President’s Perspective – Kansas Association of School Boards

04 Apr

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 [...]

School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom

02 Apr

April issue of School Board Review focuses on upcoming school board elections, safety drill

This year is an election year for school board members and the April issue of School Board Review includes a four-page, pull-out section dedicated to people who want to run for their local board. The section includes information on what school board members do, why the positions are so important for the success of Kansas students and how to file to run for office. Also in the April issue is a special report on a recent crisis drill conducted by Auburn-Washburn USD 437. We hope the story, which illustrates the collaboration between school and emergency responders, helps districts that are contemplating [...]

KASB Updates, Board of Directors, School Board Review, President's Perspective, Leadership for Tomorrow - 2018, KASB BOLD, Newsroom, Federal Issues, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Professional Personnel, Student Issues, Safety and Security

28 Jan

President’s Perspective: Early resolution needed to school finance

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 Greetings fellow board members. It’s that time again – the Legislature has returned; the inauguration of the new governor has occurred; and the 2019 legislative session has begun. This year, as in every year past, education is atop the list of hot topics the Legislature and the new governor must address. You’ll recall there is a current case at the Kansas Supreme Court concerning school finance, Gannon v. State of Kansas, which called into question the state’s adherence to the constitutional requirement for adequate and equitable school finance. You’ll also recall that last session the [...]

School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom

13 Dec

President’s Perspective: ‘Keep it simple’ is a winning equation

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 As we head into the holidays, my mind drifts back to the music that I associate with the season. During Christmas, my family would often play music by artists from the Motown Record Label, such as The Temptations, The Jackson 5, etc. We were not alone in our love of Motown. Throughout the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, Motown was a virtual hit factory, discovering talent in every corner of the country. Many record labels tried to emulate the Motown success. Legendary music executive and Motown founder, Berry Gordy, had a maxim to which he [...]

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23 Oct

President’s Perspective: KASB annual conference will be exciting

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 Greetings fellow school board members. I hope the first nine weeks of the fall semester wrapped up well and you’re enjoying the fall weather. In addition to many fall concerts, football and volleyball games and countless other activities that take place this time of year, the KASB Fall Regional Summits have wrapped up. During these meetings, KASB staff members hit the road and met with board members, educators and community members in each region of the state. They discussed the issues and trends shaping the context in which we work as public school officials. [...]

School Board Review, Conference, President's Perspective, Newsroom

25 Sep

President’s Perspective: Board members must rebut false claims

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 Greetings fellow school board members. It’s that time again; election season! If you’re like me, you probably get a kick out of reading political ads from candidates across the state. I find it fascinating to observe the various rhetorical tools employed by candidates to make their arguments to the voters – their choice of language to describe policies they support as opposed to those they oppose, the way they choose certain statistics to support their arguments and how they define the context that frames the issue. Let’s take the issue each of us spends [...]

School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom

28 Aug

President’s Perspective: School employees’ work matters for all

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 Last month, I had the pleasure of heading back to my hometown of Oklahoma City for my 20th high school reunion. While there I did the usual that everyone does: check up on old friends and acquaintances, learn about each other’s families and careers and hear about the progress of the high school. I did have one unexpected pleasure while there – our old history teacher and one of our former administrators showed up at the Saturday evening event. This surprise inspired a standing ovation and sustained applause from my classmates and I, and it [...]

School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom

31 Jul

SBR President’s Perspective: Every child deserves first-rate education

by C. Patrick Woods KASB President Topeka USD 501 CLICK HERE to Download as a pdf Greetings fellow board members. It’s my great honor to serve as president of KASB for this year. I want to thank you all for all that you do to help your districts realize our shared goal of a first-class public education for all students, and for your commitment to our association. I especially want to thank immediate past-president Dayna Miller, who has led with grace dignity in trying situations. Education is a "kitchen table" issue in my house, as my children attend school in my district, where my [...]

KASB Updates, School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom

25 Jun

SBR President’s Perspective: Cherishing my year as president

by Dayna Miller KASB President Basehor-Linwood USD 458 KASB has celebrated 100 years of service throughout this year. What an amazing year to be President of KASB. As my term comes to an end, I will cherish the moments when I worked with past KASB Board Presidents to help celebrate this milestone. CLICK HERE to Download as a pdf I enjoyed learning more about the history of education in Kansas and how school boards and KASB have been instrumental. I enjoyed visiting with past board members and Presidents and hearing their stories of struggle and accomplishments along the way. We hosted a Western Regional meeting [...]

KASB Updates, School Board Review, President's Perspective, Newsroom

29 May

SBR President’s Perspective: KASB is the ‘truth machine’

by Dayna Miller KASB President Basehor-Linwood USD 458 A lot has been going on in Kansas education over the past couple of years at the state level. After the tax cuts of 2012, state revenue repeatedly failed to meet expectations, causing extreme strains on the budget, including for our schools. By 2016, voters had enough and elected a more school-friendly Legislature which repealed most of the tax cuts and increased K-12 funding. CLICK HERE to download the full issue. Now, many of those legislators who took courageous votes on taxes are seeking re-election. They will face an onslaught of criticism from deep-pocket special interests whose [...]

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