Susan Hines

Susan Hines is an at-large member of the North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education. She assumed office on September 25, 2023. Her current term ends on April 6, 2027.

Hines ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education. She won in the general election on April 2, 2024.

Hines completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Susan Hines earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1999. She earned a graduate degree from the School for International Training in 2001 and a graduate degree from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2021. Her career experience includes working as a talent and leadership development partner at Siemens, an executive coach, a leadership and learning strategist, and a standardized testing executive leader. Hines has been affiliated with the International Coaching Federation.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education on April 2, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susan Hines (Nonpartisan)	20.9	3,955
✔	Submit photo	Jane Rinehart (Nonpartisan)	19.6	3,706
✔		Joe Jacobs (Nonpartisan)	19.3	3,653
		Aryn Peters (Nonpartisan)	15.5	2,938
		Roy Copeland III (Nonpartisan)	10.1	1,909
		Brock Foley (Nonpartisan)	9.0	1,712
		Tirdad Daei (Nonpartisan)	5.6	1,063

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,936
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Hines in this election.

2022

General election

General election for North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education on April 5, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Daniel Wartick (Nonpartisan)	22.2	4,256
✔	Terry Ward (Nonpartisan)	22.0	4,219
	Laura Wagner (Nonpartisan)	13.5	2,576
	Duane Bartsch (Nonpartisan)	11.9	2,280
	Josiah Bechthold (Nonpartisan)	11.1	2,115
	Frances Yang (Nonpartisan)	10.9	2,090
	Susan Hines (Nonpartisan)	6.7	1,280
	Andrew Corrao (Nonpartisan)	1.7	322

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 19,138
= 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.
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Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released February 1, 2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Susan Hines completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hines' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My connection to North Kansas City Schools goes back 100 years. My grandmother, Hilda Blosser (Linville), graduated from North Kansas City High School in 1938. My mother, Bonnie Hines, had her first elementary teaching job at Oakwood Manor. She continued her teaching career for 40+ years and enthusiastically volunteers today at the age of 81.

My professional journey has uniquely prepared me for board service. A snapshot of my skills includes teaching English as a Second Language (ESOL), standardized testing director, coaching, facilitation, leadership, and management. From active listening to data analytics, I bring a wide array of skills and tools crucial for navigating challenges in education today. You can find more details of my educational and professional experience on LinkedIn.

Born in Pusan, South Korea and adopted at the age of five, I faced a world unfamiliar in language, appearance, and culture. The inclusive ethos of public school educators and the community I grew up in (Grandview) allowed me to not just adapt but thrive.

In 2020, my husband and I made the pivotal decision to move our family from Philadelphia (back) to the Kansas City area. Choosing North Kansas City Schools was a deliberate choice. The reputation of the district and its many kinds of seen and unseen diversity - socioeconomic, racial, and more - made our choice clear. Our kids are thriving!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Being elected to the School Board will enable me to continue championing an educational environment that mirrors the inclusivity, resilience, and excellence that defined my own educational journey. Let's access, affirm, and activate the full potential of all children of North Kansas City Schools together!
The students in our district inspire me every day-
- - - Northtown students spoke up in 2021 about the district’s need to review the approach and policy on removing books from our libraries with passion, eloquence, conviction, and persuasion.
- - - A student spoke about how the restorative approach she experienced in the Temporary Alternate Placement Center helped her to move forward and return to school with new-found confidence and sense of purpose.
    - I am proud of how our district continues to evolve and adapt - the homogenous, rural district that my grandmother, Hilda Linville, went to school in through the 1920s and 30s is very different from the cosmopolitan canopy our community has become.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe that public education holds the transformative power to unlock and develop the potential within every child. Being a champion for public schools is one of the greatest and most important roles I have. Public education is foundational to thriving democratic societies.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I cleaned rental cars with my older brother for the summer. The garage we worked out of was not air conditioned. Manual labor can be very satisfying and it was exhausting. I learned why rental cars always have a new car smell - there's a spray freshener that's actually called "new car smell". I also really liked working with my brother and saw his budding managerial skills even as a teenager.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Identity was a significant struggle throughout childhood and into early adulthood. I was born in Korea and adopted by a family in Grandview, Missouri when I was five. Although my exterior is Asian, I never felt like a Korean; I didn't identify with the people or culture. So, I identified as white for much of my life. My imposter syndrome took the form of me feeling like a "fake" Asian. I am still figuring out how and what being Korean means for me and my family, but I have learned to become more comfortable with being uncomfortable and learning from that discomfort.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

As a board member, I am a non-partisan advocate for quality public education that is accessible to all kids in our community. That advocacy requires that I

1. Engages with the community through multi-directional communication. I listen, with compassion and curiosity, to all stakeholders in our district including, but not limited to children, parents, the community, and educators.

2. Employs, delegates, and holds accountable the Superintendent in a relationship marked by mutual respect. It is not my role to make curricular or staff hiring decisions. The School Board hires and evaluates the performance of the Superintendent and empowers the Superintendent to manage the daily operations of the district.

3. Holds our Board accountable - within the board through inclusive behaviors and externally as role models in the community unified in their motivation and interest in enabling student success.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

The North Kansas City School District has been leading the way establishing policy and actions to affirm and celebrate diversity, improve equity, define a culture of inclusivity, and create a sense of belonging. While I am very proud of the district being a leader in our state and nationally, we have so much more we can do.

My support of the diverse needs of the district takes many forms including membership in the district Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Advisory Council. As a board member, parent, and member of the community, I
1. Listen deeply enough to be changed by what I hear
2. Create space for others

3. Assume best intentions and own and hold myself accountable for the impact of what I say and do

Tell us your favorite joke.

This is horrible, but it's my favorite because I can remember it: What did the number zero say to the number eight? .... wait for it.... Nice belt.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

North Kansas City National Education Association

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

Show up! There are hundreds, if not thousands, of district and community events . Showing up, engaging, and enjoying these events is an honor and privilege. I take seriously my responsibility to make myself available and visible as a board member, parent, and community member who is ready to listen and be genuinely curious about different perspectives. I hope that I will continue to grow my reputation as a person who can engage in meaningful, productive, and respectful conversation with every parent in our district.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Susan Hines completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hines' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am running for School Board in the North Kansas City Public Schools district in the state of Missouri. I’ve demonstrated my passion for lifelong learning throughout all seasons of my career – first as an ESOL teacher, then as a standardized test development professional at a not-for-profit, and now in HR at a 300,000-person international company. My teaching, assessment, and corporate experience can uniquely contribute to the mission, future vision, and strategy of NKC schools. As a parent of two young bi-racial children and woman adopted from South Korea, my journey overcoming and breaking barriers drives the compassion I have for people, especially those from underrepresented groups.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The well-being (physical, emotional, and mental) of everyone in our community matters. Let’s make talking about and acting to support well-being part of our new normal.
Teacher retention: What if we reframe the Great Resignation as the Great Awakening? What insights could this uncover to ensure we're making our district a place where students and teachers thrive?
Leadership roles, including and especially the School Board, should be inclusive of the wide variety of seen and unseen differences in our community. Inclusive representation ensures that our district mission, vision, strategy, and service supports everyone so we can access, affirm, and activate the full potential of every student.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Strong public schools are one of the most important pillars of our society. Enabling all children to become lifelong learners - to learn how to learn - will propel them to continue bettering themselves and society throughout their lives. Schools are where discussion and learning of public policy issues intersect. Education must be more than learning facts and figures because the speed at which information changes makes it nearly impossible to keep up with new knowledge. To cultivate communities that are greater than the sum of its individuals, learning about and exercising people power skills - curiosity, compassion, empathy - must be part of our education system. These people power skills are what will differentiate and help our students become leaders of whatever future they pursue. The Great Resignation which has been amplified by the recent pandemic is a threat to strong public schools. Teachers, understandably, are leaving the profession because they are undervalued, under-compensated, and undersupported. We need to listen proactively and act now to retain and recruit great teachers.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my mother, who was an elementary school teacher for more than 45 years (and continued substitute teaching for a decade after retirement). She tirelessly serves her community and has been part of the same "mom group" for more than 40 years. These moms are now grandmothers and great grandmothers and they are one of the most inclusive social groups I know. I admire these friendships that have flourished because their group is so diverse - politically, professionally, religion/spirtuality, and more. Her inner drive to rally those around her to fight for student and community rights amazes me. My mom grew up in the tiny town of Turney, Missouri. She attended school in a two-room schoolhouse and graduated high school in a class of less than 40. Curiosity and love of learning led her to seek out a college education and explore the world. And, when it became clear that having a second child would be nearly impossible, she decided to adopt internationally. I was five when I came here from South Korea. My parents could have ignored my birth culture and assimilated me to Midwestern life, but they made sure to expose me to Korean language, culture, and food though it was strange (and stinky) for them. I became an ESOL teacher because of my love for learning about the world and its many different people and because of the great educator my mom is. I cannot think of any situation when I didn't see my mom engage with another human no matter what their beliefs because she's curious and interested in people. This is what I want my children to see, learn, and do as well.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Though not a political philosophy book, SMART LEADERS, SMARTER TEAMS by Roger Schwarz is the book I would recommend to anyone who wants to know my mindset, values, and ideal behaviors. Schwarz describes in detail how mutual learning mindset, values, and behaviors result in better-performing teams. I think this can be generalized to better-performing schools districts, communities, and societies. I believe a shared context of personal accountability, transparency, compassion, and curiosity supported by valuing differences as opportunities for learning, recognition that I may be contributing to a problem, and others' perspectives that are different from my own - all of these components - will enable productive and constructive conflict.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Deep curiosity about people, organizations, and systems. Compassion for everyone who is struggling to show up as they are. Ability to speak with candor and facilitate conversations that include discussing "elephants" in the room without alienating people who need to be part of the conversations.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

A school board member's primary job is to work with the community to allocate resources so that every student is able to activate their full potential.

Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?

YES! There is a "canvas" from an organization called Opportunity Hub that can be used as an auditing tool to evaluate seven areas of corporate responsibility. This could easily be adapted to any organization/body that employs people, including public school systems. The seven areas are: Governance (School Board and District Leadership), Human Resources, Procurement, Innovation (in school programming and services), Marketing, Investment, and Community Impact.

Tell us your favorite joke.

What did the woman say, when she ran into the bar?

"Ouch"

(ba dum bum)

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 21, 2022
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 28, 2024

[bio1-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 21, 2022

[bio2-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 28, 2024

[1]

[2]

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Susan Hines

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education (3 seats)

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education (2 seats)

Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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