Voters in the Wichita school district will elect three members to the Board of Education.
This year, the at-large seat is up for election, as well as District 3, which includes parts of south and southeast Wichita, and District 4, which includes parts of south and southwest Wichita.
Because of a ballot measure approved last fall, only voters in a candidate’s district will get to weigh in on that race. All district residents will get to vote for the at-large seat.
Board member Stan Reeser is the only incumbent in the race. At-large board member Sheril Logan and District 3 representative Ernestine Krehbiel are not running for reelection.
Wichita school board members serve four-year terms and receive no pay for twice-monthly meetings and other work. They oversee a budget of about $1 billion and set policy for the state’s largest school district, with about 47,000 students.
Members elected Nov. 7 will take office on Jan. 8, 2024. Here’s where the candidates stand on some key issues facing Wichita schools:
At Large
Brent Davis — Did not answer questions
Melody McCray-Miller, 66, business owner and adjunct lecturer at Wichita State University
More than 40% of Wichita students are chronically absent, which means they miss at least 10% of instruction time. What can the district do to get more students back into the classroom?
Melody McCray-Miller: We know that chronic absenteeism directly affects our students, their families and our district’s ability to reach optimum success! Students who are chronically absent between grades 8-12 are more likely to drop out. Students who are chronically absent between pre-k and kindergarten are less likely to be reading on grade level by third grade. And students who are chronically absent are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and show increased risk for suicidal behavior, depression and anxiety. The district recently started a pilot program in 13 schools to track attendance through email and text messages to students and parents, encouraging attendance. We know that it is also important for teachers and staff to develop a relationship with students, this along with mentoring programs has been shown to reduce chronic absenteeism. Having access to tiered mental health services in the building is beneficial to the overall success of students, particularly those who may be experiencing chronic absenteeism.
Over the past two years, state lawmakers have considered measures to give parents more oversight and control over what’s taught in classrooms, including posting lesson plans online or making it easier to remove books from school libraries. What are your thoughts on parents’ rights and what districts should be required to do?
Melody McCray-Miller: Currently parents as well as other members of our community are integrally involved in the selection of books that will be accessible and utilized in [a] curriculum as members of the textbook review committee. When the committee agrees, the textbooks are then piloted and evaluated before being implemented in the curriculum. Likewise, USD 259 has a process in place where parents and other members of the community review any book(s) that may come forward as a “challenged” book, and after a thorough review, the committee decides to remove or allow the book to remain in circulation. There has not been a book banned in USD 259 district in the past five years.
Wichita schools received more than $260 million in federal aid to minimize the impact of COVID-19, but that influx of cash runs out next year. What programs or services should the district keep, if possible, and what should it cut?
Melody McCray-Miller: USD 259 received more than $264 million in ESSER I, II & III (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds to directly respond to the impact COVID-19 has had on elementary and secondary schools. The third and final funding cycle is due to be spent by the end of 2024. The 2024 adopted budget shows signs that the Board and Superintendent acknowledge the end of the federal aid, noting the more than $19 million reduction in projected expenditures. I agree with a request made by Superintendent Bielefeld to perform a cost analysis on key programing to assess the performance of the new and or additionally funded current programs. I would like to see a timeline of when this cost analysis will begin and be completed. The outcome of this analysis and assessments of programs will help to inform decisions surrounding which program(s) or services should be kept, if possible, and what may have to be cut.
Wichita teachers are reporting more unruly and even violent behavior in classrooms. How should the district ensure the safety of students and staff? Should schools have armed police or security officers?
Melody McCray-Miller: Our district is doing its job to aggressively implement a comprehensive plan to keep students and staff safe in all buildings. However, there has been a noticeable increase in aggressive and or violent behaviors, and this is unacceptable. Thankfully there have been no threats with weapons, or injuries during the fights. When considering what interventions and actions can help with student behavior and keeping our building safe, I believe parent and community engagement and involvement in our schools can have an enormous positive impact. I do not agree with our schools having armed police or armed security officers.
What can the Wichita school board do to recruit and retain qualified teachers?
Melody McCray-Miller: Our district took a major step to help with recruiting and retaining qualified teachers when they increased the base pay for new teachers. We also need to consider a plan to increase the step pay scale for current teachers. Understanding that most of our students are students of color. Eighty percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunches, which demonstrates possible economic needs. I will advocate for our district to become laser-focused and recruit more teachers who reflect our students, recruit more experienced teachers and lastly, consider growing the Teacher Apprenticeship Program, making it accessible to more than the current paraeducator. Each of these recommendations when implemented have been shown to improve retention as well as a students’ academic and disciplinary behavior.
District 3
Ken Carpenter — Did not answer questions
Ngoc Vuong, 23, graduate teaching assistant and research assistant at Wichita State University; former project manager at Safe Streets Wichita
More than 40% of Wichita students are chronically absent, which means they miss at least 10% of instruction time. What can the district do to get more students back into the classroom?
Ngoc Vuong: The strongest predictors of chronic absenteeism include negative attitudes toward school, antisocial behaviors and cognitions, poor academic self-concept, substance use issues, mental health issues, lack of parental involvement in school, distance to school, and poor student-teacher relationships. Multifaceted issues require multifaceted solutions. Even before students begin elementary school, we need to work with our families and community members to instill in students a lifelong love for learning and drive to succeed. We must ask ourselves (and our students) how we make learning fun while holding them accountable to be engaged in school. We should improve students’ motivation and confidence through direct instruction targeting their problem-solving and coping skills. We should also consider how school start times, homelessness and students’ sleep deprivation contribute to chronic absenteeism. Lastly, I would encourage USD 259 to work more intentionally with universities in studying the effectiveness of different interventions to address chronic absenteeism.
Over the past two years, state lawmakers have considered measures to give parents more oversight and control over what’s taught in classrooms, including posting lesson plans online or making it easier to remove books from school libraries. What are your thoughts on parents’ rights and what districts should be required to do?
Ngoc Vuong: Our families play a significant role in the academic and lifelong success of our students. It is not lost on me the tremendous benefit of families reinforcing learning above and beyond the classroom. As the only candidate in this District 3 race who went to USD 259 and whose family went to/goes to USD 259, I realize that school-family partnerships are a prerequisite for our students becoming critical thinkers, enthusiastic learners, and model citizens. We must be very careful though to keep in mind how calls for parents’ rights (almost always by those who have no connection to USD 259) are astroturfed attempts at censorship — the suppression of freedom of expression, diversity of thought, and intellectual curiosity — meant to divide (instead of unite) us. I support and champion parents’ rights in the genuine sense. I oppose the micromanagement and toxic intrusion of government/national politics into our libraries and classrooms.
Wichita schools received more than $260 million in federal aid to minimize the impact of COVID-19, but that influx of cash runs out next year. What programs or services should the district keep, if possible, and what should it cut?
Ngoc Vuong: I predict all school board candidates will say something to the effect of keeping what works and cutting what doesn’t work. As a researcher/evaluator, I approach this question from the lens of how we prevent waste, fraud and abuse in spending while also recognizing: (1) the positive impact (and need) of fully-funding public education (including special education) through diverse funding mechanisms; and (2) the unfortunate reality that even the programs and services that are effective and cost-efficient may experience cuts in funding. As a student and educator, I approach this question from the lens of how we mitigate the harms from this funding cliff on student academic achievement and our efforts to address the teacher/classified staff shortage. Furthermore, we must be cognizant of the education-industrial complex’s profiteering and how large companies push for ineffective, irrelevant and expensive curriculum, textbooks, standardized tests and other materials.
Wichita teachers are reporting more unruly and even violent behavior in classrooms. How should the district ensure the safety of students and staff? Should schools have armed police or security officers?
Ngoc Vuong: We have to think of safety in terms of physical safety (environmental design: natural access control and natural surveillance), procedural safety (school policies/procedures in monitoring student behavior and enforcing school discipline), and psychological safety (improving mental health and well-being, improving conflict resolution and coping skills, following up with students and school employees who have been harmed). Our school district must be proactive, preventative, and transparent about addressing problematic student behaviors instead of being complacent, reactive, and performative about it. Given how school resource officers (SROs) and school security personnel play an important role in school safety and mentorship of our students, I would oppose efforts to discontinue their presence. I also support improved access to school-based behavioral health services; more widespread implementation of evidence-based mental health promotion, substance use prevention and violence prevention programs (including at home and in the community); and more high-quality alternative educational programs and settings.
What can the Wichita school board do to recruit and retain qualified teachers?
Ngoc Vuong: To address, not just the teacher shortage, but classified staff shortage, there needs to be living wages, competitive pay/benefits and sustainable/manageable workloads (including smaller class sizes, adequate planning time, and reduced take-home work). Our school employees must be treated with respect and valued as professionals (instead of being villainized and exploited). They must have meaningful, relevant professional development opportunities; mentorship and collaboration; and the time to actually implement what they’ve learned. We must reduce the red tape and bureaucracy that undermines their ability to fulfill their main duties. Our school board, district leadership, and building leadership must be supportive/empowering of all school employees by ensuring they have the resources they need to best serve our students and identifying/mitigating burnout. Moreover, we must ensure that school employees have agency and voice in USD 259’s decision-making: increased unionization and fairer contract negotiations will be vital in this regard.
District 4
KMUW
Jason Carmichael, 49, manager of rental properties
Stan Reeser, 61, medical supply and logistics clerk
More than 40% of Wichita students are chronically absent, which means they miss at least 10% of instruction time. What can the district do to get more students back into the classroom?
Jason Carmichael: Offer more programs with mentorship opportunities. Encourage more community engagement. Why is there only one magnet high school? All magnet schools have higher attendance, less absenteeism and more engagement. I want to see every district in USD 259 have a Magnet High School. Twenty of the 24 magnet schools in the district are north of Kellogg. District 3 and District 4 need magnet schools.
Stan Reeser: Chronic absenteeism and tardiness are equally prominent issues; tardiness tends to become absenteeism. We need to address both. Schools are currently testing an earlier communication plan with the student’s household when chronic absenteeism and tardiness first show. At the high school level, we use the existing credit “catch-up” learning centers to address lost learning time. At the elementary level, we will use our multiple mentoring programs and summer school to address these issues.
Over the past two years, state lawmakers have considered measures to give parents more oversight and control over what’s taught in classrooms, including posting lesson plans online or making it easier to remove books from school libraries. What are your thoughts on parents’ rights and what districts should be required to do?
Jason Carmichael: Parent's rights are the cornerstone of our society. The State of Kansas has made it law that parents no longer are required to send their children to the local district schools. Starting in 2024 this option will open up to everyone the option to send their children to other districts. The very fabric of the American way of life is for a competitive society to choose what is best for themself. Very few families have the option to send their children to anywhere other than the school that is the closest to where they live. This is why it is critically important that USD 259 have the best option to present the best curriculum with the best outcomes and future-ready young adults.
Stan Reeser: I will continue to rely upon our Professional Standards Committee, which includes community members and professional educators. This committee ensures books and other learning materials are always age-appropriate. We need to continue holding open houses for our parents to look over our curriculum and any changes made.
Wichita schools received more than $260 million in federal aid to minimize the impact of COVID-19, but that influx of cash runs out next year. What programs or services should the district keep, if possible, and what should it cut?
Jason Carmichael: From what I have heard, the district says about the [COVID-19] money is that “programs” are not using this money for things that would be cut. The money is used for programs that are long-term fixed tangible things, not people and services.
Stan Reeser: An outside accounting firm audited our spending and gave us a high rating on how we used our COVID‑19 emergency funds. We invested heavily in mentoring programs, improved the air quality in most of our aging buildings and had a robust learning environment for our summer schools. The district is currently looking at where we got the best return on investment. We should continue the most effective programs, with counselors, behaviorists, and psychologists being a high priority.
Wichita teachers are reporting more unruly and even violent behavior in classrooms. How should the district ensure the safety of students and staff? Should schools have armed police or security officers?
Jason Carmichael: When I was in the military overseas during combat, everyone was subject to many rules and regulations, also known as general orders. “General order number 1” would establish rules and regulations. It would always start with the very same sentence, “Nothing in these rules and regulations will ever prevent you from defending yourself.” To ensure a safe and secure classroom, I believe SROs and Security officers must be present and be able to utilize the tools they are afforded at a moment's notice. The continued expansion of secure entrances with adequate personnel is a top priority to ensure safe and secure classrooms.
Stan Reeser: We have invested in new technology and practices to make our schools safer. We need to continue to invest in stopping these behaviors earlier, such as at the elementary school level where we can set early expectations of school behavior and accountability. Our teachers also need to feel that they have support from the top down when dealing with demanding situations.
What can the Wichita school board do to recruit and retain qualified teachers?
Jason Carmichael: Getting qualified teachers is not the problem, keeping the good ones and rewarding them is the challenge I see. The district must focus on high expectations and competition. I know our future leaders are capable of great accomplishments, it is our responsibility to ensure they are encouraged to perform at the very best they can and more by highly motivated, rewarded and appreciated educators.
Stan Reeser: A recent statewide survey of teachers highlights areas we must address to retain our teachers. First, we need to increase compensation while holding teachers accountable in the classroom. Second, teaching is an emotionally and mentally draining occupation, and we need to ensure our educators have access to quality mental and emotional health services. Third, we need to continue to offer more opportunities for professional growth and continuing education.
