt," Guy said. "Since taking office, Governor Kelly has fully funded public education for four years in a row, and will continue investing in public education in her second term."

Social issues less prominent

With the school year starting, both camps took advantage of a chance to pivot from abortion politics. While Kelly opposed the Value Them Both amendment, she was not active on the vote no campaign trail and has made little effort to capitalize on the overwhelming voter turnout.

Schmidt, on the other hand, supported the amendment, which dealt a decisive blow to anti-abortion politics.

Absent from Schmidt's litany of attacks is LGBT rights. Kelly's veto of an anti-transgender athletes bill sparked past criticism from Schmidt and attack ads from the Republican Governors Association and other groups.

Likewise, critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion weren't mentioned. Those issues have helped propel conservatives to school board seats. Education policy was also cited as a major factor in a Republican winning the Virginia governor's race.

"The abortion vote showed that these cultural issues are not necessarily a winner with general election turnout," Beatty said.

Last fall, local school board races featured conservative wins. Earlier this month, two of three conservative challengers ousted incumbent Republicans on the State Board of Education.

Despite being majority Republican, the school board leans moderate and sometimes sides with Democrats. The board frequently draws the ire of the more conservative Legislature, which oftentimes steps on the toes of the board's authority.

"My race was a race of — let’s just say it — lies and exclusionary tactics, by my own party," Jones said. "It’s disheartening. We ousted two solid, long-term Republicans on the board to people who are fringe, is probably the best word I could use."

Jones is one of the Republican board members ousted in a primary. He said it irritates him that a loyal Republican for two decades was "ousted by someone who just came on the scene."

"Education should not be a partisan issue," he said. "What’s best for all kids across the state should be an issue we can all agree on — to do what’s best for all of kids, regardless of where they live or who they are."

Jason Tidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Tidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Education politics heat up in Kansas governor's race as schools reopen