The Kansas School Board Resource Center (KSBRC), like The Sentinel, part of the Kansas Policy Institute (KPI), brought together dozens of education professionals, including school board members and legislators, for a day-long discussion and idea-sharing on how best to correct chronic declines in student achievement in Kansas.
The event, held this year in Salina, kicked off with a popular recommendation from State Senator Scott Hill, a soon-to-be member of the Senate Education Committee:
“We have centered ourselves around the wrong goal, but we also have taken away discipline in the classroom. We’ve taken away the responsibility of students, and I’m sponsoring a bill this year to get electronic devices out of schools. If any of you have read Mr. (Jonathan) Haidt’s book (The Anxious Generation), it shows the same thing that we’re seeing in Kansas. A very steady and consistent decline in academic performance since the advent of the smartphone.”
One of the keynote speakers, Dr. Mike Schmoker, author of Results Now 2.0, offered the audience a sobering analysis of the state of education in America:
“Education Week is about as establishment as you’re ever going to get in education. It’s sort of the newspaper record, they call themselves, all right? Even Education Week admits, and they don’t like to, but they say, maybe 30% of our kids are getting a decent education. And if you look at how well kids write or how well they’re prepared, saying writing, or reading, or real literacy, I believe that 30% might be an exaggeration.”
In his book, Dr. Schmoker discusses the three most fundamental elements of effective education in his view:
Curriculum: If we want better schools, the most effective initial step we can take is to provide every teacher with a clear, easy-to-follow schedule of “what to teach and when” – an outline of the essential content, skills, and reading and writing assignments for each course, arranged in a sensible order in one- or two-week increments.
Literacy: If we care about our kids – and about equity – we owe every student abundant daily opportunities to read, discuss, and write about generous amounts of fiction and nonfiction across the disciplines.
Effective Instruction: The model incorporates certain basic, widely agreed-upon elements of instruction that stress the gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the student. Significantly, structured teaching equips students to continue learning on their own and complete complex projects and assignments independently.
KPI CEO Dave Trabert was critical of the State Board of Education’s recent decision to reduce proficiency standards on state assessments to artificially inflate test results:
“Dr. (Randy) Watson, the Education Commissioner, insists that rigor wasn’t reduced. I’m not sure what he means by that. When they say standards weren’t reduced, that’s how words can be parsed. There’s a difference between academic standards — what you’re supposed to know — and proficiency standards, which are basically how we’re going to measure what you know. There’s no question in our minds that proficiency standards were reduced. The danger is that kids, teachers, school board members, parents, everyone will look at these gains and they’re going to say, ‘Wow! Things are really moving in the right direction,’ when in fact, nothing has changed, except how we’re grading the tests.”
Dr. Troy Pitsch, Superintendent of Wabaunsee USD 329, touted his school’s assessment results as far exceeding any increase due to the lowered proficiency standards:
“When you look at our Math increase, it goes far beyond the bump everybody received. Our students reached 62.2% proficiency, compared to 38.7% statewide; that’s a 23-point gap. The growth wasn’t accidental; it came from focus, consistency, and shared ownership.
“Teachers worked from the same curriculum maps, pacing guides, and a shared commitment to data-driven instruction. Whenever an adult speaks the same instructional language, students experience coherence, and coherence builds confidence.
“People start asking better questions, taking more ownership, and finding pride in the collective process. That’s how change becomes self-sustaining. The biggest change wasn’t just in our data. It was how the district feels. You could sense it in classrooms, board meetings, and even Friday night games. Teachers feel supported, students feel known. Families feel proud of being part of something bigger. That’s what happens when you align people around purpose instead of programs. Culture doesn’t change overnight.”
Dr. Pitsch concluded with a tip of the cap to his hosts:
“I want to acknowledge Dr. Tracy Frederick and the KSBRC team. Their guidance and partnership made this entire journey possible. They brought in neutrality, wisdom, and openness that allowed our community to heal. So to them, on behalf of USD 329, thank you for helping us rediscover what alignment, purpose, and trust can truly accomplish.”
The second keynote speaker was Dr. William Hughes, former superintendent, founder of Hughes Strategic, and senior advisor to School Boards for Academic Excellence (SBAE), who spoke on the importance of the school board-superintendent relationship:
“The Golden Rule works really well with board-superintendent relationships. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Find the common ground. It’s okay to disagree, it’s okay to vote no. ?But treat people the way you want to be treated.
“You have your ideology, and it’s a closed mindset. And that’s what some of your opposition looks like. And being on the board, or if you’re a superintendent, not necessarily the leadership team, but the superintendent, the CEO of the organization, you don’t have that luxury. You need to be able to put what is best, in your view, for your community. And synthesize that through discussion of the board with clear, unambiguous recommendations from the superintendent on every issue.
“If the board and superintendent have a relationship do they stick together; not agree, but do they stick together around the controversial decisions? In other words, you have a split vote; 4-3, 3-2, 6-3, in you’re a nine-member board. And the superintendent’s recommendation may have been upheld, may not have been upheld, does the team go forward?
Sometimes I hear “staff morale”. ?Sometimes I hear “books”, “bathrooms”, Title IX, that kind of stuff. Those are all real issues, but I see a little bit of Kansas School Board Resource Center in this room, because you are a bit of an outlier from other groups I talk to. You’re thinking about kids, academic outcomes. If you’re in a tough situation, it’s painful, but that also means you’re not accepting it, which is actually part of the process you have to go through to get better.”
Reactions to the KSBRC summit content
One of the attendees, USD 260 Derby Superintendent Heather Bohaty, approved of the content of the conference:
“Improving student achievement is a priority for me and for our district, as evidenced in our detailed needs assessment process and strategic planning goals. As a leader, taking time to engage in meaningful professional development is important, and I found the day insightful.”
Dr. Frederick, KSBRC Executive Director, was also pleased at day’s end:
“The 2025 KSBRC School Board Summit was a great success! School board members from all over the state, many of them new to the KSBRC Summit, gathered with representing over 25 school districts, state representatives, senators, superintendents, and state school board members to discuss the state of education in Kansas and what the future holds. The KSBRC mission was well supported with national keynote speakers, Dr. Mike Schmoker, author of Results Now 2.0!, who outlined practical ways schools can improve their academic outcomes immediately, and Dr. William Hughes outlined the process for a collaborative superintendent board relationship. Senator Scott Hill and Renee Erickson provided background for the state of education in Kansas and the outlook for the future. School board members discussed the tough decisions they make every day to hold their schools accountable for making sure students have the best academic preparation possible.
“The excitement and energy were palpable as clusters of conversations filled the event space between panels and presentations. I watched school board members, superintendents, keynote speakers, state board members, senators, and representatives all engaging in discussions about how to bring new opportunities and ideas to their districts and introduce the concepts presented in the keynotes to their colleagues across Kansas. This is the sign of success – when the event is over, it isn’t over for those who attend. They leave excited and enthusiastic about the future and the resources we have available to support them to make real positive change for the future academic needs of the students in their districts.
“Several superintendents and board members left asking for more information, more opportunities to engage in the practical process of academic outcomes improvement.”
KSBRC provides training year-round to help school board members be more effective advocates for improving student outcomes.
