As the April 6 Kansas City, Missouri, School Board election approaches, we're profiling each of the candidates.
Cafe Seed, a vegan restaurant on Cherry Street, isn't a fancy lunch spot. Polished in their business attire, Cokethea Hill and Kenneth Hughlon stand out. It's apparent these two are interested in making a professional impression.
On this Wednesday morning, Hughlon is juggling his briefcase, ear still pressed to his cell phone, when he rushes into the restaurant to chat about his latest endeavor. Both Hughlon and Hill are young, but they're already political veterans.
Hill has been an organizer for President Obama, a community liaison for the local New Tools initiative and now works in U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver's Green Impact Zone. Hughlon's resume is national: he served on the national board of the NAACP when he was 17 and currently collects a paycheck for being the Manager of Board Relations.
The two are part of a team of school board candidates who say their unity of vision will transform the Kansas City district from the grassroots up.
Hill has seen the inside of the classroom and the board room. She's a graduate of Lincoln Preparatory Academy and University of Central Missouri. Her first job out of college was at the Northwest Regional Youth Center, a facility for teens with criminal offenses. "Most often, their skills were very remedial," Hill says of the kids she worked with. "They would come in as sophomores not reading. Their writing and math skills were very, very low. After four years there, I thought maybe I'd go work for the Kansas City School District, be a counselor, an intervener between the school system and the juvenile [justice] system."
While she was in the district, Hill says, she noticed inequities between schools. She watched teachers buy supplies for their students. When the district downgraded the requirements for graduation in 2006, Hill says her conscience got to her. The district, she says, was setting up its unprepared students to fail. She told her principal, "I don't think I can work here anymore."
The presidential campaign of Barack Obama brought her back to the district. An internship as an organizing fellow reconnected Hill to the grassroots. If door-to-door activism could elect the first black president, surely some of those same tactics could fix the failing school district. "I said to myself, it's time for me to stop being on the sidelines," Hill says. "I wanted to help all kids, create policy that affects all kids instantly. How do I do that?"
The answer came when two board members resigned in the middle of their terms in late 2008. Hill applied for a seat. With a reputation for personality clashes and political infighting, the board had spit out plenty of seasoned community leaders. When Hill was selected for the at-large position, she says friends more often consoled than congratulated her. "I was nervous," she says. "People kept telling me, 'I'm going to pray for you.'"
Kenneth Hughlon wanted that seat, too. But, just 23 years old at the time, he was too young to apply. Like Hill, he classifies himself as a proud product of the Kansas City, Missouri, School District. When he graduated from Paseo Academy in 2003, he already had the distinction of being the youngest person elected to the national board of the NAACP. After an undergraduate degree from Dillard University and masters from Park University, Hughlon took a paying gig managing affairs for the NAACP board.
In the short time he was away, Hughlon says, the district has declined. When he was at Paseo, he says, it was jam packed with students. Hughlon took advantage of programs like Partners in Excellence to earn college credit during his high school years. Fellow students, with different career goals, went to Manual Career and Technical Center to learn a trade. Just a few years later, Hughlon says, previously crowded schools are hemorrhaging students. The 25-year-old says he running for the board to figure out a way to bulk up the district's offerings to bring those students back.
Flying all over the country on NAACP business, Hughlon doesn't spend all his time in Kansas City. But, when he's away, his team picks up the campaigning slack.
The team of four candidates is being managed by Spark Bookhart. Bookhart worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaign and last year spearheaded an effort that beat back discussion of an appointed, instead of elected, school board. He also runs Cafe Seed. In addition to Hill and Hughlon, his team includes current board president Marilyn Simmons and Linwood Tauheed, a professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, both of whom will be profiled in upcoming weeks.
Hill explains that the team isn't running a traditional campaign. They don't have a platform laying out their specific goals. Instead, she says, they're taking their cues from residents.
Every Saturday, Hill says, the team hosts "Engagement Circles," where residents get a primer on the history of the district and an opportunity to put in their two cents. "Over the course of 13 weeks, this 'Success Circle' is engaging in dialogue," Hill says. "What do they want to see? What is the school board's role in economic development? What is the school board's role in housing? All kinds of different questions spark the debate. And then we come back at the end of each week and post their responses. We go back and forth and share knowledge to come up with a plan. Our plan, once it's revealed, will be the community's plan. The only platform we have is the one we take from community."
The team does have at least two stated priorities already. First, they want every student in the Kansas City, Missouri, School District to graduate within the top 10 percent of all graduates in the country -- a goal that came from local parents. Second, they don't want to "right-size" the district; they want to "super-size" the district. Instead of closing schools, as proposed by superintendent John Covington, they want to focus on bringing students -- and the state dollars that follow them -- back to the district.
Hill has made her take on the right-sizing plan clear in board meetings. She's frustrated by what she sees as a lack of community involvement in the development of Covington's plan. If her team wins in the April 6th election, she says, they'll make sure Covington is more responsive to the public. Hughlon and Hill say they'll be more accountable than the current board, as well.
"I'm telling you, if community thinks nine smart intellectual people can solve the challenge of urban education, they're sadly mistaken," Hill says. "It's going to take widespread community engagement."
This week's candidate forums:
Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity
Sub-district 4 candidate forum
Thursday, March 11
St. Stephen Baptist Church, 1414 Truman Road
7-9 p.m.
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You all dont know a damn thing. He was accepted to Harvard for school but couldnt afford it. However he does have a certificate from there that hangs on his mothers wall at the house. In addition, he doubled majored. He finished in three years thanks to Upward Bound and Partners in Excellence. You must not was involved when you were in school (2 classmates) hating on him will get you know where especially when he can back it up. In addition, because he was on the board and leveraged his contacts that position was created soely for him.
Its funny how you make assumptions about this man and didnt even know him nor what he was accomplishing at such a young age. He was elected to the NAACP board at the age of 17 and finished high school with 23 college credits. I wonder if you both accomplished the same. I am not supportive of Kenneth because he is famnily, but because he is a real person trying to make a difference. He is young, educated, and experienced. Why tear down the one of the only young black men trying to make a difference and you arent doing anything yourselves.
Too bad the people hating arent as accomplished cause he has the degrees to prove it and the people to back at as evidence. Next time do better research young ones!
I agree. Mr. Hughlon has done alot and have helped people along the way. These negative comments are just the very thing to bring our aspiring black men down!
I have also known Kenneth since KCSMA and he was then very involved and people wondered how could he do so much - but he did! We didnt get along at all and hated each other but when it was time for me to apply for college he did my application and essay with me and provided me with the encouragement I needed to go to college and I will never forget that.
Also, what he is not telling you is the most noted stuff about him like planning the NAACP Image Awards for the past 8 years. I was his guest one year I was visiting and we ran into each other in LAX and he gave me and my cousin tickets.
He sits next to Julian Bond, attended meetings with Obama, met Oprah and several hollywood personalities, and you think he is lying? LOL ..Silly fools..I have been introduced to many celebrities through him and he has helped me even after my dislike for him go to collge and advance my career afterwards through his connections.
I am certainly proud of Kenneth as a friend, firm supporter, classmate, and colleague. I know for sure that the agenda is never to serve him because he is a selfless servant. He is more concerned about others than himself. I agree with TRUTH you need to get to know the man behind your lies. I remember when Kenneth was really heartbroken because he got accepted to Harvard but did not receive sufficient funds to attend. That was his dream and could not accomplish it due to his family financial situation. People should be more cautious when they lie and know the truth is out there.
RA
Shame on you PASEO -
Obviously you dont know Mr. Hughlon. He did graduate in 3 years and the many students who left PASEO to attend DU know that as a fact. He finished his maters in one year. He worked 6 months at FEC (helping people) then left to become an admissions counselor at DU as well. Many students at Paseo knows that as he comes there regularly to recruit them - just did it this year as a voulenteer.
Also, you must not be a member of the NAACP where Hughlon is well known. He was once a voulenteer on the board and then left the board to become Julian Bond's Assistant and Manager of Board Relations. He started at the age of 17 when he was elected. You should go to his mom's house or his social media pages where the evidence of his success is pictured.
He praises PASEO and its a shame you would use that name to discredit his! He did get accepted to Harvard, but what he did not say is that he could not afford it. Getting accepted and paying for it are two different things. However, his last job did pay for him to get a certificate from there though that hangs in his office proudly.
Lastly, just because you dont know the truth or facts behind something does not mean you lie about it. Furthermore, his resume is not padded - however may be more extensive than yours because of the many opportunities he has been afforded. (I.E. introducing me and my family to the Obama's at the White House Easter Egg Event) - Thank you Mr. Hughlon!
I pray you learn the true man behind your lies! He is probably one of your most noted graduates. As an alumni you should respect his name as such.
Thanks
RMS
wow I totally agree with the other comment from the Paseo supporter. I know kenneth houghlan very well in fact we have been going to school together since kcmsa and yes he is a wolf in sheeps clothing.. and yes his resume is VERY padded and all of us who know him would drop over and die with all the lies told in this story. vote for him if you would like but politicians are all the same all having a hidden agenda! Mr, Houghlon is BIG FREUD...also my jaw hit the floor as I was reading this article! with all the inaccuracies
Kenneth Hughlon is a fraud. Did the journalist check into this manager of board relations position because I did and there is no such position. Kenneth Hughlon isn't listed anywhere with the NAACP except for a youth board member position from several years ago. Board members are volunteer positions. Also, he says he obtained two bachelor degrees in 3 years. And then he was accepted to attend Harvard for his Master's but chose to go to Park University where he received his Master's in 1 year. Who chooses Park University over Harvard? All of this while he was working as a counselor at Dillard University. Sounds pretty fishy to me. Hughlon is wolf in sheep's clothing. He's known for padding his resume. He's just another person after a power trip in Kansas City. If people dug a little deeper they would see the truth. If he's lying, then I wonder what the other people on his ticket are hiding?
Cokethea Hill will be a vote for the status quo. She will fall in line behind the micro-managing Ms. Simmons. Why she touts her work for Obama's campaign I'll never understand. Although he obviously won, he failed dismally in Missouri, which I assume fell under Ms. Hills's watch.
Asking all my fellow Lincoln Academy classmates to get the word out that my sister, Ms. Cokethea N. Hill, graduate of Lincoln Academy, is running for re-election on the Kansas City Mo School Board. My sister who is soon to receive her PhD from Kansas University has a passion for quality education. Moreover, for children who don't have a voice. There has been personal attacks against her, but that's the nature of the beast. However, I can promise you she is dedicated, ethical, and home grown product of the Kansas City, MO school district who sacrificed it all for equality of education for all children. Please pass the word to get out April 6, 2010 and vote Ms. Cokethea N. Hill
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