KANSAS – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s “Back to Work, Back to School” tour brought her to the KVOE listening area Monday.
The governor began her day with a visit to Council Grove Elementary in the morning hours before closing out her day with a stop at Olpe High School. While in Olpe, the governor hosted a roundtable discussion with area superintendents.
Among the topics of conversation was the well-known teacher shortage which has been plaguing the state in recent years. Many superintendents stated they have had to compete for qualified educators with larger districts and asked the governor her plans for addressing the situation.
Governor Kelly stated Monday she is planning a review of what resources are available and what strategies can be developed to best help grow the teacher population throughout the state.
Among those in attendance, Monday was USD 251 North Lyon County, Superintendent Bob Blair. Blair says he was thankful for the opportunity to have the governor available in person as he feels it makes the conversations much more impactful.
He went on to say, he felt the roundtable was beneficial both for the superintendents in attendance and Governor Kelly herself. An issue that has been brought up many times in the last year was the topic of a “one-size fits all approach” to education.
Blair believes the tour allows the governor to better understand the need for a variety of solutions to different issues based on a district’s size and location.
USD 253 Superintendent Dr. Allison Anderson-Harder stated that she believes the face-to-face conversations with Governor Kelly could be a major catalyst for improvements to Kansas’ education system in the near future.
