Jurdene Coleman of Manhattan has declared her candidacy for an at-large seat on the USD 383 School Board. Coleman turned in over 80 signatures on candidacy petitions for School Board.
Coleman was inspired to run from her work with children and families in Manhattan. She is a family and marriage therapist so she has experience working with kids and understanding how the school works.
One of her platforms is bullying in schools. Coleman says a lot of problems she hears are that kids are being bullied and don’t feel like the schools are supporting them when they report bullying. She wants to have a better plan for how incidents of bullying are reported and treated. She talked about how bullying has changed to more social aspects like social media and how to handle incidents related to that.
Coleman also talked about how she would like to see more diversity in the curriculum of schools at all levels. She said that the Manhattan are is so diverse from members of the military and exchange students that she wants students to learn about the people around them and how they contribute to our community.
Another issue Coleman is ready to take on is the divisive topic of the Manhattan High School mascot. She is looking forward to what the committee has to say and is making the students of the past, present and future are pleased with how their school is represented
Coleman is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist at Pawnee Mental Health Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Kent State University in Ohio, and a master’s in Family Studies and Human Services from Kansas State University.
Coleman also attends University Christian Church where she is a monthly nursery leader. She also serves on the Kansas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Board and the Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Board through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.
