Voter guide: Forest Hills school board candidates on sex ed, vouchers and taxes

The Enquirer sent questions to all of the candidates running for seats on the Forest Hills Board of Education this November. There are five candidates running for two seats.

Read their answers below.

Wendy Strickler Biederman

Age: 48.

Hometown: Cincinnati since 1998.

Years living in the district: 20 years.

Education: Doctorate in school psychology; Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development License.

Job: Assistant Professor of Reading Science.

Do you have children? Do they attend public schools? I have three wonderful children: A senior, sophomore and fourth grader. All three attend Forest Hills public schools and have throughout their educational careers.

What do you think is the district’s greatest strength? The district’s greatest strengths are its people. The educators and staff of Forest Hills are why it is the thriving district it is. All of our FHSD staff: classroom teachers, intervention specialists, school psychologists, counselors, speech pathologists, other resource providers, custodial staff, cafeteria staff, administrators and all others work to ensure a clean, safe, positive learning environment for our students every day. An equally important strength is the parents who provide their children rich learning experiences and help to prepare them for school every day. Our kids win when we are all working together focused on them.

In what 2-3 areas would you like to see the district improve over the next 5 years? I believe one of the biggest areas for improvement is trust. There is currently a lot of distrust in many institutions including educational systems. The board needs to improve transparency and communication with the community to build that trust. Further, teachers and administrators need to know and trust that they are respected and appreciated for the work that they do. The distractions and negativity detract from the amazing work FHSD educators do everyday. My knowledge of organizational and systems change, my intent to actively listen and engage with all stakeholders, and my relationships with FHSD staff and community members can help to address both of these needs.

The district has outstanding academic performance, but needs to continue to work on early literacy and gap closing. Developing strong early literacy skills in the primary grades is a foundation for access to education and richer life opportunities. Gov. Mike DeWine is legislating new focus on the science of reading to ensure the strongest reading instruction we know from the research. FHSD will need to focus energy on aligning with these required practices. Gap closing is a state report card measure looking at performance of certain cohorts of students compared to all students. In FHSD, we must continue improving upon the instruction and support provided so that our students in special education, our English learners, our students of different races, and our students of different socioeconomic status are demonstrating levels of achievement similar to that of all students.

A third issue that warrants attention is building maintenance and repair. I am glad that the levy passed in May with a Permanent Improvement (PI) component built in. These funds will be allocated toward the most pressing facilities repairs. We need to ensure that our budget is able to maintain the quality facilities that our students need for an effective learning environment.

How would you work to improve communication and culture throughout the district and with parents and families? As I mentioned in a prior question, trust in the system and in our board is currently lacking. Obviously, it takes time, transparency and honesty to build trust, so this will be an ongoing effort. My first steps would be to make myself intentionally available to hear all voices and actively listen to the perceived needs of students, educators, parents, and community members. I plan to be visible in the schools and communities and provide invitations to meet with me to all of these stakeholders to truly hear and look for themes expressed. I then hope to build relationships and bridges with the current board members so that we can work to focus on these real issues in the district while supporting through policy and high-level involvement the quality education that is occurring through both curricular and extracurricular opportunities. Communicating openly, willingly, and with all stakeholders is a starting point for rebuilding the unity we have previously had when our focus is coming together for our children.

What is your stance on critical race theory? Does it belong in schools? Critical Race Theory is a high-level academic legal theory. This theory purports that race is a social construct and that racism is perpetuated through systems and policies. The evidence to support this theory includes slavery, Jim Crow laws, racial covenants, and redlining, all of which were systemic policies that perpetuated segregation and inequality based on race. CRT has recently been conflated with any attempt to talk about diversity. It is NOT this.

I do NOT believe Critical Race Theory is a cause for concern in K-12 schools. It is NOT being taught in Forest Hills. If parents are unsure, I would ask them to talk to their children about what they are learning or to consider the individual teacher(s) that they trust to teach their students everyday. If an elementary parent cannot picture their teacher finding a way to teach high-level academic theory about structural racism, this is because it is not happening. I do believe that teachers are required to teach to the Ohio Content Standards or National College Board Standards for AP courses. Teaching historical concepts such as slavery or Jim Crow laws, as examples, are part of this content, and should be taught when required by the standards as part of teaching accurate history. Just as I do not expect my children to be perfect, and we learn from our mistakes, I do not expect the history of my country to be perfect. Here too, we can learn from our mistakes. But only if our students have the opportunity to learn about this history. That said, this is not CRT.

I would argue that CRT was a fear-mongering campaign, created to win elections by bringing out voters who voted out of fear of the concept of CRT in schools. I would contend this argument is supported by the lack of concern or mention of CRT by these same parties since the day after elections. Amazingly, this existential threat seemed to disappear overnight.

What is your stance on social and emotional learning? Should it be taught in schools? Social-emotional learning is a critical part of learning and growing into productive citizens. This term has been misconstrued as somethinginappropriate in schools; it is not. Social emotional skills taught in schools, based on Ohio’s social-emotional learning standards include five competencies: Self-awareness (recognizing one’s emotions, strengths and weaknesses), self-management (managing emotions, managing stress, and goal setting), social awareness (empathize with others, recognize social norms, identify resources), relationship skills (develop healthy relationships, communicate, cooperate, resist peer pressure, negotiate conflict), and responsible decision making (make constructive choices considering consequences and well-being of others). These are skills that are learned in a social context like school in which students interact with others and need to learn how to regulate emotions when something goes wrong, recognize others’ feelings, and make good decisions. As a mom, I recognize that my children need to develop these skills in a social setting as much as their academic skills in order to be successful in work and life.

What do you think is an appropriate way to approach sex education in schools? The Ohio Department of Education provides guidance for what is to be taught for health and sex education at grade and developmentally appropriate levels. Teachers use these standards to guide their teaching. That said, I advocate for a sex education program that includes information on healthy relationships and all forms of contraception/birth control as well as abstinence. National research has shown that abstinence-only education not only does not reduce, but likely increases risk of teen pregnancy (Stanger-Hall KF, Hall DW, 2011). We need to look to the research and standards to understand how to best teach sex education in schools.

Do you think the expansion of school vouchers in Ohio will have a positive or negative impact on students? Why? Research would suggest that vouchers have had a negative effect over the years across many state programs, negative results for achievement of students in private schools through vouchers, and no impact on student perception of school experience. Vouchers take money that the public schools need to provide equitable services to meet student needs. Public schools are the foundation of a democracy, ensuring a literate population that can critically think and participate in civic responsibilities. A major voucher study in Ohio found “overwhelming evidence indicates a substantial negative effect on test scores of attending private schools under an EdChoice voucher” for the subset of students they were able to study. Ohio’s funding system has been unconstitutional for over 20 years, already not fully funding the needs of Ohio Schools. Vouchers only serve to exacerbate the school funding problem.

Would you be in favor of raising taxes to support the school district? So, this is a challenging question because I'm a homeowner in the district, so I don’t want to pay taxes anymore than anyone else. An increase in taxes is tough, especially with so many other costs rising. However, understanding school funding, I know that raising taxes through a levy is the ONLY way a district such as Forest Hills can fund the school district. This is a state-level problem with school funding and must be addressed by the state-level legislature. In fact, the current funding system was deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court in 1998.

So, here’s a quick primer on the problem.

Past practice indicates the amount needed to educate a student. The state starts by offering a lower value than the research determined. So, we are already starting with a disadvantage. Then, that determined amount is not given equally across all districts. Those with more indicators of risk and low SES are given higher than the average. Those with less indicators of risk and higher economic status (e.g. Forest Hills) are given less than the average. So, that’s our double whammy. In 2023, Forest Hills is getting about 23% of a student’s education funded by the state. I believe the current amount suggested is approximately $13,000 per student for a year’s education in Ohio. So, how does Forest Hills make up the missing $9-10,000 per student? Business tax (We don’t have much) or Propertytax, the only remaining option. So, the first major problem is the lack of funding from the state.

Believe it or not, there’s more. The day the levy passes, the raw amount taxed for each residence is determined. So if we are charged $600 per year. This amount stays at $600 every year. The percentage is adapted to remain at the same raw value of $600 year after year.

Meanwhile, electricity costs, gas costs, salary costs increase, inflation occurs for the district, but there is no increase in the amount from property taxes. If this were a scenario in business, you’d raise the cost of your product to offset the difference. School districts cannot do this. The only way to level out the difference to realign with expenditures is to cut resources for our kids OR have a levy. The levy re-balances income with expenditures. It’s equivalent to raising the cost of our product, it just requires a community vote.

So, this is a flawed system. We are so lucky in Forest Hills to have an award-winning treasurer who manages all district finances and understands the complexity of school funding. I will ask critical questions but also anticipate that she is managing our money well.

Kevin Comerford

Age: (No response).

Hometown: Anderson Township.

Years living in the district: 30-plus years.

Education: Turpin High School, Muskingum University.

Job: Treasury Management Consultant.

Do you have children? Do they attend public schools? No, but I hope to some day and want them to have the same positive experience I did in Forest Hills Schools.

What do you think is the district’s greatest strength? The families in our district and the strong foundation of board policies to support parents, teachers and students.

In what 2-3 areas would you like to see the district improve over the next 5 years? My areas of focus for the district include: Providing the highest quality of education for FHSD students, ensure a safe learning environment for students and provide fiscal oversight and accountability to our taxpayers.

How would you work to improve communication and culture throughout the district and with parents and families? I believe strong leadership is key to improving culture. As a board member I would require that all policies and decisions are transparent and impartial, encourage open dialogue between teachers, parents and students through meetings, surveys and email. Improvement will require collaborative effort and commitment from parents, students and our schools in order to be successful.

What is your stance on critical race theory? Does it belong in schools? Critical race theory is a high-level academic framework that examines the impact of systemic racism on society. I have seen many reports that conclude that CRT is not age appropriate for K-12 students. Therefore, I do not believe it should be included in an already packed academic schedule.

What is your stance on social and emotional learning? Should it be taught in schools? I believe that it is the responsibility of FHSD to prepare students for the next phase of life and that certainly includes helping them develop important life skills. I am in favor of following the Ohio Board of Education guidelines for SEL and believe it’s important to also involve and inform parents regarding how social emotional learning is used for different grades.

What do you think is an appropriate way to approach sex education in schools? I believe it is important to follow the State Board of Education guidelines re: sex education which includes giving parents the ability to opt out for their minor children.

Do you think the expansion of school vouchers in Ohio will have a positive or negative impact on students? Why? I believe the expansion of vouchers is a positive thing for students and families in Ohio. I am in favor of parents making educational choices that best meet their family’s needs.

Would you be in favor of raising taxes to support the school district? FHSD narrowly passed a tax levy increase in May 2023. I do think our district is feeling levy fatigue and as a member of the school board I would look to other ways to meet district needs rather than add a new tax levy every two to three years. Providing excellence in education shouldn’t just be about more money- parental and community involvement is also a key component.

Kenneth Kuhn

Age: (No response).

Hometown: Cincinnati.

Years living in the district: Over 35 years.

Education: Walnut Hills High School and the University of Cincinnati.

Job: Insurance industry executive.

Do you have children? Yes. Do they attend public schools? Out of school.

What do you think is the district’s greatest strength? The quality of our students and educators are the greatest strengths of Forest Hills School District.

In what 2-3 areas would you like to see the district improve over the next 5 years? Parents being involved in their child’s education and explaining district finances in terms the tax payer can relate to, kitchen table finances.

How would you work to improve communications and culture throughout the district and with parents and families? Provide parents with the comfort of knowing they can question the curriculum of their child without fear of retaliation from wanting to know how the subject matter is presented. Is it being presented in a fair and balanced way. Parents should have the right to opt out of controversial topics if they feel it is not being presented in a balanced, unbiased manner.

What is your stance on critical race theory? Does it belong in the schools? Critical race theory is a controversial issue that is very politicized. This topic needs to be age appropriate, related to the curriculum and presented in a balanced, unbiased manner. Critical race theory in its present form is not age appropriate and should not be presented in a K-12 classroom environment.

What is your stance on social and emotional learning? Should it be taught in schools? I believe it is important to prepare our students to learn social skills and to be critical thinkers. I trust our parents and teachers are already doing that inherently. The Ohio Board of Education has established certain standards for Social Emotional Learning based on grade levels and as long as these standards do not fall outside the purview of any existing FHSD policy, I will support those standards.

What do you think is an appropriate way to approach sex education in schools? Sex education should be age appropriate and discussed in the context of how the human body develops as a child grows older.

Do you think the expansion of school vouchers in Ohio will have a positive or negative impact on students? Why? School vouchers will have a positive impact on students because it allows the parent and student the choice of attending the school of their choice. One that aligns with their values and provides the curriculum that supports the type of learning materials and environment that parent/student prefers.

Will you be in favor of raising taxes to support the school district? To have a vibrant community you need a school district that produces well rounded citizens that will positively impact the community after graduation. When and how a decision is made to raise taxes to support a school district depends on several factors that require an in-depth evaluation. I am in favor of supporting a school district that delivers well rounded citizens that will bring a positive impact to the community in the future in a fiscally responsible manner.

Jason Simmons

Age: 42.

Hometown: Born in Washington D.C. Currently living in Anderson Township.

Years living in the district: 9 (Moved to FHSD in 2014).

Education: Bachelor of Science in history from University of Nevada (2003); Master of Science in sport administration from University of Louisville (2007); doctorate in educational leadership and organizational development from the University of Louisville (2011).

Job: Associate Professor/Program Coordinator with the Sport Administration Program at the University of Cincinnati.

Do you have children? Do they attend public schools? Yes. We have one son who attends school in Forest Hills School District.

What do you think is the district’s greatest strength? Student achievement and post-graduate preparation. This is a credit to our district’s students and teachers. FHSD recently received a 5-star report card, placing in the top 15 percent of school districts in the state. This metric measures student achievement on state tests, progress since the last testing cycle, graduation rate, early literacy, and college/career/military preparedness. Both Turpin HS and Anderson HS ranked in the top 40 of more than 1,000 high schools in Ohio. Further, FHSD achieves these rankings while being fiscally responsible, spending less than other high achieving districts in SW Ohio.

In what 2-3 areas would you like to see the district improve over the next 5 years? First, we need to tone down the political divisiveness. Identity politics have no place on our school board. Policy making and governance decisions should be driven by what is best for students. Second is prioritizing mental health care. Not everyone seeks out mental health care when they need it. These services should be standardized to ensure accessibility for all students. Finally, we need to identify creative solutions and collaborate as a community to improve the financial health of the district.

How would you work to improve communication and culture throughout the district and with parents and families? I value collaboration. The school board represents the community in district governance. Being a responsible community steward means communicating and listening to community stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and taxpayers. I will also lean on experts to guide our district’s decision-making (e.g., physicians, coaches, athletic directors, teachers, principals, and scientists). Decisions impacting our district and its students should not be made based on hearsay or conjecture but rather data and expertise.

What is your stance on critical race theory? Does it belong in schools? Critical race theory is a college-level theory examining how race influences legal, political, and governance structures. CRT is not being taught in FHSD. Unfortunately, CRT has been conflated with diversity, equity, and inclusion; important concepts for our students to understand. Diversity is simply the idea that we’re all different. Inclusion means we’re all welcome here. Equity means that what one person needs to be successful or feel welcome, is different than what another person might need. These are not controversial or political terms, but rather values. I value others’ perspectives. I value belonging and empowering students to be their authentic selves.

What is your stance on social and emotional learning? Should it be taught in schools? Social and emotional learning refers to teaching students how to be respectful of their classmates, manage their emotions, and have healthy relationships – basic classroom management. Competencies in traditional academic areas such as math, science, reading, and critical thinking are still important, but we should not discount the value of self-reflection, ethical decision-making, and empathy. We could all benefit from practicing empathy in our lives. Understanding how others are feeling or are impacted by your actions or the words/actions of others would go a long way towards improving civil discourse and bringing people together.

What do you think is an appropriate way to approach sex education in schools? Comprehensive, grade-level appropriate lessons on sex and sexuality are part of public education. With that said, I fully support parental choice to opt their children in/out of participation.

Do you think the expansion of school vouchers in Ohio will have a positive or negative impact on students? Why? The expansion of school vouchers will have a negative effect on Ohio schools. Siphoning public tax dollars to fund private education not only takes away much needed funds for Ohio’s public schools, which are already underfunded as it is, but allows public money to be spent without oversight from an elected board. Parents should have the choice on where they send their child to school, but expanded vouchers at the expense of public education will only make it harder for school districts to provide its students with the resources and opportunities necessary to succeed.

Would you be in favor of raising taxes to support the school district? I am never a fan of raising taxes. Unfortunately, Ohio’s funding model for public education only provides a fraction of the budget needed to run FHSD. Further, HB 902 restricts inflationary adjustments to funds collected from prior levies. As a result, districts across the state are dependent on levies to funds their schools. This is why creative solutions, such as working with local state representatives to find additional funding, are needed to help offset the cost to taxpayers.

Kris Wahlke

Age: 47.

Hometown: Anderson Township.

Years living in the district: 45 (did attend college in Tennessee and lived in Montgomery and Newport for 8 years but my parents remained living in my childhood home so I'd visit often). I've owned a home in Anderson since 2011.

Education: Graduated Anderson High School in 1995. Attended Miami University for one year before transferring to Tennessee in Knoxville.

Job: Accounting, inactive CPA license.

Do you have children? Do they attend public schools? Yes, 3. One has attended public schools in Texas and Tennessee. The other two currently attend Ayer Elementary in Forest Hills.

What do you think is the district’s greatest strength? Parents.

In what 2-3 areas would you like to see the district improve over the next 5 years? State rankings. Test scores. Fiscal responsibility.

How would you work to improve communication and culture throughout the district and with parents and families? There's too much tech involved for parents. Glad my ex-wife likes it.

What is your stance on critical race theory? Against. Does it belong in schools? No. Go Redskins!

What is your stance on social and emotional learning? Should it be taught in schools? I need to learn more about the specifics. It sounds interesting and reasonable to teach. I don't recall psychology being a subject when I was in school. It should be an elective offered.

What do you think is an appropriate way to approach sex education in schools? Teach it but be transparent about it with parents and potentially allow them to opt their children out.

Do you think the expansion of school vouchers in Ohio will have a positive or negative impact on students? Why? Positive. School choice is important to raise the standards of all schools.

Would you be in favor of raising taxes to support the school district? We just passed a levy. I don't think a new one will be necessary during my term.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Election 2023: Forest Hills school board candidates on sex ed, taxes