LOCAL & STATE
Kimberly Marsh
KANDEE WASHINGTON. Photo KanDee Washington For Tulsa School Board D2, Facebook
Editor’s Note: In an earlier article, The Oklahoma Eagle reported on four candidates running for the Tulsa Public School Board in the April 2 election (See link: School Board Candidates Are Seeking Your Vote, March 8, 2024). Two additional candidates declined invitations to participate in recent public forum. One was KanDee Washington in District 2. And another was Maria Seidler in District 6. Neither appeared at a candidates’ event at the University of Tulsa on Feb. 26. The Oklahoma Eagle contacted both candidates. The Eagle seeks to ensure that our readers know about the views and platforms of all candidates. Washington explained that her schedule conflicted with the forums and spoke with The Eagle in detail. Seidler has appeared at other candidate’s events but said a conflict prevented her from attending the Feb. 26 forum. (See article, pp. X)
The Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) District Two school board seat is considered a “revolving door” by residents in the area. Candidate KanDee Washington, campaigning for the seat, wants to create more stability in the district’s representation. It is a district that stretches west to east along I-244, encompassing residents on both sides of the interstate highway. The area is particularly threatened by an environment that is putting TPS accreditation status at risk. Staffing challenges, low test scores, low math and reading scores, illiteracy, and “F” lists are all problems in District 2.
KANDEE WASHINGTON. Photo KanDee Washington For Tulsa School Board D2, Facebook
Washington bills herself as a community-oriented candidate. When The Oklahoma Eagle met with her last week, she spoke compassionately about raising her five children, their successes in TPS, and her wish to offer continued support for their endeavors. She is knocking on doors to talk with constituents and attending events to discuss her platform, which emphasizes parental involvement and focuses on students’ learning needs, welfare, support for teachers, and school safety. More than two decades of being an involved parent, PTA member, and supporter of numerous extracurricular activities with her children has informed her understanding of TPS functions.
“’I’ve always tried to keep up with it throughout the years. I have worked in corporate America in Tulsa for over 20 years. I went back to school and got into the medical field, which is something I did to satisfy my daughter and my niece because they are both nurse practitioners, and so there’s a plan to have a clinic in the near future,” Washington said.
Competed earlier for the District 2 seat
Washington is running for a seat vacated by Diamond Marshall, who was appointed by the TPS board following the resignation of Barbara Perez more than a year ago. Washington had vied for that appointment. She is competing for the seat in the April 2 election with Calvin Moniz, a lawyer, a community volunteer, and a 15-year resident of District 2. Read more about Moniz in the Feb. 26 edition of The Oklahoma Eagle. (https://theokeagle.com/2024/03/08/school-board-candidates-are-seeking-your-vote/)
Washington concurs with other school board candidates that there is no place for politics in the school system as it creates conflict and drama.
She said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walter’s approach to TPS demands should be delivered with more compassion for all.
“I know that it’s important that we meet the standards, the guidelines. Everybody needs rules and regulations that support life. So, if there is a guideline that we need to meet as a state (requirement), then I believe we need to strive to achieve that, period. But if we don’t, we need to put the work in with everyone, all hands on deck, to make a difference so that our students can feel that they can learn. I believe we need to find out what their need is and meet the need so that they can be successful.”
Community Support and Parent Involvement
Regarding building more community support, Washington said parents should be involved in more events that include the teaching staff.
“If they were to get together and invite teachers to come, we could have a day of reckoning or a day of peace,” Washington said. “We need to start bringing the teachers and the community together. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to make a difference, because things have gotten so far out of hand to where we have students kind of raising themselves or deciding what they want to do on their own, as if they’re grown. But they are still children. They’re still under 18. So there’s just a lot that we could put into play.”
Washington suggested a few ideas to address her concern for student mental health and safety: having more counseling resources, therapy dogs, clear backpacks, and increased security measures, including cameras. More options should be available directly for the students to air their concerns and cope with issues that interfere with their learning ability.
“If the students have an issue, (they) can always talk it out with a counselor, a therapist. If not, there should be a quiet room at every school…so that they can get that focus back and get over whatever their anxiety is…the pain, the anger, the rage. When you have all that, how can you learn algebra, geometry, and calculus? How can you focus enough to know one equation? Seriously, how can you write an essay about a happy place when all you know is doom and gloom?”
Washington said Tulsans should learn more about the school system and encourage parental involvement. She said that the board should welcome all opinions and concerns.
“That’s not to say everything will turn out the way the parents want it to be. But it just feels good to be heard. There could even be a school board night where it’s parent expression night. I know that when I knock on doors, sometimes people have a lot to say, and they just don’t know what’s available.” Washington noted that not all Tulsans know they can attend board meetings, watch them online, ask questions, or voice concerns.
Where to Vote and Attend School Board Meetings
Early voting for the April school board elections is set for March 28 and 29 at the Tulsa County Election offices, 555 N. Denver Ave., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registered voters may find their district and polling locations at Tulsa County Election Board Polling Locations.
Regular meetings of the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education are usually scheduled on the first and third Mondays of each month. More information available is on the TPS website: Tulsa Public School Board Meetings – Request to Speak and TPS board meetings are also live-streamed at Tulsa Public School – Livestream and past board meetings are posted for viewing.
