FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Liz Benditt, Education First Shawnee Mission
liz_benditt@yahoo.com
(816) 616-5323
Education First Shawnee Mission Endorses Legislative Candidates for August Primary Races
June 28, 2018 (Overland Park, Kan.) – Education First Shawnee Mission (EFSM), a Political Action Committee (PAC) and parent advocacy group for the Shawnee Mission School District, has released its endorsements for the 2018 Kansas legislative primary races. The following candidates have received EFSM’s endorsement as a Pro-Public Education Candidate:
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District 14 – Angela Justus Schweller (D)
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District 17 – Tom Cox (R)
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District 17 – Laura Smith – Everett (D)
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District 18 – Cindy Neighbor (D)
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District 22 – Nancy Lusk (D)
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District 29 – Brett Parker (D)
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District 30 – Brandon Woodard (D)
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District 30 – Colleen Webster (R)
EFSM, which is comprised of parents and community members in the Shawnee Mission School District, sent formal surveys to all the candidates running for Kansas Legislature in races that had either a republican or democratic primary slated for August. These surveys included questions based on EFSM’s five main issues regarding the legislature: School Funding, Tax Policy, Outside Interest Groups, Privatization and School Vouchers, and Impartiality vs Propaganda. Candidates who completed the survey were then invited to meet individually with members of EFSM to share more about their positions. EFSM used a professional rubric to score both the surveys and the subsequent interviews, and final decisions on endorsements were made by totaling those scores. A copy of the EFSM candidate survey can be found on its website: www.educationfirstshawneemission.org
“We are thrilled to know so many pro-public education candidates are running for the legislature and are hoping to serve the people of Kansas,” said Megan Peters of EFSM. “All of our endorsed candidates exemplify a commitment to public schools and to the issues important to the Shawnee Mission community. We look forward to supporting them in the upcoming August 7th primary elections.”
EFSM will also be endorsing candidates for the November general election, and these will be released after the August primary. The Primary Election will take place on August 7, 2018. Early, in-person voting begins on July 23, 2018.
Education First Shawnee Mission
Education First Shawnee Mission (EFSM) is a Political Action Committee and parent advocacy group based within the Shawnee Mission School District in Johnson County, Kansas. Dedicated to improving and defending our schools, EFSM seeks to support Pro-Public School members of the Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education and Kansas State Legislators within our district boundaries. Our advocacy group is comprised of Shawnee Mission parents from all over the district, from Lenexa to Roeland Park to Overland Park (and everywhere in between). We care deeply about protecting the value of our community’s number one asset by supporting our schools. We advocate for fully funded, excellent public schools and reject the concept of privatization and school vouchers. Learn more at www.educationfirstshawneemission.org.