Kahri Phelps Okoro
Kahri Phelps Okoro ran for election to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors to represent District 5 in Wisconsin. Okoro lost in the primary on February 16, 2021.
Biography
Okoro is a graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools. Her work experience includes working for a family-owned construction materials company as a project manager and for Milwaukee Public Schools as a reading specialist. Okoro earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education and broad field social science, a reading specialist master's degree, and an M.B.A. from Concordia University. She is also certified as a teacher through the Compton Program. Okoro has four children.[1][2]
Elections
2021
See also: Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors District 5
Jilly Gokalgandhi defeated Alex Brower in the general election for Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors District 5 on April 6, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jilly Gokalgandhi (Nonpartisan) | 54.6 | 5,229 |
 | Alex Brower (Nonpartisan) | 44.8 | 4,293 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 58 | ||
| Total votes: 9,580 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors District 5
Alex Brower and Jilly Gokalgandhi defeated Abbie Fishman and Kahri Phelps Okoro in the primary for Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors District 5 on February 16, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alex Brower (Nonpartisan) | 37.0 | 2,031 |
| ✔ | | Jilly Gokalgandhi (Nonpartisan) | 33.9 | 1,862 |
 | Abbie Fishman (Nonpartisan) | 16.4 | 902 | |
 | Kahri Phelps Okoro (Nonpartisan) | 12.2 | 669 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 29 | ||
| Total votes: 5,493 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
Four of the nine seats on the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors were up for general election on April 4, 2017. In her bid for re-election to District 4, incumbent Annie Woodward defeated challenger Aisha Carr. In District 5, incumbent Larry Miller defeated challenger Kahri Phelps Okoro. District 6 incumbent Tatiana Joseph and District 7 incumbent Claire Zautke did not file to run for re-election, leaving both seats open for newcomers. Tony Baez and Jonatan Zuñiga ran for the District 6 seat, and Joey Balistreri and Paula Phillips ran for the District 7 seat. Baez and Phillips won election to the board.[3][4]
Results
| Milwaukee Public Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Larry Miller Incumbent |
65.72% | 4,794 |
| Kahri Phelps Okoro | 33.86% | 2,470 |
| Write-in votes | 0.42% | 31 |
| Total Votes | 7,295 | |
| Source: Milwaukee City Election Commission, "April 4, 2017 - Spring Election: Final Official Results," accessed May 2, 2017 | ||
Funding
Okoro reported $17,147.09 in contributions and $15,623.09 in expenditures to the City of Milwaukee Election Commission, which left her campaign with $1,524.00 on hand in the election.[5]
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kahri Phelps Okoro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Okoro highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:
| “ | I have a strong history teaching reading and financial literacy and with that experience, here’s my Blueprint for Change:
- Ensure all Children can read by the end of 2nd grade. From the 2015-2016 WI DPI report card data only 20% of MPS students scored advanced and/or proficient in area of literacy. Research shows a direct correlation between literacy and incarceration rates[1]. To increase the graduation rate, let’s increase the number of literate children. - Strengthen the Curriculum. The MPS district received a score of 55.3% on the WI Department of Instruction Report Card[2], so let’s ensure all schools offer a vibrant and culturally responsive educational program that is accessible to all children, challenges and moves them forward in life, and offers effective interventions for any who are behind. - Build a better Culture. I will create a stronger MPS by reengaging the communities surrounding our schools and reintroducing the neighborly feeling. Let’s also collaborate with choice and charter schools to identify what is working, and change what’s not. - Engage the Community. We’ll engage businesses, schools and families to bring equity back into our schools. It is imperative that the Board of Directors have a stake in the community that it serves. My family and I live and work in the 5th District, and I am running for Board of Director District #5. I look forward to earning your confidence and vote.[6] |
” |
| —Kahri Phelps Okoro (2017)[2] | ||
See also
2021 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eight candidates vie for four Milwaukee Public Schools board of directors seats," March 19, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kahri Phelps Okoro, "About Candidate," accessed March 23, 2017
- ↑ City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "2017 Spring Election Candidates," accessed January 4, 2017
- ↑ Milwaukee City Election Commission, "Latest Election Results: April 4, 2017 - Spring Election," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Campaign Finance Reports 2017 Election Cycle," accessed August 1, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
