Name and office sought:
Rachel Henderson (Russell), USD 500 School Board
Age: 32
Occupation and experience:
Director of community engagement, Cross-Lines Community Outreach
Education:
Piper High School graduate (2007), attended University of Kansas (2007), Kansas City Kansas Community College (2009), Emporia State University (2011-2012)
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong:
Rosedale Development Association (board member and board treasurer), Sumner High School and Frank Rushton Elementary PTA (president), KC COVID Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (board member), KC STEM Alliance (Leadership Team member), KC Chamber of Commerce Centurions Class of 2023 (Steering Committee member), Kauffman Education Fellow Class of 2022, Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber Ambassador.
Reasons for running
I am running for school board because of my strong belief in public school education. As a parent, I want to ensure my voice and other voices of parents and the community are at the table to ensure our children have the greatest opportunity to experience and be the best in their post K-12 pathways.
What are the three most important issues facing this position and how would you handle them?
1) Student achievement means supporting the needs of teachers and uplifting our students to succeed beyond grades and test scores. I want to address the achievement disparities that exist within our district and take care of our students’ needs — both in and out of the classroom. 2) I want to create space for more families, parents, and community voices to be elevated, engaged, and empowered to support their students. 3) Our students deserve to see a representation of themselves, across all facets of the school district: the classroom, off-on campus environments, and in their future careers. It’s imperative that we are intentional about this in all of our approaches from classroom offerings, hiring practices, vendor selection, curriculum, and book selections.
If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?
I am advocating for the creation of a student and parent advisory board to review policies and provide feedback prior to policy changes or creation. Additionally, I’m advocating for a review and re-vamp of our current hiring practices specifically ensuring no individual makes under $15, reenvisioning job titles and classifications for non-teacher positions, and providing more consistent policies at a building level to ensure transparency and create more understanding in the community.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
I have not previously run for an elected position.