Four Years Later: Still a Covington Kid, Still Ready to Serve

Four years ago, I asked the people of Covington to give me an opportunity to serve. I ran for the Covington Independent Schools Board of Education because I believed our students deserved leaders willing to ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, listen to our community, and make decisions based on what would best position our children for success.

Covington gave me that opportunity.

Today, as I seek a second term, I find myself thinking less about campaigning and more about gratitude, responsibility, and how much has happened over these last four years. When I joined the board in 2023, I knew the work wouldn't always be easy. School boards make decisions that touch nearly every corner of a community; academic achievement, budgets, taxes, facilities, student safety, staffing, curriculum, and the long-term direction of a district.

I've learned that leadership isn't about getting every decision right or having the loudest voice in the room. It's about doing your homework, listening to people who see things differently, asking another question when necessary, and remembering that every vote we cast eventually reaches a student sitting in a classroom.

Four Years of Moving Forward

I am proud of what our district and board have worked through together.

We've had difficult conversations about the financial future of our schools, including decisions I knew would not always be popular but that I believed were necessary to protect opportunities for our students. I've also voted no when I believed a proposal wasn't right for Covington. I've tried to explain those decisions publicly because transparency shouldn't end when the board meeting does. My public reflections over the term have included explanations of my votes on taxes, state legislation, school consolidation and other district issues.

We've continued developing a districtwide vision built around high expectations, collaboration and continuous improvement. The district's strategic direction emphasizes rigorous learning, college and career readiness, equitable opportunities, safe schools, strong staff, community collaboration and removing barriers to student success.

One of the most consequential responsibilities of this term was helping guide a leadership transition for our district. In 2025, the board unanimously began a national search for Covington's next superintendent. That process ultimately led to the unanimous appointment of Superintendent Cortnei Flucas in April 2026, beginning a new chapter focused on student outcomes, trust and excellence.

Something Remarkable About 2026

There is another part of this year's election that deserves acknowledgment. My school board colleague Hannah Edelen and I are the only two candidates filed for the two Board of Education seats on the ballot this year. Both of us were first elected in 2022, and our current terms expire at the end of 2026.

By local accounts, this is the first uncontested Covington school board race in roughly 30 years.

I don't view that as a reason to coast. I view it as a reason to work even harder. Because being unopposed doesn't eliminate accountability. It increases our responsibility to remain accessible, transparent and engaged with the people we're entrusted to serve.

I'm also proud that Hannah and I were both nominated this year for School Board Partners' national School Board Member of the Year recognition. Regardless of awards, though, the recognition that matters most will always come from knowing that our work is making a difference for Covington's kids.

The Work Isn't Finished

Four years have taught me something important: progress and unfinished business can exist at the same time. We can celebrate what's working while demanding better where our students aren't getting the outcomes they deserve.

Academic achievement must remain at the center of our work. We must continue strengthening literacy and mathematics, preparing students for college and careers, supporting and retaining excellent educators, creating innovative learning opportunities, and ensuring every child, regardless of ZIP code, income, ability, identity or circumstance, has an opportunity to succeed.

Those aren't small goals and they won't be accomplished by five people sitting around a board table. They require teachers, administrators, families, students, businesses, nonprofits, elected leaders and neighbors working together.

That's why you'll continue seeing me out in the community. That's why I'm hosting Coffee w/ Kareem conversations throughout the month of October. That's why I'll keep asking questions. And that's why I want to continue hearing from people who agree with me and people who don't.

Still That Kid From Covington

I wrote earlier this year that beneath all the titles and responsibilities, I'm still a kid from Covington. I grew up here. I graduated from Holmes High School. Covington helped shape who I became, and serving its schools has been one of the most meaningful responsibilities I've been entrusted with.

Four years ago, I asked Covington for the opportunity to serve. Four years later, I'm grateful for what we've accomplished, humbled by what I've learned, and very aware of how much work remains and to keep working toward a Covington school district where every child has the support, expectations and opportunities necessary to imagine a future bigger than the circumstances they were born into.

The first four years were only the beginning.