A candidate for the Carmel Board of Education said Sunday he was dropping out of the race after a series of racist, sexist and Islamophobic Facebook posts under his name surfaced over the. Caroline is also a Report for America corps member with the GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. I don't know, Brown said. This year, however, as school boards across the nation have faced increased scrutiny and criticism for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, diversity initiatives and other matters, it appears to be happening more often, according to Andy Downs, director emeritus with the Michael Downs Center for Indiana Politics. Brown is running against candidate Jake Nichols. During the past two years at Carmel Clay and other Hamilton County school districts, people started attending school board meetings to accuse educators of teaching critical race theory and pushing liberal ideologies on students. Are there some people that may have affiliations with those groups who are doing things to proactively try to help us? /Parent 2 0 R All other priorities are essentially on hold until we get our students back to school.. But candidates promoted by the national Moms for Liberty group lost their races in Allen, Boone and LaPorte counties. /XObject << Sharp said approximately six months ago, through networking and word of mouth, he began connecting with several other people interested in running for school board. More in local politics:Anti-CRT, other PACs back school board candidates. Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free! The ballot has been set for the Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees election on Nov. 8. Pro-parental rights candidates supported in social media posts by the Hamilton County chapter of Moms for Liberty swept to victory in Hamilton Southeastern schools which neighbors Carmel and now hold a majority on the seven-member board. Last year, The Current reported that Carmel Clay Schools had found itself in an unusual and . Three Carmel school board candidates pledge to give their stipends back I think I can definitely be one among them.. Throughout, I want to make sure that science, data and national best practices are integrated across our decision-making.. Early voting is underway at several sites in Hamilton County. /S /Transparency ! 2022 Election:Meet the candidates for the Carmel Clay School Board. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] I personally deliver ready-made food to a local halfway house, where my assistance helps those in our community struggling with food insecurity. Brown's platform includes promoting the teaching of a wide skill set including vocational and soft skills, advocating for parents to be able to review the curriculum and library materials, and promoting transparency between the school board and parents. For now, Avi, the nonbinary student from Carmel, is relieved. While running as a slate has its advantages, Downs said, it also can be beneficial to run alone. /Type /Catalog I think it's giving people a really warped sense of what's happening in the vast majority of American classrooms, he said. For so many minority kids, school is already Hell, Avi said. At the same time, parents will have a choice between the options, as we will continue distance learning for those who are not comfortable returning their students to school. 6 0 obj /XObject << I am a strong advocate for making sure safely is defined as as safe as possible by complying with all the safety guidelines (I have also pushed for rapid testing). Valant said voter perspectives on schools and the world at large vary from community to community. << /14427f81-cde6-4305-982d-e3d8658d1923 28 0 R Sharp is running against candidates Lori Long and Jennifer Nelson-Williams. All residents may vote on the two available seats, as well as the Districts budget. Nelson-Williams said the high quality of Carmel schools is a main reason she moved to the community. /XObject << Brown's platform includes promoting the teaching of a wide skill set including vocational and soft skills, advocating for parents to be able to review the curriculum and library materials, and promoting transparency between the school board and parents. We have over 1,000 members. Enea said she supports the return of athlete cohorts and other after-school activities to campus to support a healthy lifestyle and have a positive impact on their social-emotional health. They won decisively; the slimmest margin of victory was more than 14 points. /Contents [21 0 R 22 0 R 23 0 R] Clarification: This story was updated to clarify Paige Miller's connection to the Carmel Clay school district. /Type /Pages With school closed, some parents of young kids are unable to work, and for many children, this style of distance learning puts them at a huge disadvantage, while older students applying for college see the advantage of being a Carmel student dip (college is their future), as they have far more education disruption than those back on campus, she said. /Count 1 All three of the district seats are up for election. Carmel Clay Superintendent Michael Beresford said such a political narrative was false and insulting to teachers in a public video message released following the campaign email. 2020 SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FILINGS Carmel Clay School Board, At Large (2 seats) Katie Browning 5086 TC Steele Lane Carmel, IN 46033 Louise Jackson 10903 Yorktown Crossing Carmel, IN 46032 Anne H Poindexter 13921 Wildcat Dr Carmel, IN 46033 Beth Glynn 3042 Apilita Ct Carmel, IN 46033 Susan Chamberlin-Dawes 939 E 101st St Carmel, IN 46280 Regarding curriculum, Flittner said on her website, As we consider what we teach in our schools, we should consider the makeup of Carmel Clay students and evaluate what their needs are. /Count 1 Juanita Albright, Dawn Lang, Ben Orr and Tiffany Pascoe ran together as a slate of like-minded candidates in opposition to the district's current leadership and priorities. >> Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free! Here's why you should care. /K false So we've grown very quickly, she said. 0^z=/P(5QAMrB~`tk/t'1vKp/(#h$m}JfZ]Ed[Qts9 aw=c5)iH^yp3z]JS To request an absentee ballot, you must meet the requirements, which can be found online at in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/ways-to-vote. I probably bear the responsibility for that perspective and that idea, Sharp said. They were also critical of the districts diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. In 2021, she, along with dissatisfied parents and community members got together to create a group called Unify Carmel. As a member of the Board of Education, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our schools are safe and supportive environments where all students have access to the education and resources they need to succeed. /Contents [17 0 R 18 0 R 19 0 R] >> Brown said he doesnt have any evidence to suggest liberal indoctrination is happening in Carmel Clay schools. Brown is running a joint campaign with Jenny Brake and Dr. Adam Sharp. Any of the candidates could request a recount. When you have people, like, verbally talking about outright banning your presence from a classroom, it's startling and worrying, Avi said about rhetoric they heard during the campaign. The safety of our students, teachers, staff and parents is the most important factor.. He is rightfully conservative, and he has better access to medical data to form his decision, he said. Todd Rokita endorses Carmel, Avon school board candidates pushing Lewis said the boards most pressing issues include working on being more transparent, so parents/caregivers have information and therefore power. endobj Flittner: I have experience required for school board funds management In an interview with WFYI in December, Brown said stories of liberal indoctrination in schools motivated him to run for office. /Count 1 She is also involved in the Hamilton County Republican Womens Club. Sharp's platform emphasizes building on CCS academic programs, focusing on fiscal responsibility, providing kids with a broad subject range to study, and improving what he defined as a declining focus on academic achievement. Adam Sharp is running for this position and is the CEO for health care and tech company Galvan and is a recently-retiredER physician. In regards to distance learning, Odello said the quality of education in the district is strengthened when students and staff are in the classroom. Greg Brown is running for this seat and is retired after having worked more than 35 years in the manufacturing industry. The outside group trying to influence Central Indiana School Board The Carmel Clay school board candidates running on anti-CRT - IndyStar Candidates are: Incumbents Layla Spanenberg, who has represented District 1 since 2010, and Mike Kerschner, who has represented District 3 since 2014, did not file for re-election. Box 296 Long Jennifer Nelson-Williams (incumbent) Adam Sharp District 3 Gregory (Greg) S. Brown Jake Nichols 13 0 obj Flittners campaign includes ideas such as advocating for transparency from the board and accountability within the classroom and helping to recruit more bus drivers. (You can unsubscribe anytime), Carmel school board, township, representative races come down to the wire, 2022 General Election results for Hamilton County, Fishers election results show Walker wins contested senate 31 race, no incumbents keep seats on HSE board of trustees, Fishers Health Dept. /ProcSet [/PDF /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI /Text] She has volunteered in various community programs including Carmel Valley Angel Project, MEarth, Read to ME Project, Meals on Wheels and the Monterey Chapter of SwingLeft steering committee. Nelson-Williams is endorsed by the Support CCS PAC. Miller acknowledged that it will be hard to find consensus among people who have fundamental disagreements over what should and should not be discussed in the classroom. Anne-Marie Rosen, 57, has worked as an educator for over 30 years in public and private settings, in classrooms and camps, in-person and online, while teaching students from preschool to adult school in settings from Carmel High School to Cachagua. Conservative candidates vying for seats on local school boards in Hamilton County grabbed majority control in one district and picked up seats in two others, according to final, unofficial returns. The group campaigned on a platform that included academic excellence, transparency and parental rights; the latter has become a rallying cry for those who believe schools are teaching critical race theory a theoretical framework thats been conflated with diversity, equity and inclusion and promoting LGBTQ identities. 5 0 obj It just doesn't exist, May said. A political action group called Support CCS sprung up in opposition to the conservative slate. Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that both of Jennifer Nelson-Williams children graduated from Carmel High School. Budgets & Audits - Board of Education - Carmel Central School District Sharp said on the website that he wanted to run with these two candidates because they are all focused on academics, transparency and parents rights. /CS /DeviceRGB Brown's son attended CCS. Kouka, Nelson-Williams and Nichols ran as a slate supporting the current direction of Carmel Clay Schools, while Brown, Brake and Sharp ran as a GOP-endorsed slate seeking change. >> https://ccsboardcandidates.com/about/jenny-brake/, https://lorilongforschoolboard22.weebly.com/, https://ccsboardcandidates.com/about/adam-sharp/, https://ccsboardcandidates.com/about/greg-brown/, in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/ways-to-vote, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He is running a joint campaign with Greg Brown and Jenny Brake. In District 1, Kouka earned 39.49 percent of the vote to finish 117 votes ahead of Jenny Brake (39.15 percent). Three Martin County School Board seats open; District 1 candidate /Type /Pages Kristin Kouka is an owner and speech-language pathologist at Therapy Redefined, a pediatric therapy clinic. They recognize that one out of five or seven or whatever is the number of people on the school board in question is not going to be enough to make a difference.. I dont think that bringing partisanship into it is whats going to be best for the kids and the students.. << But the people that want to politicize this stuff and try to use it as a wedge to divide the country, they really are, you know, they're taking a huge toll on the teachers and on the staff.. As a parent of a student in Carmel Clay Schools who has spent his career serving youth through various nonprofits, Jon Shaprio believes he would bring a unique perspective to the school board.