Marcel Harmon
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Marcel Harmon was an at-large representative on the Lawrence Public Schools Board of Education in Kansas. He was appointed to the board on September 8, 2014, to fill the vacancy on the board created by Adina Morse's resignation in August 2014.[1] His term ended in January 2018, as he did not file to run for re-election in the general election on November 7, 2017.
Harmon participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates.
Biography
Harmon earned a B.S. in architectural engineering and anthropology from Kansas State University, as well as an M.A. and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of New Mexico. He worked as a licensed engineer with M.E. Group. Harmon and his wife have two children.[2]
Elections
2015
Five seats were up for general election on April 7, 2015. Because more than three candidates filed for one position, a primary election was held on March 3, 2015.
Incumbents Bob Byers, Rick Ingram, Shannon Kimball, and Randy Masten were up for regular election. Masten was the only incumbent not to file to run for re-election. Byers, Ingram, and Kimball faced challengers Lindsey Frye, Ronald Gordon-Ross, Jessica Beeson, and Jill Fincher for the four-year terms up for election.[3] Ingram, Kimball, Beeson, and Fincher won the regular election.
An additional seat appeared on the ballot due to a vacancy on the board that was filled by appointment in 2014. Adina Morse resigned from the board in August to serve as the executive director of the Lawrence Schools Foundation. Marcel Harmon was appointed on September 8, 2014, to fill that vacancy.[4]
Because the seat would not have been up for regular election in 2015, the election for this seat was for the two years left on its unexpired term. Harmon ran to remain in the seat against challengers Mary Loveland, Kelly Spurgeon, and Norine Spears. Because more than three candidates filed for the race, a primary election was held. Harmon and Loveland advanced to the general election, where Harmon won his first full-term in the seat.[3]
Results
General
| Lawrence Public Schools, At-Large Special Election, 2-year unexpired term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Marcel Harmon Incumbent |
54.6% | 5,107 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mary Loveland | 45.4% | 4,245 | |
| Total Votes | 9,352 | |||
| Source: Douglas County, "Online Election Results (official)," accessed April 16, 2015 | ||||
Primary
| Lawrence Public Schools, At-Large Special Primary Election, 2-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Mary Loveland |
34.4% | 2,727 | |
| Nonpartisan | Marcel Harmon Incumbent |
28% | 2,215 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kelly Spurgeon | 19.8% | 1,566 | |
| Nonpartisan | Norine Spears | 17.9% | 1,416 | |
| Total Votes | 7,924 | |||
| Source: ’’Douglas County, Kansas’’, “Online Election Results (official),” March 9, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Harmon reported no contributions or expenditures to the Douglas County Clerk in this election.[5]
Endorsements
Harmon was endorsed by fellow board members Rick Ingram, Randy Masten and Vanessa Sanburn. He was also endorsed by fellow candidate Kelly Spurgeon, who was defeated in the primary election. Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman, state Rep. Dennis "Boog" Highberger (D-46) and state Sen. Marci Francisco (D-2) also endorsed Harmon.[6]
Campaign themes
2015
Ballotpedia survey responses
Harmon participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | My top priority is to both listen to and communicate with the community, as well as collaboratively work with my fellow board members, the administrators and district personnel. Beyond that I’m not sure I have a “top” priority. An immediate priority is school funding – advocating with the legislature during the remainder of this session, adjusting the remainder of this year’s budget based on potential cuts to the 2014-2015 school year and then soon after budgeting for next year based on the outcomes in Topeka. After that comes the areas I’ve been assigned to as a board member and have the skills/experience to best address, such as the new sustainability goal, facilities issues (including the bond implementation) and science standards implementation.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel J. Harmon (2015)[8] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Kansas. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding career-technical education | |
| Improving college readiness | |
| 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, but we need to ensure that our teachers have adequate professional development and that assessments actually assess the goals of the standards." | |
| "No, but I would be willing to consider some type of magnet school." | |
| "Generally no, but I'm willing to state that there may be circumstances I am unaware of where it could be warranted." | |
| "They are a limited metric of student achievement and it is time that our assessments evolve into a form that actually assesses what the KCCRS will be teaching." | |
| "Lawrence does a fairly good job at providing opportunities for our high and low achieving students, though obviously we want to close the gap between the high and low, while raising it overall. I believe that if the district continues to a) support existing programs/policies such as Pacific Educational Group’s (PEG) Systemic Equity Transformation Process, Beyond Diversity Training, AVID, etc., b) support the exploration of new ideas/programs, such as the expanded LEAP Ambassadors Program and c) support efforts to adapt to individual student/family needs, then the gap will continue to shrink while overall achievement continues to rise." | |
| "I personally think that expulsion cases should generally be viewed on a case-by-case basis and that practices like positive behavior strategies should generally be used before expulsion is considered." | |
| "I find it unlikely that this would happen in Lawrence, but if it did we would first have to assess the underlying reasons for the school's "failure" and then take corrective action. Because the underlying reasons could range anywhere from a lack of school administrative leadership to rolling out programs without sufficient teacher professional development to a general lack of resources, it is difficult for me to provide a more specific answer than assess, develop/implement solution, then monitor/adjust." | |
| "There are pros and cons to this that I haven't fully thought through yet, though I'm leaning against it because of the difficulties surrounding teacher assessment." | |
| "I believe that it should be all of the first three items and that they should be implemented and assessed prior to considering termination."* | |
| "Lawrence generally has fairly good community-school board relations. We've managed to achieve this by involving community members in key decisions impacting the district. Examples include involving community members in one-time task forces/committees, such as the Facility Vision Task Force that was formed to address elementary facility needs, as well as standing committees, such as the Boundary Advisory Committee and the Financial Advisory Committee. Board members also must be able and willing to communicate the actions of the school board to the general public – the what and the why to help maintain transparency, while also keeping confidential matters confidential. And school board members must make decisions that account for all students, teachers/staff, as well as the district and community as a whole." | |
| The three items Harmon referred to were the following multiple choice options on the survey: Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district, offer additional training options and put underperforming teachers on a probationary period while they seek to improve. | |
Campaign website
Harmon provided the following statements on his campaign website:
| “ | I have high standards for our curriculum and educational materials, exemplified by my work on the Kansas Review Committee for the Next Generation Science Standards.
I have high standards for our facilities and learning environments, demonstrated by:
I have high standards for our legislators in Topeka, illustrated by my advocacy for funding and policies that will provide the best education possible to our children. Why do I have such high standards? Because our children deserve no less.[7] |
” |
| —Marcel Harmon's campaign website (2015)[9] | ||
| “ | Why I’m Running for School Board
I have a strong commitment - and passion - for public education. My parents were public school teachers, and I’ve spent a significant amount of my professional experience consulting with school districts and universities to improve the experiences of students and staff members. I firmly believe that a strong public education system, from early childhood through a variety of postsecondary options, is absolutely critical for a functioning democracy. Serving on the school board provides me with the opportunity to help build on our district’s many strengths as well as give back to Lawrence.[7] |
” |
| —Marcel Harmon's campaign website (2015)[9] | ||
Lawrence Journal-World questionnaire
Harmon participated in a candidate questionnaire distributed by the Lawrence Journal-World. The questions and his responses are listed below:[10]
"What makes you the right candidate for the school board?"
| “ | Since my appointment last fall, I have worked to meet the high standards established through the board’s goal-setting process. I seek input from community members, teachers and staff and my fellow board members, review relevant research as needed, consistently evaluate evidence with a critical eye and work to meet the needs of our students and teachers in an equitable and efficient manner. Some of my skills and experience are particularly suited for overseeing the implementation of the bond, addressing additional facility issues in the future, implementation of our sustainability goal as well as the common core and science standards.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
"What issues should the school board focus on in the coming years?"
| “ | I will refer you to the board’s 2014-2015 goals (http://usd497.schoolwires.net/Page/6356). While I was not on the board when they were formulated, I agree with them and also had advocated for the sustainability goal as a community member. In addition to the goals and issues I previously mentioned, some specific things I will personally be involved with or advocating for over the next few years include addressing the achievement gap, addressing facility needs still unmet, such as Lawrence High School, expansion of blended learning, collaboration with other government bodies, safe routes to school and advocacy with our state leaders.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
"How should the board address the budget issues it faces because of state cuts?"
| “ | The board and administration are currently working on a process to a) formulate where the potential cuts could occur, b) how to weigh the options relative to their potential impact on the board’s goals and the district’s mission, vision and overall focus on excellence, equity and engagement and c) the board’s process for making the final decision. We want community and teacher/staff input on this, but have not determined how this will occur. The Facility Advisory Committee will also be involved in the process, likely to help formulate or review the potential options as well as help assess their potential impacts.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
"Are Lawrence students shortchanged in any aspect of their education?"
| “ | Yes, the governor and Kansas legislature are shortchanging our students by not fully funding the formula that funds public schools. The effectiveness of all of the policies, programs and initiatives we are implementing to improve equity and the success of all of our students will be negatively impacted by these budget cuts and other anti-public school legislation coming out of Topeka. We will do our best as a board and district to minimize the negative impacts, as well as advocate directly with legislators, but their actions will continue to hamper our efforts to prevent our students from being shortchanged.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
"Do you support Common Core standards? Why or why not?"
| “ | Yes, I support the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards (KCCRS), including the science standards. They represent a positive step forward as we move away from No Child Left Behind, providing a more consistent, clearer understanding of what students are expected to learn. They are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills needed for success in college and careers. And as they are already being implemented, Kansas districts (including Lawrence) have already invested significant resources and time in preparing our teachers and staff to implement the new standards.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
"Should teachers have tenure rights? Is it 'too hard' to fire teachers with tenure?"
| “ | Yes, teachers should have due process rights, which is what “tenure” refers to. They provide teachers and relevant staff some protection against capricious dismissal. Eliminating due process increases job insecurity, decreasing overall teacher efficiency and effectiveness, and negatively impacting students' education experience and eventual success. A lack of due process can also make it harder to attract high quality teachers. And due process also protects school districts by limiting subsequent litigation and associated costs that ultimately are born by the taxpayers. Nor does the process make it “too hard” to dismiss teachers when actually warranted; it isn’t a job guarantee.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
"Do you support moving school board elections to November in even numbered years and/or making the elections partisan?"
| “ | No. Moving the elections to November will simply make it harder to engage community members as the local elections are lost in a "sea of partisan races." In addition, school board members assuming office in the middle of the school year a) does not coincide with the district’s fiscal year, b) limits their effectiveness for that school year as they try to get up to speed and c) negates their opportunity to help set the board goals for the year that they take office. Partisanship is also divisive and distracts from the important school issues at hand.[7] | ” |
| —Marcel Harmon (2015)[10] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Marcel + Harmon + Lawrence + Public + Schools"
See also
- Lawrence Public Schools, Kansas
- Lawrence Public Schools, Kansas elections (2015)
- Clean sweep for school board incumbents... (March 4, 2015)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lawrence Journal World, "Marcel Harmon appointed to Lawrence school board," September 8, 2014
- ↑ Marcel Harmon for Lawrence School Board, "About Marcel," accessed February 10, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Douglas County Clerk, "Unofficial City/School Candidate Filings To Date," January 27, 2015
- ↑ Lawrence Journal World, "Marcel Harmon appointed to Lawrence school board," September 8, 2014
- ↑ Douglas County Clerk, "Candidate Reports," accessed May 28, 2015
- ↑ Marcel Harmon for Lawrence School Board, "Endorsements," accessed March 16, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015, "Marcel Harmon's responses," March 17, 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Marcel Harmon for Lawrence School Board, "High Standards," accessed February 10, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Lawrence Journal-World, "School board questionnaire: Marcel Harmon," February 22, 2015
| 2015 Lawrence Public Schools Elections | |
| Douglas County, Kansas | |
| Election date: | Primary: March 3, 2015 • General: April 7, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large, 4-year terms (Four seats): • Incumbent, Bob Byers • Incumbent, Rick Ingram • Incumbent, Shannon Kimball • Lindsey Frye • Ronald Gordon-Ross • Jessica Beeson • Jill Fincher
At-large, 2-year term (One seat): • Incumbent, Marcel Harmon • Mary Loveland • Kelly Spurgeon • Norine Spears |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
