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Kate Parker (South Dakota)
Kate Parker was a member of the Sioux Falls School Board At-large in South Dakota. Parker assumed office in 2009.
Parker ran for re-election to the Sioux Falls School Board At-large in South Dakota. Parker won in the general election on April 10, 2018.
Biography
Parker earned a bachelor's degree in education from Bucknell University and a master's degree in public administration from American University. Her career experience includes working as a government programs manager with Sanford Health Plan.[1]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Sioux Falls School Board At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent Kate Parker and incumbent Todd Thoelke defeated Peter Pischke in the general election for Sioux Falls School Board At-large on April 10, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kate Parker (Nonpartisan) | 45.1 | 17,381 |
| ✔ |  | Todd Thoelke (Nonpartisan) | 42.0 | 16,211 |
| Peter Pischke (Nonpartisan) | 12.9 | 4,974 | ||
| Total votes: 38,566 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
2015
The election in Sioux Falls featured two of the five seats on the board up for general election on April 14, 2015. Incumbents Kate Parker and Todd Thoelke ran for re-election against challenger Randy Dobberpuhl for the two at-large seats. Parker and Thoelke defeated Dobberpuhl to win re-election to their seats.
Results
| Sioux Falls School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Kate Parker Incumbent |
37.8% | 8,151 | |
| Nonpartisan | Todd Thoelke Incumbent |
35.5% | 7,653 | |
| Nonpartisan | Randy Dobberpuhl | 26.8% | 5,781 | |
| Total Votes | 21,585 | |||
| Source: Sioux Falls School District, "2015 Election Results," accessed June 9, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Parker reported no contributions or expenditures to the South Dakota Secretary of State during the election.[2]
Endorsements
Parker received an endorsement from the Sioux Falls Education Association.[3]
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Kate Parker Incumbent |
32.8% | 6,805 | |
| Nonpartisan | Todd Thoelke |
28.9% | 6,002 | |
| Nonpartisan | Debbie D. Hoffman | 24.9% | 5,172 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ken Allender | 13.4% | 2,789 | |
| Total Votes | 20,768 | |||
| Source: Sioux Falls School District, "2012 Election Results," accessed February 11, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2015
Parker answered questions for the KSOO 1140 website:
| “ | 1) What is one of the best things about Sioux Falls Public Schools?
Our multiple pathways! Students from elementary all the way up to high school have so many opportunities to find student success. 2) What is the most pressing matter that should be addressed in the school system? Teacher pay. If we do not address teacher pay soon we are going to lose quality teachers, both those that are experienced and those that might be considering a profession in education. 3) What is your position on school year start times? I believe starting after Labor Day would be detrimental to the success of our students. There are so many reasons to keep the calendar as it is, and I am only hearing one reason to change it. I can have quality time with my kids no matter the temperature. 4) What is your favorite childhood school memory? The first day of school! Seeing my friends again, new teachers, new subject matter; it was always an exciting time! 5) For a student who is struggling with that one class, what advice or encouragement would you give? Talk to someone. There are so many resources available to students that are struggling and our teachers and administrators care so much about each and every student.[4] |
” |
| —Kate Parker (2015)[5] | ||
Ballotpedia survey responses
Parker participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Our Superintend [sic] is retiring after 11 years, so my top priority is to use my experience to help ensure a successful and productive transition with a new Superintendent.[4] | ” |
| —Kate Parker (2015)[6] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank seven issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Parker did not complete this part of the survey and explained, "These seven issues are all highly important in a district as large as ours, and it is impossible to rank one higher than another." The following table lists the issues she was asked to rank:
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Missouri. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking |
|---|
| Expanding arts education |
| Expanding career-technical education |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget |
| Improving college readiness |
| Closing the achievement gap |
| Improving education for special needs students |
| Expanding school choice options |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer 10 questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column of the following table:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| "They should be implemented." | |
| "As long as they are authorized and approved by the local school district." | |
| "No." | |
| "The state just began the use of Smarter Balance tests, and we will not know the results until later this year, so I cannot determine at the moment if these are an accurate metric of student success." | |
| "By offering multiple pathways to our students." | |
| "The use of expulsions should follow the policies of the school district, and are sometimes determined by state law." | |
| "Each school has a school improvement plan, and it is the job of the administration to determine what strategies to take to improve any areas that may be failing. The school board holds the administration accountable to make sure those strategies are met." | |
| "No." | |
| "Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district and offer additional training options." | |
| "Engagement. We need to build better relationships with our staff, parents and community for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the betterment of our students." |
See also
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Argus Leader, "School board candidate profile: Kate Parker," April 10, 2015
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Donation Search," accessed March 26, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Kate Parker, Sioux Falls School Board," accessed April 2, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ KSOO 1140, "Q & A: Kate Parker-Sioux Falls School Board Candidate," April 8, 2015
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015, "Kate Parker responses," March 30, 2015
| 2015 Sioux Falls School District Elections | |
| Minnehaha County, South Dakota | |
| Election date: | April 14, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Kate Parker • Incumbent, Todd Thoelke • Randy Dobberpuhl |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
