President’s Perspective – Kansas Association of School Boards

03Oct

KASB President’s Perspective: School boards can learn from each other

By Shannon Kimball KASB President Lawrence USD 497 Halloween has not arrived yet, but December is right around the corner, and that means it is almost KASB Annual Conference time! I am excited about the learning and networking opportunities available this year—our KASB staff and board of directors are working hard to ensure our conference will provide board members and district leaders with a wide range of opportunities to share what they are doing in their districts and to participate in learning so we can all return to our communities with new knowledge to benefit our students. Sessions at the Annual Conference will allow...

Board of Directors, School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom, Local Boards, Student Issues

02Oct

October issue of KASB School Board Review is available

Articles on education equity, the effect of social media on our students, the school bond environment, KASB’s upcoming annual conference and more are featured in the October issue of School Board Review, which is available online here. This month’s publication includes the final installment of KASB Associate Executive Director of Advocacy and Communications Mark Tallman’s analysis of equity in student success. KASB Executive Director John Heim writes about how young people today face challenges their parents didn’t — namely that their exploits are recorded forever in the digital world. KASB’s Rob Gilligan, government relations specialist, analyzes opportunities to reinvest in school...

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04Sep

KASB President’s Perspective: Effective leadership: A matter of trust

By Shannon Kimball KASB President Lawrence USD 497 Back-to-school greetings! Welcome to September. This is always my favorite time of year, both personally and as a parent. I relish the excitement of each of my children as they greet old friends, meet new friends, and take on new challenges and opportunities as the school year really begins to click along. I hope the past month has brought similar excitement, optimism, and success into your lives and your work as board members. In mid-August, members of your KASB leadership team attended the National School Boards Association Summer Leadership Seminar. This is an annual opportunity...

Board of Directors, School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom, Local Boards, Student Issues

03Sep

September issue of School Board Review is out; focus on vaping

The September issue of the KASB School Board Review focuses on the alarming increase in the use of e-cigarettes by young Kansans and includes articles covering numerous other education issues. The issue, available here online and in the mail to school leaders, also includes columns by KASB President Shannon Kimball and Executive Director John Heim. In addition, Mark Tallman, KASB’s associate executive director of advocacy and communications, provides further analysis of the achievement gap in the second installment of a three-part series. SBR also includes coverage of KASB’s Board of Directors, Legislative Committee and Workers Compensation Committee; KASB Annual Survey data;...

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06Aug

KASB President’s Perspective: Many decisions await board members who ‘faithfully discharge’ their duties

By Shannon Kimball KASB President Lawrence USD 497 By the time this article hits your mailboxes, local election season will be upon us, with primaries on August 6 and the general election on November 5. Thinking back to my very first school board meeting in 2011, I remember feeling excited and nervous as our county clerk stood to administer the oath of office to me and three other new board members. When we are sworn in, we repeat those words after the clerk, sit down, and get right to business. We may or may not reflect closely upon the words of the oath...

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02Jul

KASB President’s Perspective: Hope for recovery in funding, teacher pay

By Shannon Kimball KASB President Lawrence USD 497 Greetings! It is my honor and privilege to serve as your Association president this year. I have been fortunate to learn from past president Patrick Woods’ leadership throughout this last year, as well as former past president Dayna Miller and incoming president-elect Lori Blake. I thank each of them for their dedicated service to KASB, and I know together our leadership team will work hard to ensure KASB successfully meets the needs of our members and continues to be the leading voice of public education in Kansas. I am serving my eighth year on my...

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24May

KASB President’s Perspective: Your service on local school board will change the future

By C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 When most people think of elected officials, they think of the Governor, their member of Congress, or their state legislators. These high-profile elected offices are no doubt important; they make the policy that governs our state’s institutions, like our systems for public safety, health and human services, and public finance, just to name a few. However, there are many other critical elected offices at the local level of government which, as your high school government teacher always taught, actually have a more direct effect on your life as an individual. As a...

Board of Directors, School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom, Local Boards, Student Issues

17May

New edition of KASB School Board Review is available

The new issue of School Board Review is available and features stories on the emphasis on early childhood services, a call for school board service as the candidate filing deadline nears, a wrap up of the legislative session and a look at what’s on the horizon for educators. The June issue is available here online and will be mailed out early next week. The edition also contains advice for school boards to reflect on what they did the past year to drive student success, a preview of the new task force that will recommend ways to address bullying, analyses of trends...

Board of Directors, School Board Review, Conference, President's Perspective, Newsroom, Federal Issues, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Professional Personnel, Student Issues, Safety and Security, State Board of Ed, Teacher Issues, 2019 LFT

01May

President’s Perspective: Thanks to those who supported SB 16

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 Greetings fellow board members. I write you today having witnessed the signing into law of SB 16, the 2019 School Finance package. The bill commits an additional $90 million per year for Kansas schools over the next five years to account for inflation, which was not provided for in the five-year school finance package that was passed in the previous legislative session. When I wrote in January, I argued it was entirely possible for the state to promptly resolve the school finance question because of actions the Legislature had taken the previous year to...

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04Apr

President’s Perspective: Some of the most important things in schools cannot be measured

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 Greetings fellow board members. I trust that you are all enjoying a well-deserved Spring respite from what has been a bruising winter. Spring flowers are in bloom and Kansas school kids can again enjoy outside recess. As I write to you today, our districts are in the midst of testing season. This is no doubt a time of great importance for schools and the institution of public education in general. Though its prominence in our decision-making processes is often maligned in the public discourse, we all acknowledge that testing has its place. In order to...

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