November election: Here's a rundown of who is running for school board in Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Following a chaotic and often contentious two years for public education, Kentucky's largest school district may see new leadership.
Four of the seven seats on the Jefferson County Board of Education are up for grabs this fall, including the seats currently held by the board's chair and vice chair.
Candidates had until 4 p.m. on June 7 to file to run for the seats, which will be on the November ballot.
Related: Lawmakers limited JCPS' board authority. Now, the school board is suing
All four incumbents — Chairwoman Diane Porter, Vice Chairman Corrie Shull and members James Craig and Linda Duncan — are running for reelection. All are facing challengers, mostly from a slate of "liberty" candidates.
On Monday afternoon, the website for the Kentucky Liberty Caucus listed four candidates — Charlie Bell, Steve Ullum, Gregory Puccetti and Misty Glin — as "vetted" liberty candidates. By Tuesday morning, though, the list no longer appeared on the site.
This year's election cycle could redirect the trajectory of Kentucky's largest school district as it tries to implement a major reform of how it assigns kids to school while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interest in running for school board is up across the country, with fewer candidates running unopposed than in previous election cycles, according to Ballotpedia.
That trend holds true in Jefferson County. Two of the four seats up for election this fall were unopposed races in 2018, with an average of 2.25 people running for each seat.
This year, no one is running unopposed. An average of 3.5 people are running for each seat.
In Louisville, some frustrated by the JCPS board's hesitancy to reopen schools in the face of COVID-19, and then by their support of a universal mask mandate, vowed to recruit school board candidates — or run themselves.
Candidates fueled by similar issues, along with "critical race theory" and LGBTQ topics, have run for office across the country, seeing mixed results.
School board members serve four-year terms and run in nonpartisan races in Kentucky.
Follow along: Sign up for The Hall Pass to track school board campaigns
Not sure who represents you on the JCPS school board? Plug in your address here — https://www.jefferson.kyschools.us/about/leadership/board-education — to find out which board district you live in.
Here's the list of candidates running for the board this fall:
District 1
Candidates:
Diane Porter (incumbent)
Charlie Bell
Carol Travis-Clark
Ahamara Brewster
Board chairwoman Diane Porter is running for what would be her fourth term on the board.
She faces three opponents for the seat representing parts of the West End, downtown and Old Louisville.
Ahamara Brewster said she is "a long time District 1 resident who has been engaged in community programs, community organizations and in childhood development and education.
"I respectfully entered the race to support teachers and students in advancing forward with the historical changes in student assignment," she continued.
Carol Travis-Clark is a former police officer and EMT turned master barber, with experience leading the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the California Neighborhood Leadership Council Inc.
Her children and grandchildren attend some of the schools in District 1, and "I hear feedback from parents about school situations and what they would like to have from JCPS."
Charlie Bell did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.
More: JCPS teachers to get raises; those in high-needs schools to get more
District 3
Candidates:
James Craig (incumbent)
Steve Ullum
Gay Adelmann
Sam Cowan
James Craig, an attorney, is running for a second term to represent northeast Jefferson County on the board.
"I have worked hard to build consensus in this district, to offer rational and effective leadership for our schools during these unprecedented challenges to public education," Craig said. "Each of my votes have been based on what's best for our kids, teachers, and our school employees."
He faces three opponents.
One is Steve Ullum, a realty agent and one of the parent leaders behind the push to reopen schools to in-person learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We must prioritize safety amid a growing trend of violence," Ullum wrote in a text message confirming his candidacy. "We must improve and prioritize basic skills like reading, writing and math, and we must include students and parents more in the decision making process because they are the heartbeat of our school district."
Sam Cowan, a retired JCPS principal, is also running for the District 3 seat.
"As a retired educator and principal, I know the inner workings of schools," he said. If elected, he would prioritize school safety and fiscal accountability while supporting teachers and examining how schools are being supported instructionally.
"Furthermore, I will seek answers on how the district can reduce needless administrative tasks for teachers so that they can be trusted to teach children both creatively and purposely," he added.
Gay Adelmann, an activist behind the Dear JCPS website, is also running.
"While we now have a historic new student assignment plan, it will take visionary leadership to make sure that we have a detailed follow-through to close achievement gaps and provide authentic educational opportunities to all," Adelmann said.
"With the war on JCPS, district leaders will need to stand firm in the face of attacks on public schools from outsiders and grifters and their allies in Frankfort," she continued.
District 5
Candidates:
Linda Duncan (incumbent)
Matthew Singleton
Gregory Puccetti
Linda Duncan, a retired educator, is vying for a fifth term on the board.
"I love this service and hope to serve another four years," she said last month shortly before filing to run.
She faces two challengers: Matthew Singleton and Gregory Puccetti.
Puccetti is a veteran and retired JCPS educator who recently came in fourth in a crowded Republican primary to replace U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth.
"I am running because JCPS is failing its students in the areas of academic achievement and school safety," Puccetti said "Additionally, parents feel that their concerns are not being addressed by the current school board makeup."
His platform focuses on improving academic outcomes, addressing school safety and listening to parents more.
Singleton's platform, he wrote in an email, is centered around "2 Yes's and 2 No's:" yes to raising school test scores and improving school safety, no to "wasteful corrupt spending" and "the replacement of education with Indoctrination!!!"
District 6
Candidates:
Corrie Shull (incumbent)
Misty Glin
Corrie Shull, the board's vice chairman, is running for a second term representing parts of central Jefferson County, including Newburg.
"I'm running to finish what we've started," Shull said.
He hopes to see the district's new student assignment plan — "a big, big task" — fully implemented, along with starting the next round of new school construction and opening two more Elev8 learning centers.
More: JCPS just voted to change how it assigns kids to school. What happens now?
He faces Misty Glin, a JCPS graduate who now works as a corporate trainer for a pharmacy and as an adjunct professor.
"The pandemic woke a lot of parents up to what was happening in their children’s school and the majority aren't happy," Glin said in an email. "I believe we need to put our kids first, support our teachers and allow them to do what they love — TEACH!, protect our schools, and give our parents a voice!"
Shull challenged the notion the JCPS board is not listening to parents, calling it a "total misrepresentation."
The board has worked to listen to not only parents, but also other sets of community members, he said.
This story may be updated.
Reach Olivia Krauth at okrauth@courierjournal.com and on Twitter at @oliviakrauth.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: JCPS school board: Who's running? Louisville school races fill up
