Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday put an exclamation point on Public Schools Week, signing a proclamation that notes the importance of public schools to the future of Kansas.
Kansas public schools educate nearly 500,000 students regardless of ability, race, wealth, language, religion or country of origin, to prepare them for the future. The proclamation states that public schools “provide an environment where all students can succeed beginning in their earliest years, regardless of who they are or where they live …’’
The proclamation urges lawmakers to prioritize strengthening public education and empowering local education leaders to lead local school districts.
Those included in the governor’s signing ceremony were State Board of Education members Janet Waugh and Jim Porter; KASB President Shannon Kimball and KASB Advocacy Advocacy/Outreach Specialist Leah Fliter; KNEA President Mark Farr and KNEA Executive Director Kevin Riemann; USA-Kansas President Ryan Jilka and USA-Kansas Executive Director G.A. Buie and KSDE Deputy Education Commissioner Brad Neuenswander.
Public Schools Week is the brainchild of the national Learning First Alliance organization, which includes the National School Boards Association. During the past week school board members, administrators, teachers, and parents across the U.S. highlighted the importance of public education.
On Wednesday, students from the Beloit, Dighton, Twin Valley and Wellington school districts, which have redesigned their education operations in line with the Kansans Can mission of student success — set up tables on the second floor rotunda of the Statehouse and told legislators and passers-by about what was going on in their schools. KASB, KSDE, members of the Kansas Learning First Alliance (KLFA) and others sponsored the Statehouse event, which included resolutions honoring public schools in the House and Senate.
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
