Lora Cover, Kate Nielson and James Reed won election to the three open seats on the Board of Education yesterday.
Together, they received 63 percent of the vote. Cover received 24 percent of the vote (4,932 votes), Nielson received 21 percent (4,370 votes) and Reed received 18 percent (3,855 votes).
Six candidates competed for the three seats. A review of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections archive shows that since 1983, there have been no races featuring that many candidates; for most elections, the number of candidates equaled the number of seats.
The other three candidates were Kevin Dreyfuss-Wells, Jenny Steadman and Ardelia Holmes. Dreyfuss-Wells received 17 percent of the vote (3,646 votes), Steadman received 11 percent (2,259 votes), and Holmes received 9 percent (1,866 votes).
Cover, the incumbent candidate, was first elected to the Board in 2021. She was elected Board vice president in 2023 and president in 2024. With 25 years of experience in public education, she began her career as a fourth-grade teacher in Washington, D.C. She later served as Head of Talent for Teach For America and Chief Talent Officer for Cleveland Metropolitan School District. She moved to Shaker 14 years ago and is the parent of two Shaker graduates.
“I am both grateful and humbled by yesterday’s election results,” Cover said. “I have never taken for granted the support of our community. Our neighbors are engaged and vocal and hold a high bar for their elected officials and our schools, as they should.”
“As we head into the next four years, our students need us to be clear and focused. As the campaign made clear, our financial resources are finite, and so is our time. We need to use both wisely to serve our students well. I am looking forward to the strategic planning work that is about to come.”
“I’m also deeply grateful to the other candidates who ran for office. Running for local office is not easy; you only do it when you feel a strong desire to serve. And when you’re running for school board, that commitment is personal. The issues raised during this race were the right ones, and I hope to work with both my new fellow board members and with all the candidates over these next four years. Our students and community deserve those voices and that commitment,” Cover said.
Nielson grew up in Shaker Heights, attending Shaker schools from Boulevard Elementary School through the high school (’02). After college, she moved to Washington, D.C. and worked as a student organizer on college campuses. She then earned a master’s of public policy and a law degree and spent the next decade working as an attorney on education, civil rights and gender equity policy – predominately at the state level. She is also a parent of two, one of whom is in the Ludlow pre-K inaugural class.
“I’m humbled and honored that the community has placed its trust in me to be a steward of our amazing school district,” Nielson said. “We are facing numerous challenges – in our country, our state, and our community – but I’m excited to build on Shaker’s legacy, while working to strengthen our schools and serve all of our students.”
“I look forward to shepherding Ludlow into the next phase, working through the challenges of detracking to ensure all students and teachers are thriving, and rethinking the ways we communicate. More than anything, I look forward to coming together to enjoy the awesome learning and enrichment experiences our schools provide.”
“I am indebted both to previous members of the school board and to the other candidates who raised their hands to run – I learned so much from each of you and am grateful for the new relationships and friendships. We are a better board and district because of your dedication,” Nielson said.
Reed spent more than 30 years in education and has lived in Shaker Heights for 62 years. As both an instructor and principal, he worked at Shaker Heights, Chardon, Cleveland Heights, Beachwood, St. Edward and Campus International high schools. He served as interim principal of SHHS in 2015 after Michael Griffith’s resignation. Reed also pioneered the SHHS Bridges program, a summer session for rising 10th graders focused on increasing enrollment of Black students in AP and IB classes. He attained a bachelor’s degree in political science at Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree at Cleveland State University.
“First, I would like to thank the voters of Shaker Heights for approving the operating levy that I believe will keep our schools educating our children and inspiring in them the ways that will enrich our community and the world,” he said. “I believe that Shaker Heights schools have always sought to raise children who are academically strong and emotionally compassionate, and our schools are leaders in that effort.”
“Secondly, I wish to thank The Shakerite for its endorsement of my candidacy. I have always been motivated by the ideas of students and I know that creating an environment in which children can thrive and be challenged to think is one of our highest responsibilities,” Reed said. “I take that very seriously, and it will inform my work on the Board for the next four years.”
The three elected candidates will take the oath office during the Jan. 6, 2026 BOE meeting.
