Candidate Profile 2021: Nicole Khan, Council Rock School Board

NEWTOWN, PA — Nicole Khan, of Wrightstown, is a Democrat running for a position on the Council Rock School Board in Region 9.

A former Philadelphia-area teacher and dean of students, as well as a Bucks County resident for the past 17 years, Khan is running for School Board Director of the Council Rock School District. If elected, this would be Khan's first elected or appointed office.

The general election will take place on Nov. 2.

Here's Khan's profile, as filled out by the candidate:

Age (as of Election Day)

42

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Family

Raz Khan (46), Zayn (7) second grader in CRSD. We have lived here in the CRSD area for 17 years, 9 of those years in Wrightstown.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BA in Studio Art
Masters Ed in Elementary Education, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Level II Certification in K-6 Elementary Education in PA

Occupation

8 years as elementary teacher and dean of students (1 year, included in the total of 8)
Stay at home currently

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.nicolekhan.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

My husband and I have been local community members for 17 years. We have a son in 2nd grade in CRSD. I am a first generation immigrant and my early childhood years were spent in and out of foster homes before I came to this country. I did not have the opportunity to go to school until I was adopted along with my brother and came to this country at the age of 7. I grew up in a small, rural town, in a blue-collar family. I know from first hand experience the importance of a quality education. When we relocated to this area, I had recently graduated with my Master's in Elementary Education and we chose to live in the CRSD. I would bring a unique perspective to the school board because of my personal background and experience as a former teacher, a current parent of a CRSD student and an active PTO board member. In my years as an educator, I was a lead teacher, inclusive teacher, mentor and a Dean of Students. I have a deep passion for education and am keenly aware of the difficulties, challenges and hard work it takes to have high achieving schools. I know what hard work and an education can get you. I want to ensure the continued future success of Council Rock and our community.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our current school board is the lack of conversation about educating our children. I want to put the focus back on education, while keeping our children and staff safely in school. I will advocate for a rigorous academic curriculum which includes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) at all levels of education. I will work to bring our community together and reject divisive political agendas. I will make sure our schools are a place where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. I want to keep Council Rock a desirable place to live with strong property values. I will bring responsible leadership to the school board.

The political divisiveness came to a head last month when our board voted 5-4 to ignore the guidelines from the CDC, the PA Department of Health and other local and national health officials days before the beginning of the school year. The plan did not mandate masks and offered very little in support of health mitigation to keep our children and teachers safely in schools. After the PA Dept. of Health passed the mandate for universal masking, the majority of our board members decided to create a medical exemption form with no medical signature required.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe in science and common sense policy that puts our children first to keep them in the classrooms where the belong. I will be a reasonable and thoughtful decision maker. I will listen to all the members of our community, not only those who yell the loudest.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I think the current board member has failed to follow common sense and the medical experts who have all advised a path very different than the one our district is on. It would have been simple to put our children safely in school for the duration of the entire year with the least amount of disruption by following the medical experts and health professionals. She has allowed national politics to guide her vote rather than focusing on what's best for our children and our school district.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I want every child in our district to receive the best education they can. Schools are important not only for a child's academic achievement but also in life. As individuals we all want to feel welcome, accepted and treated well by our fellow neighbors. School is a place where students develop their understanding of the world and their ability to make meaningful change in it. We want to keep out politicians who are trying to make our classrooms a battleground, creating divisions and endangering public education. Together we can reject divisive agendas and make all our schools in CRSD a place where every child can learn, grow, and thrive. Let us continue this important work, bring our community together and make it stronger.

I want to depoliticize our School Board, follow the science in the interest of our children’s health and safety and refocus on educational excellence.

During these highly charged, emotional times, when we are talking about our children and our future as a community, I often think about the legacy we want to leave for our children as they grow to become adults. What will they remember from their years here at Council Rock? We as parents want our children to feel welcome, valued, and provided every opportunity to succeed in school and in life. When we look forward to the future, whether that be higher education, military service, training programs or the workforce, we all want all our children to be successful. We need to teach children how to work and live with a diverse group of people. Most importantly we want to teach and model how to respect each other. Our best foot forward is to work together, do what is right for our students, and give them the tools to become successful and productive members of our society.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I taught elementary education in Philadelphia for eight years. I was not only an inclusive classroom teacher but also a grade team leader for many years. I participated in and led committees, organized large school events and ran professional development workshops. I was a mentor and had a model classroom for district members to view and observe. I spent my last year as a Dean of Students where I worked closely with parents, students and teachers on a daily basis. I was also recognized as regional Teacher of the Year. I have volunteered through the years as a Board President at my son’s pre-school, homeroom parent, classroom photographer, PTO school board secretary and current PTO Vice President at my son’s elementary school. I feel confident that I can handle this job and as a lifelong learner I will put in the hard work to learn the job to the best of my ability. Six months ago, I had no idea how to run a political campaign for the school board, which is a nonpartisan, unpaid, four-year elected term. I would say I’ve learned a few new things about life and the world of politics since that time.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Do what is right and true and never let anyone stop you.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a thoughtful, hardworking and dedicated individual. I will get the work done and will strive to keep CRSD the desirable place to live while being fiscally responsible. I hope that as we get closer and closer to election time, we all remember that this is about our children and our future as a community. I am many things including a mother, wife, PTO board member and former teacher. I am one of you, a community member and only want what is in the best interest of all our students, schools and local community. I believe in our electoral process, regardless of our personal beliefs, political affiliation, or viewpoints. We all have one vote, make it count.