Kansans Can is about improving the future

Posted Date: 09/08/2021

After presentations by state education leaders during the Kansans Can Success Tour on Wednesday, school board members said helping students succeed now is all about making a better tomorrow.

The tour, led by Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson and Deputy Commissioner Brad Neuenswander visited Topeka USD 501 and neighboring Seaman USD 345. The tour will wrap up its 50-city schedule on Thursday at Eureka, Marion and Shawnee Heights.

At Seaman, school board President Keith Griffin said he agreed with the Kansans Can emphasis on so-called soft skills, such as collaboration and communication and focusing on the social and emotional health of students.

“The state is absolutely on the right track,” said Griffin, but he noted that students still must get a quality academic education. The combination of both, he said, will give students “a world of possibilities.”

At the Topeka 501 meeting, school board member Sue Bolley said if policymakers could reduce some of the burdens on teachers, “our teachers could help our students fly.”

She expressed concern that too much work is placed on teachers and the COVID-19 pandemic is making matters worse.

“We’re overwhelming our teachers and we’re losing them,” said Bolley, also a retired teacher. She said the state should put together a study group to determine ways to help teachers who are stressed out.

More than 3,500 Kansans have participated in the Kansans Can Success Tour meetings, discussing the current status of public education and the future. Watson and Neuenswander have lauded Kansas educators for increasing high school graduation and post-secondary rates. But they say educators need to discern how to help those students who aren’t graduating.