Fifth in a series of candidate profiles to be published Feb. 7-Feb. 16. Profiles are being published in order names will appear on the ballot.
Kyler Sherman-Wilkins found the perfect way to blend interests in cultures and demographics.
Long interested in sociology and history, Sherman-Wilkins also gravitated toward science. He became an associate professor and a faculty affiliate in the gerontology program at Missouri State University. The study embraces analyzing social phenomena through both quantitative and qualitative lenses, he said.
“I already gravitated toward the more statistical, quantitative aspect, so when I found out there was a way to marry my love of data and number crunching with understanding the social world, it was a no-brainer for me,” Sherman-Wilkins said. “Some of the questions demographers study are fascinating to me because they connect to public policy.”
Sherman-Wilkins, 34, is one of seven candidates running for three seats on the Springfield Board of Education. He has master’s and doctorate degrees in sociology and demography from Pennsylvania State University.
Born in the Chicago area and raised in southern Illinois, Sherman-Wilkins graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from Cornell University. He returned to Illinois for a year, between his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to work as a paraprofessional teaching high school algebra.
“That was quite the experience, let me tell you,” Sherman-Wilkins said. “Teaching it was fine. The students. The students, though — they ate me alive.”
Sherman-Wilkins returned to academia, and found the dual sociology and demography path at Penn State to be one of the few like it in the nation. After Sherman-Wilkins finished his doctorate, he was hired as a professor at Missouri State in 2017. In addition to teaching several courses in the MSU sociology department, he is a researcher and has published studies about racial and ethnic disparities in health.
He also is a first vice-president of the Springfield NAACP branch, a board member for the GLO Center and a board member with the Missouri Foundation for Health.
When he’s not a researcher of the real world, he interacts in imaginary worlds when playing table-top roleplaying games. Of interest to Dungeons & Dragons nerds: Sherman-Wilkins loves to run wizards but never takes the fireball spell. He has also participated in community theater productions.
Motivation for running
A spot on the Springfield Board of Education is the first elected office for which Sherman-Wilkins has run — he picked up a packet for the post in 2022, but did not submit it.
Since then, he has attended several board meetings and spoken at a handful of them about issues regarding diversity, equity and inclusion issues. He was singled out by name by board member Steve Makoski, who accused Sherman-Wilkins of spreading a divisive agenda during those discussions.
While such issues are important to him, Sherman-Wilkins said what motivated him to run the most was the importance of public schools, and their role as a community’s bedrock.
“While I have my own political identity, the idea of serving in a nonpartisan capacity is really appealing,” Sherman-Wilkins said. “I like bringing together people who care solely about making public schools as strong as they can be.”
Sherman-Wilkins does not have kids, but plans to, he said, and wants to ensure that his future family will feel safe and supported within Springfield’s schools. He also wants to deflect national political movements aimed at school boards across the country.
“There is a national trend of hijacking of public schools by individuals who are inserting, I think, pretty harmful ideologies, and transforming nonpartisan boards into partisan institutions,” Sherman-Wilkins said. “I want to provide a bit of pushback to that, and I feel the best way that I can would be having a seat at the table, where I can make votes based on data.”
Strongest qualification
While Sherman-Wilkins said he brings a strong ability to analyze data and dive into studies and a familiarity with the educational process, he said his desire to strengthen the school board is his strongest qualification.
Several of the studies he has published deal with the role of schools in communities, and he said they have shown him how important schools are for a community’s vitality. That means the schools need to be served by people truly committed to them, he said.
“There is nothing worse than someone who gets into something just because it is a stepping stone or credential,” Sherman-Wilkins said. “We need more people to get into something because they are passionate about that thing, and for me, that commitment to serve my community, serve public schools, would be that.”
Reporter's note Feb. 13: This report has been edited to correct details about Sherman-Wilkins' career.
Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series in the Hauxeda’s coverage of the April 2024 election for the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education.
