Karen Soule

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Karen Soule

Nonpartisan

Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3

Tenure

2020 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

5

Successor

Sarah Georges

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 7, 2023

Education

Bachelor's

University of Maine Farmington, 1970

Graduate

Plymouth State College, 1986

Other

University of New Hampshire, 1995

Personal

Profession

Educator

Karen Soule is a member of the Manchester Board of School Committee in New Hampshire, representing Ward 3. Soule assumed office on January 7, 2020. Soule's current term ends in 2026.

Soule ran for re-election to the Manchester Board of School Committee to represent Ward 3 in New Hampshire. Soule won in the general election on November 7, 2023.

Biography

Karen Soule earned a bachelor's degree in speech therapy and elementary education from University of Maine Farmington in 1970. Soule earned a master's degree in education administration and supervision from Plymouth State College in 1986. She earned a certificate of advanced graduate studies from the University of New Hampshire in 1995. Soule's career experience includes working as an educator, superintendent of schools, adjunct professor, principal, special education coordinator, and speech therapist.

Elections

2023

See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2023)

General election

General election for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3

Incumbent Karen Soule won election in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3 on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karen Soule (Nonpartisan)	97.4	683
		Other/Write-in votes	2.6	18

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 701
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Karen Soule advanced from the primary for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Soule in this election.

2021

See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2021)

General election

General election for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3

Incumbent Karen Soule defeated Karen Lessard in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karen Soule (Nonpartisan)	59.5	495
	Submit photo	Karen Lessard (Nonpartisan)	40.5	337

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 832
= 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.

Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Karen Soule and Karen Lessard advanced from the primary for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3.

2019

See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2019)

General election

General election for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3

Karen Soule defeated incumbent Mary Ngwanda Georges in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee Ward 3 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karen Soule (Nonpartisan)	51.3	433
		Mary Ngwanda Georges (Nonpartisan)	47.5	401
		Other/Write-in votes	1.2	10

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 844
= 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.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Karen Soule did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Karen Soule did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Karen Soule completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Soule's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

Student Success, Achievement

Building consensus and relationships

Building a strong team of educators supported by a fiscally responsible budget

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education as our students are the future of America

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

Margaret Chase Smith former Senator from Maine who fought for her principles in spite of political pressure and helped to bring down the McCarthy era. Her passion and persistence helped to lead our country on a better path.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Making ethical decisions, listening, valuing multiple points of view to reach consensus always focusing in my case on students and their families

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

I have an ethical responsibility to make decisions based on the best interests of our students an their families, while listening to various points of view, all of the information presented to make an informed decision while at the same time being responsible to all of the citizens in Manchester.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities are to develop policies and procedures that support our educational team and thus building a strong educational system for our students.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Our school district and our students being in a better place.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of John F. Kennedy announced on our antiquated PA system. I was a sophomore in high school

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

I babysat my entire senior yr. in high school and then I worked at WT Grant's as a waitress and cashier throughout my college years.

What happened on your most awkward date?

No answer

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

I would say Thanksgiving as it is a time to give thanks and we have a tradition that we have started I our family that gives it the true meaning of giving thanks and our family values

What is your favorite book? Why?

I really don't have a favorite book as every book whether it is for professional reading or pleasure has meaning in its own right.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Charlie Brown

What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?

My chair because I can sit in it and look out at the river, can rock back and forth and have quiet time to think and reflect.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Carmen

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

Controlling my weight

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

To develop policies and procedures that support our entire educational community

Who are your constituents?

Citizens in Ward three

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

By learning about all of the comunithy resources that are available to our students and their famiies to determine how best to support their uniques needs.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I am still learning so will be outreaching to the NAACP, International Institute, community health and wellness agencies, local youth organizations, Manchester Proud as well as local businesses and senor citizens just to name a few.

What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

Listen, learn about their cultures, their languages and how they can support the education of their children because I do not profess to understand their family needs. It is similar to working with our deaf, hear of hearing or our vision impaired communities which also have unique needs.

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?

This is a very difficult question to answer because the district can recruit on-line, through colleges, national search engines but will candidates want to teach in Manchester. It is up to demonstrate why Manchester is a great place to teach and that we demonstrate that we will support them in any way that we can.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

Their are multiple issues to consider starting with the welfare and well-being of families. Many of our children come to us without proper nutrition, health care and adverse child hood experiences so it is important that each student feels a sense of belonging and feels safe in school before learning can begin.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

It begins with meeting the individual needs of each student through personalized learning and the development of the knowledge, skills and dispositions that a student needs to meet the challenges of our global society.

What type of skills should students be learning for success in the 21st century?

The ability to work together, to create, use technology as a tool and most importantly know how to seek information. It is up to the educational team to educate the school board in the latest and most effective educational tool and techniques to meet our students needs.

How might you improve the value of a high school diploma? What should a 21st century diploma reflect?

I would leave this up to our educational team, but that it is not about rote skills, but how the information that is taught teaches our students how to think, be critical thinkers,solve problems having the knowledge skills and dispositions to meet the everchanging needs of our global society.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

I would support the Manchester School of Technology, al of the efforts at Wet High School starting with the Leader in Me as well as support internships, business partnerships and how by learning our own cultural biases that we can better educate our diverse populations.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

First of all review the budget for areas that could be streamlined or even eliminated based on data. I would set priorities and be sure that our resources are being used to maximize student achievement and are we are still begin fiscally responsible. Are there ways that we could use bid budgeting to maximize our purchase of materials and supplies?

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

The guidning principles are to have the security systems in place, on-going training for staff and students so that if an event occurs the school community is prepared. Each year the district should update all security procedures, including any infrastructure needs budgeted so that each building is prepared.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

We need to be working with our local mental health providers to assure that our staff, students and families get the guidance, support and assistance they need. Staff through professional development, individual support and guidance within their schools. Families being given guidance through referrals to mental health agencies or family support and students through our guidance and social workers.

What role do you imagine technology playing in (and outside) the classroom in the future? How would you prepare the district for this?

Technology continues to play a uniques and ever increasing role in our ociety which eams we as schools need to embrace it, but also understand how powerful yet intrusive it can be. It is really up to the experts to help educate all of us in how to best use it to the advantage our staff, students and their families.

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.

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

“	Is there anything you would like to add? I am passionate about public education and have the expertise, time and energy to be a contributing member of the Manchester Board of School Committee.	”
—Karen Soule

See also

2023 Elections

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External links

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