Note to readers: Nathan Cunningham is one of five hopefuls seeking three seats on the USD 257 Board of Education. You can read our profiles on the other candidates, Lisa Wicoff, Robin Griffin-Lohman, John Masterson and John Wilson.
As a product of USD 257, and then a graduate of Emporia State University, Nathan Cunningham noticed a common theme among his classmates.
Those who struggled with reading comprehension early on tended to be the ones who struggled throughout their educational journeys.
And there are more than you think.
Cunningham points to a 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress that said as few as 1 in 4 Kansas students are considered “proficient” readers.
And while there are plenty of basics that are needed, reading comprehension is the key in developing those other disciplines, he noted.
Cunningham would like to see USD 257 place an added emphasis on reading, the centerpoint of his Board of Education candidacy.
“College is so textbook-heavy,” he noted. “That can be quite a curveball for students.
“Success in reading will help make successful lifelong learners,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham is one of five candidates vying for three school board seats, alongside challenger Lisa Wicoff and incumbents Robin Griffin-Lohman, John Masterson and John Wilson.
CUNNINGHAM, 25, says he offers a unique perspective, having been a relatively recent Iola High School graduate.
He’s the youngest of 12 Cunningham siblings — children of Glen and Betty Cunningham — to excel at USD 257 before pursuing individual pursuits, be it in education, engineering, architecture, construction or military.
Cunningham pursued a business administration degree at ESU, and upon graduation followed what he thought would be a career in the corporate world.
But something didn’t feel right.
“So I pivoted,” he said.
Within a year, Cunningham was back in his hometown, and took over as manager at Wild Bloom Coffee, a position he’s held the past two years.
