Samuel Cowan II
Non-Partisan | Kentucky
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Samuel Cowan II
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
Jefferson County Public Schools Board of Education, District 3
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Bellarmine, Louisville, ABD-PHD, 2023
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
OTHER INFORMATION
Voter Record from the Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections indicates candidate's Political Affiliation is Democratic (as of 8/15/2022).
Election Voting History for Samuel Lewis Cowan II during time of residence in district and/or at current address:
- Voted in 1 Primary election (2020)
- Voted in 4 General elections (2016 - 2020)
**Voter history is not considered during panel evaluations.**
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Choose not to answer
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Choose not to answer
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Strongly Disagree
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
Public schools should be effectively funded to educate our children at high levels.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Agree
School districts should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Choose not to answer
Students should not be allowed to pray in school.
Disagree
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
The school board monitors all functions of the school system and evaluates the superintendent.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
The authority should rest by the state educational department in regards to setting standards. Teacher and district input should be garnered in setting these standards.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
Never
Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): Mathematics, Information Technology, Science, Political Activism, Personal Finances, Gender Identity, Physical Fitness, American History, Critical Race Theory, Language Arts, Art & Music, Vocational Learning, Sexuality, Foreign Language, Social Emotional Learning
This is a difficult question as they are all very important in the development of a child. I would omit the following though: Gender Identify and Sexuality (depending on what is meant by Sexuality).
American civics education should emphasize our nation's founding principles of liberty and equality.
Agree
Before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) or Social Emotional Learning (SEL), they must opt-in with written parental permission.
Neutral
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Agree
I support the teaching of curricula (such as the 1619 Project, No Place for Hate, Second Step, etc.) that emphasizes slavery and racism as the foundation of American history.
Choose not to answer
These topics are components.
Parents are the ultimate authority in their child’s education and should be able to freely pursue whatever educational options they deem best for their child.
Choose not to answer
I do not understand this question. Does this refer to vouchers?
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Roman Catholic
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Disagree
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
Parents and Community. Middle School age is the appropriate time period.
If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- Physical and emotional health outcomes; contraceptive methods; consent; abstinence; sexual orientation and gender identity; human anatomy/the reproductive system; abortion methods and side effects; stages of pregnancy and fetal development; sex acts and pleasures of sex
All apply except the following: abortion methods, sex acts, and pleasures of sex. I would add though Sexual Internet Safety. Children need to learn how to keep themselves safe.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Choose not to answer
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent.
Agree
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Disagree
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Choose not to answer
This has nothing to do with running for school board.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
A candidate's personal moral values should not be relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
Strongly Disagree
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Choose not to answer
I am running in a non-partisan race.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
None
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I am a retired public school educator and Principal for the district in which I am running for school board.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
They should be allowed for all state-required vaccinations.
I support mask mandates.
Disagree
