ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN KANSAS
EDUCATED • EXPERIENCED • EFFECTIVE
Ann Zimmerman is running for the Kansas Board of Education to support every Kansas student. She has a deep commitment to education. Raised in a Salina family of plumbing wholesalers, she has been elected three times to Salina's USD 305 school board. She graduated from Salina South High, earned a degree at K-State in Elementary Education, and later graduated from Harvard with a law degree.
Professional Background
Education & Leadership
With over a decade of service on the Salina school board, a degree in Elementary Education and a Harvard law degree, she brings a deep understanding of teaching, learning and the need for a great education for every child in District 7 and in Kansas.
Experience
Born and raised in Salina, her professional journey began in Kansas City, Kansas, inner city public schools. "Teaching was the hardest job I've ever had. Later, I went on to something easier." That "something easier" was Harvard for a law degree. She came back to Kansas. Her focus became low-income and elderly Kansans -- as well as farmers -- in her job as a staff attorney at Kansas Legal Services. She found her legal calling in the work of dispute resolution -- mediation and other fields requiring a dedication to interest-based bargaining -- working with people in conflict to help them each find ways to attain what is important for them.
Community Engagement
On the school board she works as a team player, holding her own in discussions while acknowledging the value of others' opinions and knowledge. She has taught youth Sunday school at her church and appears frequently in classrooms leading students in singing together and learning about their place in the world. For 25 years, she and her husband ran a horse boarding business near Salina. As a longtime member of the Salina League of Women Voters, she has encouraged all eligible voters to register, get informed and vote.
Joy in the Arts
Ann is an award-winning singer-songwriter, performing for adults, children and families across Kansas and around the country. She often brings her music to school classrooms, including dozens of Kansas Day programs each January.
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Where is
KSBE DISTRICT 7?
COUNTIES IN DISTRICT 7
Barber County
Barton County
Comanche County
Dickinson County
Edwards County
Ellsworth County
Harper County
Harvey County
Kingman County
Kiowa County
Ness County
Pawnee County
Pratt County
Reno County
Rice County
Rush County
Saline County
Sedgwick County (limited area)
Stafford County
Gerrymandered in recent years to oust moderate Republicans in favor of extremists, District 7 has the look of a cartoon T-Rex about to gobble up McPherson and Marion counties.
Sedgwick Co. detail
Empowering Students
Ann is committed to ensuring every student in District 7 - and across Kansas - has access to high-quality education and the resources needed to succeed.
Supporting Families
Ann knows that family is a child's first and often best teacher. Schools must listen to families, and families must collaborate with schools to be active, positive partners in their children's education.
Advancing Educators
Ann advocates for professional development and a supportive environment that allows educators to focus on what they do best: inspiring the next generation.
THE ISSUES
Loud voices in Kansas are seeking to tear down public education. Back as far as the founding fathers, we have known that public education is essential to democracy. You know your local schools are good for the children in your community. Ann will work to strengthen schools, not tear them down.
Ann says
"My opponent has a bottomless pot of money for her campaign, backed by national book ban sponsors "Mom's for Liberty" and the dark money 1776 PAC. I have my Kansas supporters. Please DONATE below."
Push Back on Misinformation
No one in our schools knows the needs of students better than the teachers themselves. No one is working harder to make sure our children learn than school personnel. We must listen to school staff and give them the support, the tools and the salaries they need to help our children thrive. Ann will listen and do the work.
When you hear the other side downgrading public education, push back on their twisted "facts."
Schools Need Funds - State Senators and House Members Hold the Purse Strings
The State Board of Education does not control school funding. You, the voter, must vote to elect legislators who will fund schools for both general education and special education.
Until now, legislators have only funded general education because the Supreme Court required it.
Is a lawsuit also necessary for special education funding?
Support our Campaign
Ann invites you to be a part of the KSBE District 7 community. Whether you're looking to volunteer, stay informed, or contribute to our shared educational goals, your involvement is vital to Ann's success - and the success of our children.
Contact Ann directly at ann (at) annzimmerman (dot) com.
Donate online at the DONATE button or write a check to "Zimmerman for District 7," and mail it to her campaign treasurer, Gary Sechrist, at the address here:
Zimmerman for District 7, PO Box 222, Lyons, KS 67554.
Meet the Candidate:
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Ann Zimmerman is committed to championing every Kansas student. Currently serving her third term on the Salina Public Schools board, she has a deep understanding of our public education system.
A graduate of Salina public schools, she earned her degree in elementary education from K-State. “Teaching was the hardest job I’ve ever held,” reflects Ann. "Later I went on to something easier."
She went on to Harvard for a law degree. She came home to Kansas. She now uses her legal education as a professional mediator, working to help individuals in conflict find common ground. “I will bring those conflict resolution skills to the State Board whenever they are needed,” she states.
Raised in a plumbing wholesale family in Salina, Ann is also a professional singer-songwriter with four independent albums. She performs across the state and the nation. Every January, she performs dozens of Kansas Day programs in school classrooms.
The Kansas State Board of Education establishes standards for students, for schools and for teacher education programs. Because the legislature, not KSBE, controls funding, Ann urges Kansans to elect representatives who will make sure our schools and children receive the state investment that they deserve and that the Kansas constitution requires.
Ann shares the conviction of the U.S. founding fathers that public education is the cornerstone of a thriving democracy. She sees the heroic efforts and remarkable achievements of teachers and staff across Kansas. In an era of misinformation, she stands as a steadfast advocate against well-funded anti-public-school influencers that seeks to undermine our schools and communities.
“Kansans strongly support their local public schools,” Ann notes. “Statements to the contrary do not reflect our state’s reality. Of course we can always improve as long as any child faces barriers to excellence. But we must celebrate the exceptional work our schools do to ensure every child learns.”