Letters to the editor on school board, city council races

Julie Hedrick

As the parent of a student in Wichita Public Schools, it’s been fairly easy to be frustrated with the decisions made by the USD 259 Board of Education over the past year. That’s why I was compelled to run for the Board last spring. The decision to run wasn’t an easy one, but the last 18 months have presented many difficult choices for us all.

My choice to leave the race wasn’t as difficult though. My former opponent, Julie Hedrick, has proven herself in recent months to be thoughtful, disciplined, and wholly interested in the well-being of the students and staff at Wichita Public Schools. And the other challenger in the race, Brent Davis, holds extreme views and his partisan agenda would be a distraction to the Board of Education.

If I were to remain in this race, I fear he will have the opportunity to win without a majority vote. My endorsement of Julie is the best decision for the outcome of this race and the future of all of our students.

As a parent, I’ll be casting my vote for board member Julie Hedrick, and I’m asking you to do the same.

Cindy Claycomb

We represented District 6 on the Wichita City Council for 8 years each. We know first-hand that representing more than 65,000 constituents in one of the city’s most diverse districts requires leadership, knowledge, and experience with city government.

This means having knowledge of city departments and their functions and understanding which services are provided by the city, county, and others. One must be able to differentiate among operational, capital and enterprise funds of a $650 million budget and understand how the funds of each can and cannot be spent.

Further, the position requires studying complex issues, researching best practices, gathering constituent input, and developing consensus around solutions. These abilities are developed through intentional preparation that includes being active in a neighborhood association, completing Civic Engagement Academy, serving on the District Advisory Board, participating in public budget sessions, and speaking to issues at city council meetings.

District 6 city council member Cindy Claycomb committed years to this preparation. She does her homework, listens to citizens and works tirelessly toward solutions to difficult problems. She has done an outstanding job and has earned a second term. We invite you to join us in voting to reelect Cindy Claycomb for District 6.

Wichita BOE

Kathy Bond, Diane Albert, Hazel Stabler, and Brent Davis are running for the Board of Education.

These selective truth tellers have been on a parade of homes of late going door-to-door quizzing residents of their knowledge of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project.

If you believe in whitewashing America’s complicated past, scrubbing clean America’s cardinal sin of slavery and indigenous genocide, glossing over predatory lending and districting practices that have disenfranchised entire generations of black and brown families, then you might want to vote for these people.

If, however, you believe that children deserve to know the balanced truth of America’s storied legacy, how we got where we are today, and how we can make change to benefit ALL Americans to move the needle on inclusion and equity in hopes of forming a more perfect union, then please look elsewhere for your BOE leadership.

It’s clear we can’t change the past, but we should acknowledge it, call it by its name, in order to have the courage to change the future.

If you see this gang of misfits arrive at your door, tell them that our kids deserve the truth. How else can a divided nation begin to heal?

Brandon Johnson

My name is Marquetta Atkins and I support Brandon Johnson for re-election because his platform is verb.

It is more than words on a screen, more than empty promises. His platform is intentional and it is action.

He moves and he moves in ways that are equitable, inclusive and impactful.

I have had the ability to watch Brandon grow and transform in his leadership and even in rough moments he maintains a level head and moves with the grace of a leader who not only cares about his district but the city as a whole.