Daisy Garcia-Montoya
Education Reporter
As Kansas City Public School District (KCPS) gears up for its upcoming school board elections, candidate Jay Gray continues to campaign to make voters aware about her vision for improving the state of the district by focusing on student achievement and family engagement. Gray, a long-time student advocate and community leader, believes that the key to a successful school system is one that prioritizes the needs of its students and families.
While Sub-District 2 and At-Large winners have been determined to be Jamekia Kendreix and Joshua Jackaway due to automatically being seated as the only candidates to meet the requirements to appear on the ballot for each race respectively, Sub-District 4 will be determined by write-in votes. With only weeks away, Gray has been focused on connecting with community members, parents and educators in hopes of being elected as one of the new school board members.
Gray’s background in education and community organizing has made her a contender for the KCPS board. As a former substitute high school teacher and college advisor in the KCPS district Gray has had the opportunity to hear firsthand some of the challenges that students face in the classroom and the importance of providing them with the resources and tools necessary for success. Beyond Gray’s work in the district, she has been involved with the Black Alumni Alliance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and increasing awareness and information about voter registration.
One of Gray’s main priorities is to ensure students are engaged at the decision table in order to prioritize what students say they need in order to succeed. Something that sets Gray apart from other candidates, she says, is that she is student centered in regards to wanting to hear directly from students on what is and is not working.
“Everyone is talking about the dropout rate and talking to principals and teachers but who has asked students, ‘Why do you not want to come to school?’” Gray asked. “Why are we not talking to them?”
To increase engagement, Gray proposes showing students that they can and are advocates for their education and allowing them a space to voice their feedback during important decisions. Though KCPS recently increased the minimum salary for teachers in the district, Gray said that increasing teacher pay was one of her priorities in order to increase retention among staff members. Now that pay has been increased, providing financial support for culturally responsive training and further professional development is something that Gray would like to see in the district.
When it comes to the dynamics among other school board members, Gray says that working as a team and being mindful of each other’s opinion will go a long way as they make decisions that can impact the educational future of hundreds of students. By developing a culture of respect and family within the school board members, Gray believes that better relationships with the community can be built.
Another key aspect of Gray’s vision to increase family engagement in KCPS. She says that the disconnect between the district and families became evident during the announcement of several school closures.
“There weren’t any efforts for community meetings to hear students, staff, parents or any stakeholders voices until after the decision was made,” Gray said. “That should never happen, they are the main people who should be able to voice what the district needs.”
To achieve this, Gray proposes that the school board becomes more active in the community in order to develop relationships and trust among key stakeholders. By attending athlete events, parent meetings, and having listening sessions with students, Gray hopes to bring more physical visibility to school board members after realizing during campaigning that many individuals do not know who their school board members are nor have engaged with them.
If elected school board member, bringing back a sense of pride, trust and excitement to the district to create a positive image of KCPS is something that Gray aims to accomplish. Having been a student in the district growing up, Gray eventually was transferred outside of the district due to the lack of trust her mother felt in the district.
“My mom took me out of Lincoln, which, you know, is supposed to be the best school in KCPS, and put me at University Academy during the charter school surge because she felt like I would get more opportunities,” Gray said. “She did not have any faith or trust that the district would prepare me to go to college and be a successful individual and that bothers me that not just her, but so many people in Kansas City feel that way about the district.”
By highlighting the successes of students and pouring more resources into schools that may currently be underserved, Gray hopes to make the Greater Kansas City area turn and look at KCPS as an example of excellence.
Despite current challenges in the district, Gray remains optimistic about the future of KCPS. Gray believes that by working together with families, educators, and students, the district can create a system that provides all students with the resources they need to succeed. As Gray continues to campaign for the school board, she hopes to continue to engage with the community to develop strategies for improving education in Kansas City.
“Regardless of the outcome of this race, this is my city and it’s my community, and I’m going to do whatever I can to fix some of these issues in this community,” Gray said.
