This past weekend in Wichita, we had an excellent turnout of over 650 people for the annual KASB convention. That is the most we have had at the convention in over a decade. A big thank you goes to all of you for attending.
As my first year in the executive director role wraps up, I am happy to say we are seeing increased engagement as we continue to evolve to serve you, our members. KASB's strength is directly connected to the level of engagement from you. If you attended the convention this year, I'm sure you noticed just how diverse we are across Kansas — from districts with fewer than 100 students to a district that serves 40,000+ students.
Supporting so many unique school districts can be challenging. But the reality is, the needs and challenges of districts aren’t all that different. They often just have a different scale attached to them. As the KASB staff travels around the state working within your school districts, we never stop working to align our work with your needs. This shift is only possible when we develop and maintain a working relationship with you, the membership. The annual convention is just one example of how we strengthen that relationship.
I recently read a passage from the book, “The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal.” The passage states, "Teams that fail are the result of leaders who failed to change." I believe this is relevant both to KASB leaders and to you as local board members. As an association, we must adapt to meet your local needs. As local board members, you must be in tune with your students’ needs and adapt as needed to meet that challenge.
The past two years, I could argue, have forever changed how we will provide public education in our communities. If we are unwilling to change our thinking at the state and local levels, we will fail our students in Kansas. I would challenge you to a student entering kindergarten in your district and reflect on what that student's needs will be in 12 years when they walk into the real world. As we heard from one of the keynote speakers at the convention, "We are preparing students for jobs that have not even been invented." This statement raises the question, "Why would we continue to try to educate students the way we have always done it, when we know the jobs graduates have always had will not be there?"
It is daunting to think differently about what we've always done in education. We've all experienced education in the past, which can make us comfortable with the familiar past ways. At the Association, we will strive to create opportunities for you to think differently about what education could be. And we believe the best is ahead when we share, grow and innovate together.
The challenges across Kansas are only going to grow, requiring greater collaboration among all of us. We are all too familiar with the challenges of hiring qualified staff, managing school board turnover even mid-term, the continual churn in the superintendent role with fewer quality candidates to fill vacancies. And we all know the communication challenges generated by polarization between our schools and our communities. These statewide challenges cannot be solved by one individual or by a singular board of education. They require us to think creatively and work together.
Your Association must continue to create opportunities to bring together its members to innovate, discuss and share potential solutions. Kansas school districts are a diverse group, so there will not be one solution that fixes a particular issue. What we need is a variety of solutions that can be adjusted and fit to meet your school district's needs. If you're still reading, it may be in the hope of finding my proposed solutions. Spoiler alert: There are no easy answers in this blog, or anywhere else. Real progress takes real leadership — and that requires courage, persistence and plain old hard work.
At KASB, we are beginning to revise our strategic plan based on what we have learned over the past year through surveys, conversations and gatherings. Our mission — lead, serve and advocate for student success — will not change. We will continue to create a culture of collaboration and service to our members, be a strong voice for public education and develop leaders who are champions of student success. Our plan includes these focus areas, which we believe are essential for every Kansas student to experience success in Kansas:
1. Advocate for and support KASB members and communicate the value of public education across Kansas communities.
2. Develop the capacity of our members to lead in their roles effectively.
3. Customize our services and learning opportunities to support our members' needs.
4. Acknowledge challenges facing public education and support members as they innovate to meet those challenges.
We believe a clear focus on these areas will help us address the challenges Kansas school districts face. We envision more opportunities for you to come together with your fellow board members and leaders from across the state to engage in meaningful learning opportunities and share what is working in your district. We believe if we've created the right environment and opportunities for learning, solutions will spread. And while it may be too soon for a virus reference, I do like imagining a good, noble virus helping school leaders create positive change in their communities.
So again, thank you for a great first year as your Association executive director. I look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with your school board. We can tackle these statewide challenges by working together and focusing on what is needed to give each student opportunities to succeed. And thanks to you and your fellow board members for trusting your Association to be your partner in the work.
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