Area residents will have an opportunity to discuss education with Kansas officials next week.
Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson and Deputy Commissioner Brad Neuenswander will meet with local educators, parents and others from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Monday, August 16 at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
The event is part of a tour of about 50 communities across the state, giving residents a chance to discuss various issues related to education. It’s part of the Kansas Can Success Tour, a community listening event similar to one done six years ago.
The Iola visit coincides with a staff in-service day, arranged so teachers and faculty can attend, USD 257 Superintendent Stacey Fager said.
“They’re taking the time to access the state and get input from citizens on how do we do things better,” Fager said. Our local board has been very open to recommendations. We’re always looking for more information on how we do things here in Iola.Stacey Fager, USD 257 superintendent
The state education officials began the tour on July 26 and will continue through Sept. 9.
The previous listening tour, in 2015, led to recommendations that USD 257 has since adopted, including options to embed credits in some of the Career and Technical Education programs, and a switch from block scheduling to a seven-hour school day, reducing the number of credits needed to graduate.
“Our local board has been very open to recommendations,” Fager said. “We’re always looking for more information on how we do things here in Iola.”
The previous tour sought input from about 2,000 parents, educators, community members, school board members, higher education representatives, business community members and legislators on what needs to be done to improve education so students can succeed once schooling is over.
Since then, the state has focused on the needs of individual students, offering more opportunities for vocational and technical education.
During the first week of the tour, suggestions from attendees ranged from equity training and more resources to less emphasis on testing and more collaboration between districts and local businesses, according to the Kansas Department of Education’s website.
