Nora Katzenberger, candidate for Lakewood Board of Education

Candidate name: Nora Katzenberger 

Candidate email: norawk@gmail.com 

Candidate age:  55 

Candidate’s stated party affiliation: Democrat 

Position Sought: Lakewood City Schools Board of Education Member 

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No 

What is your educational background?  

BA in English, University of Pennsylvania, 1992; Certificate in Screenwriting for Film and Television, UCLA, 2006 

What is your occupation?  

Writer, Self-Employed 

Do you have any previous experience as an elected official?   

Currently a member of the Lakewood City Schools Board of Education. 

Why are you seeking office?  

I am currently seeking re-election to the Lakewood School Board because I think that public schools are the foundation of everything good in our world. In Lakewood, we provide an excellent education to every child, giving children the opportunities and support they need to succeed on whatever path they choose. I have been honored to have been a part of this effort over the past four years in my first term on the Board, and I would love to keep serving our children, families and community. In addition, public education is facing significant threats from policies and other measures that threaten student privacy, local control, the separation of church and state, free speech and more. I want to stay on the Board to protect our students and ensure that public education remains an important part of our society and a vital resource for our children for years to come. 

What do you think the single most pressing issue facing the Lakewood School Board is?  

This is a pivotal point for the Lakewood City Schools, and public education in general. While there are many challenges, the most pressing challenges fall into two major areas.  

First, we are facing some significant local challenges. Our district is unique in that it is a walking district, with no busing. Currently, we have seven neighborhood elementary schools, and children and families walk, ride bikes or drive to get to school. Due to declining birth rates and enrollment over the last decade, we are engaged in a project to decide whether to repurpose one of our elementary schools, which would allow us to maintain walkability while balancing our enrollment across fewer schools, or redistrict the boundaries of our seven schools. This is a difficult community conversation, made more so by a group engaged in an active opposition campaign. I would like to see this project through to its successful conclusion, and ensure that the transition to the next phase is smooth and stable. I want to continue to promote a unified community for our students and families.  

Second, there are major challenges facing public education at the state and federal level. I believe that public education right now is at a point of existential crisis. Actions by the federal government and the State of Ohio are dismantling the foundations of our schools, removing essential protections for our children and attacking local control. There are measures that drain our funding through vouchers and other means, eliminate protections for our LGBTQ+ students, and increasingly aggressive efforts to bring religious programming into public schools, where they don’t belong. I want to stay and fight these measures and maintain the integrity of our public schools, which I feel are a basic Constitutional right of every person in our country. 

What differentiates you from other candidates?  

I have a broad and inclusive vision for our students and schools. I bring true joy to my role on the Board, with the belief that every child in our district deserves an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential. As a parent whose own children attend Lakewood schools, including one who graduated this June, I have witnessed first-hand all the benefits and excellence that our schools have to offer, as well as the challenges and areas of potential improvement. Prior to my service on the Board, I was a PTA president, I chaired the District’s school levy campaign and I served on numerous committees and advisory roles. When it comes to athletics, music and drama programs, gifted services, 504 plans, AP courses, elementary specials, all manner of curriculum, and so much more, I’ve experienced it both as a parent and a Board member. When we talk about safety in schools, I bring my perspective as a Board member, reviewing policies and helping District leaders establish relationships with local law enforcement, but I also see it through the eyes of a mom who has received a “Mom, I just want you to know I love you” text during an active school lockdown. I bring hope and vision to this role, while also understanding challenges and dependencies. I know that we have real issues that we need to address now, while understanding that we have to have perspective on how our decisions will affect our students and schools years from now. I bring my thoughts, experience and ideas to my role as a Board member, but every decision is infused with heart and emotion. 

Please summarize your campaign platform.  

If I have the good fortune of continuing to serve on the Lakewood Board of Education, my goals include:  

Ensure Excellence in Education for Every Child in Lakewood  

Each and every child in Lakewood deserves the same excellent education, regardless of their income level, neighborhood or how long they have lived here. Our educational programs should create a pipeline from start to finish that offers our children a wide range of choices and opportunities that prepare them for whatever path they choose in life, whether it be college, a trade, the military, starting a business, caring for a family, or any combination of these goals..  

Protect Public Education  

Public Education is under attack at the state and federal level, and local school boards are the last line of defense. We must work as a team to enact policies that support our teachers. No book bans. No rewriting history. No censorship. We need curriculum, educational materials and classroom discussions that are free from political and ideological restrictions. As a Board, we will join other districts to oppose policies that subvert our ability to run our District according to our own community’s values, including keeping religious instruction out of our schools and funding our schools fairly and legally.  

Defend Our Community’s Values and Beliefs  

We need to protect the rights and dignity of every student, including members of the LGBTQ+ community; students of different races, genders and nations of origin; and students of different socioeconomic levels. As educators, we must incorporate the Vision of a Lakewood Ranger into everything we do: critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, growth mindset, global awareness and citizenship and empathy, all viewed through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion and social-emotional learning. Walkability, safe routes to school, and neighborhood schools that make Lakewood special must continue to be top priorities. 

What past experiences indicate that you’ll succeed as a Lakewood school board member?  

Because I am seeking re-election, I am happy to say that my past four years on the Board of Education have prepared me for the next four. Serving on the Board of Education is an interesting job — I have had to become accustomed to acting as an advisor, one who shapes events and acts as a team with my fellow Board members, while also serving as a liaison between the community and District leaders. I came from a strong background as a school and community volunteer, and as a “roll up my sleeves” kind of person it took awhile for me to get used to this different approach. I soon realized that we as a Board do a lot of big things quietly, which people might not see but are very important. As previously mentioned, I’m also a parent of two children in the district, one who just graduated from our high school and one who is a junior. Experiencing the ups and downs of how our district actually functions on a day to day basis through the eyes of a parent gives me important insights in my advisory role. Prior to my service on the Board, I ran our district’s most recent levy campaign, served as a PTA president, served our district’s education foundation, and numerous committees. I continue to be an active participant in music and athletic boosters through my children’s participation, which keeps me connected to the volunteer perspective.  

Coming to my service on the Board with a background as a community volunteer has had a big effect on my approach to this role. I believe building community is the foundation for effective service on the Board of Education. Building community means creating connections, and working to eliminate isolation. The more we are connected in community with each other, the easier it is to break down barriers. When you can work with community members you know and trust, it is easier to take action to fight for rights that you believe in. When you have community members who you love and want to protect, you lead by example to earn their respect. When you have a community that is connected by trust and respect, power is earned and shared, and strategy and influence flow naturally. When our community works together, we do what is best for our children and our schools. That is what I want to keep doing for the next four years. 

Is there anything else voters should know about you?  

I love working for Lakewood schools on behalf of our children and families. I truly see this role as that of a public servant. Over the past four years, I’ve learned that being on the Board means being able to make difficult decisions. It means being comfortable with the fact that the positive outcomes of the decisions we make might not be realized for months or even years. This role requires a great deal of compassion, patience, and resilience. But the benefits of seeing the amazing accomplishments of our students and educators are so rewarding, and knowing that I have had a part in making those achievements possible is enormously fulfilling. 

Do you have a website? https://www.noraforlakewoodschoolboard.com/