Manchester Election 2023: Richard Kohls, Board of Education

MANCHESTER, CT — Richard Kohls is running for a seat on the Manchester Board of Education in the 2023 election.

Name

Richard Kohls

How old will you be as of Election Day?

73

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://manchesterctgop.com

What city or town do you live in?

Manchester

What office are you seeking?

Manchester Board of Education

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

townwide

Please give us your party affiliation.

Republican

Education.

BA Degree - Biology

What is your occupation?

Retired

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Single

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Manchester Board of Education - elected 2021

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am running to help improve the education for all public school students in Manchester.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue is the academic performance of Manchester students, which ranks in the bottom ten of all school districts in Connecticut. If Republicans are elected to a majority, millions of dollars now spent on central office staff will be reprogrammed to hire more teachers and paraprofessionals to reduce class sizes and improve the proficiency of math, reading and writing.

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

Democrats want to maintain the status quo.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Manchester public schools have dropped to the bottom 10 of all school districts in Connecticut for academic performance, over the 15 years the Democrats have held the majority.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

The chronic absentee rate is alarming. Our "attendance staff" spends too much time looking for students that are non-residents, so they can expel them, rather than working on encouraging parents to send their children to school.

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

I have been a substitute teacher for the past five years and I have taught in every school in Manchester.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Study and work hard.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have been a member of the Eastside Neighborhood Block Watch for over ten years.