2021 USA-Kansas Conference Program

June 2-4, 2021 - Hyatt & Century II Convention Center - Wichita, KS

Developing and uniting educational leaders to 

support and advocate for the success of every 

Kansas student. 

Kansas School Superintendents Association (KSSA) 

Kansas Association of School Business Officials (KASBO) 

Kansas Association of School Personnel Administrators (KASPA) 

Kansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (KASCD) 

Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators (KASEA) 

Kansas School Public Relations Association (KanSPRA) 

Kansas Principals Association (KPA) 

Kansas Leaders of Career & Technical Education (KLCTE)

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Welcome Letter......................... 2 

Conference Overview............... 5 

Vendor Information................. 7-24 

Looking Back............................ 25-26 

Wed & Thur Sessions............... 27-51 

Vendor Classroom Sessions.... 53-58 

Friday Sessions.......................... 59-60 

USA-Kansas Info..................... 61 

Venue Maps............................... 62-64 

WiFi Info.................................. 67-68 

Higher Logic Info..................... 72

1

Welcome to the 50th annual USA-Kansas 

Conference! It is extremely fitting we are 

able to gather comfortably again, giving 

USA-Kansas the chance to celebrate the 

50th Annual Conference with you! The 

success schools and administrators have 

experienced over the last 15 months is 

indicative of the success USA-Kansas has 

experienced over our existence. Our 

organization was developed by great 

leaders with the goal of bringing people 

together, overcoming challenges, and 

creating a stronger leadership network. 

Working cooperatively was never more 

evident than during the pandemic. Despite 

the issues, leaders found ways to gather 

ideas, support incentives, and often 

comfort others despite the separation. 

instructional models for our teachers, 

and expand leadership opportunities for 

administrators. 

The eyes of the public are watching, 

legislators are circling, and the attention is 

firmly centered on leadership. It’s time to 

shine! Together we will achieve greatness. 

Thanks for being part of the 50th Annual 

USA-Kansas Conference. We encourage 

you to reach for greatness! 

World-Class Leadership, 

World-Class Student Success 

As we gather this week to celebrate a job 

well done and begin to plan for the next 

steps, this is the perfect time to pledge 

to yourself, “I’m done traveling down 

the leadership road alone.” Timothy 

Farriss said, “It’s lonely at the top. Ninetynine 

percent of people in the world are 

convinced they are incapable of achieving 

great things, so they aim for the mediocre.” 

We are not at a stage in public education 

that planning for mediocre is acceptable. 

Now is the time to reach for greatness. The 

next four years are our “once in a lifetime” 

chance to change the course of public 

schools in Kansas, create new learning 

opportunities for all students, innovate 

2

4

5

Conference 

Overview 

Wednesday, June 2 

Registration Opens - Chisholm Stimson - 9:00 a.m. 

Learning Clusters - 1:00-2:30 p.m. 

Vendor Showcase - Expo Hall - 1:00-5:00 p.m. 

Vendor Classroom Sessions - 1:30-5:00 p.m. - Expo Hall 

Opening General Session with Mark Scharenbrouch - Eagle Ballroom - 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Thursday, June 3 

Registration Opens - Chisholm Stimson - 7:00 a.m. 

Hot Breakfast Buffet - Eagle Ballroom - 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. 

Learning Clusters - 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Vendor Showcase - Expo Hall - 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. 

Vendor Classroom Sessions - 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Expo Hall 

USA-Kansas Lunch - Expo Hall ∙ 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Friday, June 4 

Association Meeting Hot Breakfast - Promenade Walkway - 7:30-8:15 a.m. 

KASPA Association Meeting - Walnut 208 - 8:00-9:15 a.m. 

KPA Association Meeting - Redbud B - 8:00-9:15 a.m. 

KSSA Association Meeting - Redbud C - 8:00-9:15 a.m. 

Hot Breakfast - Eagle Ballroom - 8:45-9:30 a.m. 

Closing Session with Brandon Fleming - Eagle Ballroom - 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. - Sponsored by Lifetouch 

IN ACCORDANCE WITH KANSAS FIRE MARSHALL REGULATIONS, PLEASE IDENTIFY 

TWO EMERGENCY EXITS. EXITS AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT IN THE BUILDING 

HAVE BEEN CHECKED FOR YOUR SAFETY. 

5

#USAKSgolden 

6

2021 Exhibitor List 

Company Booth About Us Website 

A-LERT Roof Systems 63 

A.T.G.- Ram 

Industries, LLC 

61 

A-LERT Roof Systems, a division of Centurion 

Industries, Inc., is an industry leader who for 

30+ years has been designing, engineering, 

manufacturing and installing commercial standing 

seam metal roofs 

Turnkey synthetic turf construction, all-weather track 

construction and sports stadium general contracting 

Achieve3000 offers a full suite of digital learning 

solutions for at school or home. 

Achieve3000 Literacy is proven to drive literacy 

growth and ensures every student, especially the 

most vulnerable, continues to learn. In fact, we are so 

committed to providing accelerated literacy growth, 

we guarantee 2X expected reading gains in a single 

school year, or the following year! 

alertroofsystems.com 

atgsports.com 

Achieve3000/ 

Actively Learn 

28 

Actively Learn is a highly flexible, pedagogically 

sound cross-curricular platform for grades 3 -12. It is 

designed to drive student and teacher engagement 

with digital content across core content areas. 

Smarty Ants engages young learners in PK-2 with 

fun, multisensory, and adaptive foundational literacy 

instruction. It puts young learners on the path to a love 

of learning and becoming an independent reading 

success. 

achieve3000.com 

ACT, Inc. 

13 

Alloy 

Architecture 

64 

Achieve3000 Math is the perfect tool for enhancing 

math practice in classroom or remote environments! 

Designed for targeted practice, it helps students fill 

knowledge gaps and build confidence with over 

25,000 scaffolded, standards-aligned problems. 

ACT is an international, mission-driven, nonprofit 

organization with more than 50 years of experience 

generating data-driven assessments and research. As 

a trusted leader in the testing field, ACT is known for 

developing high-quality assessments that determine 

college and career readiness and provide the most 

advanced measures of workplace skills. 

Alloy Architecture is a multidisciplinary team 

of architects, interior designers and technical 

professionals. We are experienced in the planning 

and design of new and/or replacement educational 

facilities, recreational spaces, FEMA shelters and 

specialty education centers. 

7 

act.org 

alloyarchitecture.com



American Fidelity 

84 American Fidelity americanfidelity.com 

With more than a century of combined experience, 

Ameritime representatives bring diverse backgrounds 

and areas of experience to help school district 

educators properly transition from their working years 

to retirement. 

Ameritime LLC 

82 

We are committed to maintaining up-to-date 

knowledge of all the intricate details of KPERS and 

staying informed of any legislative changes that could 

impact the state’s pension plan. We help with 403(b) 

plans for Kansas state school district employees and 

assist district employees with account setup. 

ameritimeks.com 

Apptegy 

35 

Ameritime, LLC is also a Registered Investment Adviser 

available to assist on the investment allocations within 

the ESSDACK 403(b) plan. 

Apptegy builds products that empower school 

leaders to run better schools. We make it easy for 

administrators and educators to reach parents, 

students, staff, and your community at large. With our 

tools you can communicate better and change how 

your public thinks and feels about your schools. 

apptegy.com 

Athco, LLC 

60 Playground and gymnasium equipment, scoreboards athcollc.com 

ATS Facility 

Services 

66 Custodial, Maintenance, and Grounds Services agtac.com 

Audio 

Enhancement 

80 

Audio Enhancement provides customizable solutions 

to support learning inside and outside the classroom. 

These solutions include classroom audio, cameras, 

safety alerts, and schoolwide communication. 

Classroom audio provides a teacher microphone, 

distributing the teacher’s voice to all students. The 

microphone includes alert buttons for emergencies, 

quickly notifying office staff of urgent situations. 

Classroom cameras provide teachers a way to 

record or livestream lessons for remote and blended 

learning models. Videos can be uploaded to an LMS 

or download and delivered to students. Intercom, 

paging, and bells systems are fully customizable, 

giving schools freedom to update and adjust as 

needed. 

audioenhancement.com 

8



Baker University 

53 

Master’s and Doctoral degrees in PK12 education, 

special education & leadership; higher education 

leadership; and Instructional Design & Performance 

Technology 

bakeru.edu/program/ 

education 

BBN Architects is a multi-discipline design firm 

BBN ARCHITECTS 

with offices in Manhattan, KS and Kansas City, 

15 

Mo providing planning, architecture, landscape 

INC 

architecture and interior design. 

bbnarchitects.com 

Benchmark, Inc. 

3 Roof and Pavement Consulting Services benchmark-inc.com 

BetterLesson 

75 Professional Learning and Coaching Services betterlesson.com 

Boardworks 

Education 

Building 

Controls and 

Services, Inc. 

Commercial 

Laundry Sales & 

Service 

Credit Union of 

America 

41 

71 

22 

17 

Boardworks is a turn-key library of interactive, 

supplemental resources to enrich K-12 instruction. You 

can seamlessly integrate our highly interactive and 

customizable activities into your classroom and online 

lessons. 

Building Automation from Mechanical Equipment 

to HVAC and Humidity Control, Indoor Air Quality, 

Energy Management Through Total Cost of 

Ownership, and Service and Technical Support. 

CLS&S Provides laundry solutions for schools who do 

their athletic, custodial, or kitchen laundry in house, as 

well as chemicals and equipment service. 

We’ve been serving educators since 1935. What 

began as a $5 loan between coworkers at East High, 

is now a billion-dollar cooperative providing financial 

services, loans, and grants to those who selflessly 

inspire and cultivate the minds of our youth. 

Just for Educators - Open a checking account, receive 

$200 

-It’s a Money Thing - Easily-accessed free financial 

topics and inspiring content 

-TGIF Grants - Teach, Grow and Inspire the Future 

-Guaranteed Teacher Loan 

-Educator’s Loan Discount 

-CUA Speaker - Lead classroom discussion on 

Financial Literacy 

9 

bldgcontrols.com/ 

clsands.com 

cuofamerica.com



Cunningham 

Recreation/ 

GameTime 

40 

Since 1966 Cunningham Recreation has been 

designing and installing parks and playgrounds. 

We can provide our customers with safe affordable 

playground equipment, a variety of safety surfacing 

materials, sports and fitness equipment, shade and 

shelter options, site furnishings, bleachers, press boxes 

and scoreboards. 

cunninghamrec.com 

Daymark 

Registration Room Custom Name Badges Daymark.com 

DCS Services 

57 Project Management Company dcsservices.net 

DLR Group 

94 

DotCom Therapy 

10 

Duro-Last 

Roofing 

12 

Architecture, engineering, high performance design, 

energy services, master planning, preservation, 

sustainability, experimental graphics 

With DotCom Therapy, you get access to the top 

therapists in the nation on a schedule and budget 

that works for your district. With access to over 

130 specialized providers, your students receive 

personalized, online care for speech therapy, 

occupational therapy, mental health counseling, and 

school psychology. With our one-of-a-kind support 

model, we collaborate extensively with each district 

to determine the best approach to meet your staff and 

students’ needs. 

Flat and low slope roofing, metal roofing and metal 

wall panels 

e-hallpass is The Total Digital Hallpass Solution 

dlrgroup.com 

dotcomtherapy.com 

e-hallpass 

72 

Contactless hallpasses with Social Distancing tools. 

Limit how many students can be in the hall or to the 

same location at the same time. Students create pass 

requests on their device, or teachers create passes 

from their dashboard . Dashboard displays who is in 

the hall, boosting security and accountability. Limit the 

number of passes, Create on-demand or future passes 

with Appt Pass. View pass history and run reports 

With A/B Polarity - You determine who cannot be in 

the hall together. 

And much more! 

Free no-obligation Pilots 

eduspiresolutions.org/ 

10



Edgenuity 

83 

Edmentum 

6, 7 

Educational 

Design Solutions 

Emporia State 

University 

Energy Solutions 

Professionals 

First Responder 

Ks 

Fort Hays State 

University 

Frontline 

Education 

11 

Edgenuity provides online and blended learning 

solutions for students in grades K-12 including 

core and credit recovery courses, intervention and 

test readiness programs, virtual instruction, and 

professional development. Our solutions propel 

student success, empower teachers to deliver 

effective instruction, and enable schools to meet their 

academic goals. Learn more at Edgenuity.com. 

Edmentum delivers rigorous, research-based 

curriculum, assessments, and practice items aligned 

to the most up-to-date standards and designed to 

engage students. 

EDS provides Educators with the easiest and most 

effective data to guide instruction, monitor progress, 

which, in turn, connects to individualized educational 

decisions in the school or classroom. EDS represents 

Lexia, Mangahigh Math, NeuroLearning and other 

products to help in the classroom. 

47 Online Educational Degrees 

32 

44 

Energy Audits, Indoor Air Quality, Guaranteed 

Energy Savings Projects 

Automated External Defibrillators (AED)s and all 

supplies 

Edgenuity.com 

edmentum.com 

educationaldesignsolutions. 

com 

energyesp.com 

firstresponderks.com 

36 Online graduate courses representing 22 programs. fhsu.edu/aep 

58 

Frontline Education is a leading provider of school 

administration software and services purpose-built for 

K-12 to support the growth of people and optimize 

the management of processes. With solutions for 

human capital management, student management, 

and business operations, Frontline partners with 

school systems to deliver tools, data and insights for 

greater efficiency, productivity, and performance 

resulting in more time for initiatives that matter to the 

education community. 

rontlineeducation. 

com/?utm_ 

source=events&utm_ 

medium=sales_ 

conf_reg&utm_ 

campaign=USAKansas. 

KS.6.21&utm_ 

term=event&utm_ 

content=USAKansas+2021 

11



Globe Life Family 

Heritage Division 

Heartland 

Seating, Inc. 

Hollis and Miller 

Architects 

81 

62 

88, 89 

HTK Architects 

54 

Hutton 

87 

INA Alert Inc 

51, 52 

incite Design 

Studio 

Ion Wave 

Technologies, 

Inc. 

59 

JE Dunn 

5 

14 

Industry leading supplemental benefits featuring 

return of premium products. 

Spectator Seating Specialists - Indoor and Outdoor 

Bleachers, Grandstands, Auditorium Chairs 

Hollis + Miller Architects, an integrated design 

firm 100% committed to education and learning 

environments, harnesses the power of co-creation to 

develop research-based designs supporting learners 

of all ages. 

Full service Educational Design, Planning and Bon 

Facilitation 

General contractor specializing in K-12 bond issue 

work. 

Surveillance Cameras 

Door Access Controls 

Communication Software for Emergency Alerts 

VoIP Telephone Systems 

Architectural design services, including facility 

assessments, master planning, programming, 

construction documents, and construction 

administration services. 

Ion Wave is an industry leader in the eProcurement 

movement. We specialize in Electronic Bidding, Bid 

Evaluation & Scoring, Contract Management, and 

Supplier Management. Our team has been serving 

public procurement entities for 20+ years. For more 

information contact us at sales@ionwave.net or 866- 

277-2645. 

JE Dunn specializes in construction management 

services for educational clients. 

fhlagent.com 

heartlandseating.com 

hollisandmiller.com/ 

huttonbuilds.com 

inaalert.com 

incitedesignstudio.com 

ionwave.net 

jedunn.com 

12



• HVAC Equipment 

• Fire Detection 

• Digital Solutions 

Johnson 

Controls 

98 

• Building Automation 

• Security 

• Access Control 

johnsoncontrols.com/ 

• Paging 

• Intercom 

• CCTV 

At K12itc we geek out on applications, IT support for 

schools and the optimization we provide to the K-12 

world. Whether it’s a telephone system that functions 

seamlessly or a cloud managed network, we do it all. 

k12itc 

70 

We work hand in hand with your IT staff to 

understand your school’s unique technology 

challenges. Then, we design support solutions that 

boost efficiencies and maximize your IT investment. 

k12itc.com 

Kansas Academy 

of Mathematics & 

Science 

Kansas Athletic 

Trainers’ 

Socoiety 

Put simply – we get you. And we can help provide IT 

support for your school. 

29 Early college opportunity for high school students. fhsu.edu/KAMS 

74 

The Kansas Athletic Trainers’ Society (KATS) is the 

professional organization for athletic trainers in 

Kansas. It is a subsidiary of the National Athletic 

Trainers’ Association. KATS strives to educate the 

general public about the importance of athletic 

trainers as part of the healthcare team for physically 

active Kansans of all ages and activity levels. KATS 

also provides social, educational, and advocacy 

opportunities for athletic trainers in Kansas. 

ksathletictrainers.org 

13



Kansas 

Department 

for Aging and 

Disabilities 

Services 

Kansas Principals 

Association 

24 Disaster Relief Grant - KDADS Prevention Programs kdads.gov 

92 Kansas Principals Association booth 

Your One-Stop-Shop 

KASB & Kansas 

Board Solutions 

56 

Board Solutions is the association’s one-stop-shop 

for educational leaders. From executive searches 

and board training to our powerful suite of insurance 

and software solutions, everything you need to 

excel and succeed as a leader can be found within 

Board Solutions. Our experienced team of specialists 

brings decades of educational and industry-specific 

experience together to offer our members customized 

solutions built to overcome challenges and seize 

opportunities. 

kasb.org 

Consulting, Executive Searches, Insurance Suite, 

Research, Software Suite, Training 

Beyond services that solve your district’s problems, 

partnering with KASB reinvests in Kansas students. 

Our solutions support and promote active learning. 

At KCAV, we are learning space and ed-tech specialists, 

offering many classroom audio solutions, vivid 

projection and interactive displays. 

KCAV + Scott Rice 

Education 

73 

Scott Rice Education is focused on helping schools 

create the most effective, rewarding and inspiring 

active learning environments to meet the evolving 

needs of students and educators. Using an insight-led 

approach, we design solutions for the many spaces 

learning happens, from classrooms and libraries to 

in-between spaces and cafes. 

scottrice.com 

kcav.com 

Together, we have a passion for understanding how 

learning best takes place and how smarter, active 

learning spaces can help. 

14



Lakeshore 

Learning 

Materials 

LifeTouch 

104, 105 

Lunchtime 

Solutions, Inc. 

Mahaney Group 

102 

Mammoth Sports 

Construction 

91 Educational Products lakeshorelearning.com 

Photo and yearbook company, also provide ID 

badges 

lifetouch.com 

68 K-12 Food Service Management Company lunchtimesolutions.com 

42 

McCownGordon 

46 

Mid-States 

School 

Equipment Co Inc 

Midwest Transit 

Equipment, Inc. 

Musco Sports 

Lighting 

Our Roof Access program helps owners, via an 

online portal, plan rooftop capital/repair budgets, 

prevent issues via inspections and preventative 

maintenance, prepare for emergencies, and respond 

to emergencies. 

Mammoth is a full-service turnkey sports construction 

company that can help school districts design, 

budget, fundraise and build the project of their 

dreams. (Sports Fields, Concession/Restrooms, 

Indoor Practice Facilities) 

Our dedicated K-12 education construction team 

focuses on building new and renovating both public 

and private schools. When renovating occupied 

schools our team focuses on minimizing disruptions, 

incorporating learning lessons, and most importantly, 

student, faculty and visitor safety. McCownGordon 

proudly constructs schools across the Midwest that 

foster students’ learning. 

mahaneygroup.com 

mammothbuilt.com 

mccowngordon.com 

16 Education Equipment and Furniture msseci.com 

55 

31 

Midwest Transit offers sales, service, parts, leasing 

and financing. From new and used school to 

commercial, church and more, we specialize in buses. 

When you think bus, think of us! 

Musco has shaped the history of sports lighting since 

1976. The company’s TLC for LED technology 

delivers unmatched light quality, control, efficiency, 

and reliability. 

15 

midwesttransit.com 

musco.com



National Bus 

Sales Inc. 

Network for 

Educator 

Effectiveness 

Newkirk Novak 

Construction 

Partners 

OFG Financial 

Services, Inc 

BUS 

67 

We offer new, used, and reconditioned school and 

shuttle buses as well as motorcoaches and Ultra 

Coachliners. We have a large facility for repairs, 

service and paint/body work along with a large 

parts department. Our graphic designers do a great 

job with vinyl wraps and lettering. We are a one-stop 

shop! 

The Network for Educator Effectiveness is a 

comprehensive educator evaluation system with a 

purpose: to grow teachers and improve schools. 

NEE provides superior support to school leaders to 

enhance their school’s educator evaluation processes. 

NEE provides a full system for evaluation that includes 

training for evaluators, classroom observation rubrics, 

a student survey, an online tool for tracking data, and 

an integrated professional learning library. (NEE is 

a non-KEEP evaluation protocol filed with the Kansas 

State Department of Education.) 

33 Construction Management Services 

34, 38 

Retirement Planning, Financial Planning, Sec 125 

Fringe Benefits 

nationalbus.com 

neeadvantage.com 

ofgfinancial.com 

Oklahoma LED 

45 Lighting and Electrical OklahomaLED.com 

Opaa! Food 

Management 

48 Food service management for K-12 school districts opaafood.com 

Piper Sandler 

65, 69 

Professional 

Engineering 

Consultants 

19 

Piper Sandler specializes in assisting school districts 

with developing and implementing financial plans 

of capital improvement projects including budget 

strategies, mill levy management solutions, bond 

elections, lease financing and bond refinancing. 

Engineering and Design. Mechanical, Electrical, 

Plumbing, Structural and Civil Engineering. 

Additional Services include Audio Visual Design, 

Security and Low Voltage System Design, Energy 

Audits and Commissioning. 

psc.com 

pec1.com 

Pur-O-Zone, Inc. 

39 Facility maintenance supplies and consultation purozone.com 

16



QBS 

93 

Quantum 

Education 

101 

QBS, a leading national consulting and behavioral 

training company, offers Safety-Care Behavioral 

Safety Training. Safety-Care is founded upon 

principles and procedure of Applied Behavior 

Analysis and Positive Behavioral Supports, training 

staff in evidence-based practices toward the 

prevention, minimization, and management of 

behavioral challenges. 

Optimization of staffing vendors for school districts, 

sped teacher, school psych, BCBA, PT/OT/SLP, math 

and science teacher staffing. 

When Kansas cities, counties and public institutions 

make investments to enhance quality of life for 

their communities, they deserve the dedication and 

expertise of a public finance partner that understands 

their constituents’ needs and can execute tailored 

financial solutions with a high degree of execution. 

QBS.com 

quantum-pros.com 

Raymond James - 

Public Finance 

79 

Raymond James Public Finance has the experience – 

decades’ worth in Kansas – to be that partner. Our 

veteran bankers and aggressive underwriters work 

with municipal issuers to provide the highest quality 

service to see these projects to completion. 

raymondjames.com/ 

corporations-andinstitutions/public-finance/ 

locations/kansas 

For their efforts – and the efforts of their peers in states 

across the country – Raymond James Public Finance 

is consistently named a top 10 municipal underwriter 

in the nation.1 

1 Source: Bloomberg, based on total par amount. 

Past performance may not be indicative of future 

results. 

Reality U - The 

Pando Initiative 

21 

Financial Literacy Simulation – 75 minute “snapshot” 

of life at age 26 that assists students in making the 

connection between their current effort in school and 

their future financial success. This program that targets 

middle and high schoolers is an excellent way to 

reignite student effort and involvement for learning. 

PandoKids.org 

17



Renaissance 

85 

Riggs Rec 

103 

Safe Defend, LLC 

76 

Sandifer 

Engineering & 

Controls 

As a global leader in assessment, reading, and 

math solutions for pre-K–12 schools and districts, 

Renaissance is committed to providing educators 

with insights and resources to accelerate growth 

and help all students build a strong foundation for 

success. The Renaissance portfolio, used in over 

one-third of US schools and in more than 100 

countries worldwide, includes Star Assessments, for 

reliable, accurate insights into K–12 student learning; 

myIGDIs, for accurate assessment of early learning; 

myON, to increase students’ access to high-quality 

reading materials; Accelerated Reader, to support 

independent reading practice; Freckle, for teacherled 

differentiated instruction; and Schoolzilla, to give 

educators actionable insights into trends in student 

attendance and achievement. To learn more, visit: 

https://www.renaissance.com/ 

Your local provider for Outdoor Athletic and 

Recreational Equipment and Installation for 

Playgrounds, Surfacing, Shade and Shelter, Site 

Amenities, Dog Parks, Running Tracks, Tennis and 

Basketball Courts. Helping communities build from the 

playGround up, since 1983. 

Training solutions for preventing or mitigating harm to 

students and staff and full crisis mitigation solutions. 

renaissance.com 

riggsrec.com 

safedefend.com 

99, 100 Security & Fire Products sandifercontrols.com 

PreK-12 Products 

Savvas Learning 

26 

We are a next-generation learning company that 

combines new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new 

ways of interacting to create innovative learning 

solutions. 

Savvas draws upon 120+ years of experience and 

innovation to provide learning solutions across all 

pre-K-12 disciplines around the globe. 

https://www.savvas.com/ 

index.cfm?locator=PS3d1m 

18



Schneider 

Electric 

20 

Schneider Electric is committed to helping schools 

reach big ambitions through an energy savings 

project. This type of project can be implemented by 

most publicly funded entities to achieve substantial 

operational and energy savings, all without drawing 

from existing budgets. 

We can help you achieve many benefits from such 

a project, including improved: learning environment, 

facility efficiency, occupant comfort, and both 

fiscal and environmental sustainability. Over the 

past 29 years, Schneider Electric has successfully 

implemented more than 820 ESPC projects across the 

nation, saving our clients more than $2.8 billion. 

SJCF Architecture 

4 Architectural Services sjcf.com 

SOCS Website 

Solutions 

& Filament 

Essential 

Services* 

95 

SpedTrack 

77 

Stifel, Nicolaus & 

Company, Inc. 

Strawbridge 

Studios, Inc. 

The Garland 

Company 

SOCS empowers schools with the tools to create and 

manage their website & stay connected with apps. 

We also offer branding & video, data security, tech 

support, and payroll & bookkeeping services. 

SpedTrack is web-based software (IEP’s, Evaluations, 

Section 504s, Progress Monitoring, Translation) 

that allows school districts to centralize information 

and processes into one comprehensive application. 

SpedTrack was designed to ease the burden of 

managing special education for both teachers and 

administrators. Staff will spend less time on paperwork 

and more time with their students. 

se.com/us/enable 

fes.org 

spedtrack.com 

1, 2 Public Finance Services, Advisory & Underwriting Stifel.com 

37 School Pictures and Yearbooks www.strawbridge.net 

9 Building Envelope Solutions and waterproofing www.garlandco.com 

19



The Purchasing 

Cooperative at 

Greenbush 

78 

TIPS - The 

Interlocal 

23 

Purchasing 

System 

TORSH 

106 

Trane 

86 

Turf Etc dba 

Synlawn 

Twotrees 

Technologies 

Universal 

Construction 

Company 

We’ve done the bid work for you. For more than 

40 years, Greenbush Cooperative Purchasing 

has helped municipalities, schools, and other 

organizations, such as parks and recreation, save 

time and money through cooperative purchasing. 

Greenbush has contracted vendors in a variety 

of spending categories, all awarded through a 

competitive solicitation process. Procurement through 

a Greenbush cooperative contract is more efficient 

and effective, saving you the cumbersome and timeconsuming 

work of managing a bid process. 

TIPS is a leading national purchasing cooperative 

with competitively bid contracts available for 

members. Membership is free. 

Ed tech-professional development platform for 

educator effectiveness 

As you prepare to optimize your schools with ESSER, 

Trane recognizes you have a lot of questions. Indoor 

Air Quality now matters more than ever. We turn 

insights and data into an action plan you can move 

on in alignment with District priorities. Contact Trane 

about starting the process with an Indoor Air Quality 

Assessment with recommendations in alignment with 

ASHRAE and CDC guidance. 

greenbush.org/businessprograms/the-purchasingcooperative/ 

tips-usa.com 

torsh.co 

8 Artificial playground turf synlawn.com 

43 

90 

Laptops, Chromebooks, Desktops, Interactive Panels, 

Networking Hardware and services, cybersecurity, 

Esports equipment and leagues, E-Rate Solutions, 

Mobile Hotspots, Bus Routers 

Construction Management and General Contracting 

services for bond projects and facility improvement. 

trane.com/commercial/ 

north-america/us/en.html 

twotrees.com 

universalconstruction.net 

20



UV&S 

96 

VIRCO INC 

27 

Voice Products 

97 

VS AMERICA 

30 

Washington 

Roofing & 

Insulation 

World’s Finest 

Chocolate 

18 

25 

Wray Roofiing 

49, 50 

Our professional services give you continuous 

access to the business processes you need, whether 

it’s designing a new business technology solution 

or optimizing an existing one. From strategic 

planning to proactive maintenance to support and 

troubleshooting, we help you realize the maximum 

return on your technology investments. When 

continual data access is absolutely critical, our Data 

Center is your solution. The Data Center is virtually 

disaster-proof, reducing the possibility of downtime 

due to power, connectivity or environmental issues. 

That means your customers, systems and information 

are always connected. We offer an extensive variety 

of hybrid cloud-enabled backup solutions to fit your 

business’s needs. 

Since 1950, Virco has proudly manufactured 

industry-leading furniture and equipment for K–12 

schools in the US. Collections include seating for 

healthy movement, technology-ready tables, and a 

range of collaborative tables and desks for flexible 

classrooms. For large-scale FF&E purchases, Virco’s 

complimentary, hassle-free PlanSCAPE service 

delivers on-time, on-budget solutions. 

We are offering tele-communication options such 

as nursing (i.e. mental health or sharing of a nurse), 

schooling, conferences, etc. 

VS America is a leading innovator and provider 

of agile, adaptable furniture solutions for Student- 

Centered teaching and learning spaces 

Washington Roofing & Insulation Inc provides air 

barriers, commercial roofing, elastomeric roofing, 

polyurethane foam roofing and spray applied roofing 

services. 

World’s Finest Chocolate is the number one 

fundraising company who has been helping schools 

since 1949. We offer a quality name brand product 

at a fair price to help schools reach their fundraising 

goals. 

Repair/replacement of low sloped and flat roofs. 

Roof analysis, leak repairs, writing specs., free 

estimates. 

uvsinc.com/technology 

virco.com 

voiceproducts.com 

vsamerica.com 

vsshowroom.com 

washingtoncompaniesinc. 

com 

worldsfinestchocolate.com 

wrayroofing.com 

21

2021 Raffle Prizes 

Please take time to visit our 2021 vendors and business partners. With their support, we are able to offer additional convention 

activities and programming. We have several vendors that have donated to a raffle drawing for some great prizes. During the 

Vendor Showcase at various times both days we will have raffle drawings. Also show off your cornhole skills at the USA-KS 

Booth for a chance to win other great prizes and pick up your swag bag for our big 50th Anniversary! 

To participate in the raffle drawing you will need to visit a vendor’s booth and they will give you a “Prize Sponsor Buck” for you 

to take to the USA-KS booth. Please print your name, USD #, and email or phone number on the back of your buck and put it in 

the individual raffle box you’d like a chance to win. NOTE: The first Southwest Airlines $500 gift card will be given away during 

opening session at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, so be sure and get your ticket in this one FAST! 

Drawings will be held throughout the day on Thursday, with the exception of the first Travel gift card. Times will be posted on the 

individual boxes when they will be drawn. Winner’s names will be posted on the large screen in the USA-KS Booth so please 

check back frequently to see if you’ve won! Prizes MUST be picked up before the Vendor Showcase ends at 4:00 p.m. on 

Thursday. 

2021 Raffle Prizes 

Dyson Lightcycle Task Light 

TWO $500 Southwest Airlines Gift Cards – To be given away during opening and closing sessions 

$50 Gift Cards for each: Bass Pro Shop, Omaha Steaks, Buffalo Wild Wings, Amazon, 

Uber, Home Depot, Nike, Bath & Body Works 

2021-2022 Complimentary USA-Kansas Dues 

2022 Complimentary USA-Kansas Convention Registration 

USA-KS Staff Gift Baskets 

Jessi’s Comfy Gift Basket 

Sara’s Dog Gift Basket 

Kim’s Chiefs/Wine Gift Basket 

Jerry’s Craft Beer/Snacks Gift Basket 

G.A.’s Mystery Gift Basket 

USA-Kansas Raffle Drawings for Great Prizes in Expo Hall 

Wednesday 1:00-5:00 p.m., Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

Educational Design Solutions 

Duro-Last Roofing 

VIRCO INC 

Mammoth Sports Construction 

Twotrees Technologies 

Wray Roofiing 

DCS Services 

2021 Raffle Sponsors 

22 

Safe Defend, LLC 

The Purchasing Cooperative at Greenbush 

DLR Group 

SOCS Website Solutions & Filament Essential 

Services 

Sandifer Engineering & Controls 

Quantum Education

2021 Exhibitor List By 

Booth Number 

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.** 1, 2 

Benchmark, Inc. 3 

SJCF Architecture 4 

JE Dunn 5 

Edmentum 6, 7 

Turf Etc dba Synlawn 8 

The Garland Company 9 

DotCom Therapy 10 

Educational Design Solutions* 11 

Duro-Last Roofing* 12 

ACT, Inc. 13 

Ion Wave Technologies, Inc. 14 

BBN ARCHITECTS INC 15 

Mid-States School Equipment Co Inc 16 

Credit Union of America 17 

Washington Roofing & Insulation 18 

Educational Design Solutions* 11 

Duro-Last Roofing* 12 

ACT, Inc. 13 

Ion Wave Technologies, Inc. 14 

BBN ARCHITECTS INC 15 

Mid-States School Equipment Co Inc 16 

Credit Union of America 17 

Washington Roofing & Insulation 18 

VIRCO INC* 27 

Achieve3000/Actively Learn 28 

Kansas Academy of Mathematics & Science 29 

VS AMERICA 30 

Musco Sports Lighting 31 

Energy Solutions Professionals 32 

Newkirk Novak Construction Partners 33 

OFG Financial Services, Inc** 34, 38 

Apptegy 35 

Fort Hays State University 36 

Strawbridge Studios, Inc. 37 

Pur-O-Zone, Inc. 39 

Cunningham Recreation/GameTime 40 

Boardworks Education 41 

23 

Mammoth Sports Construction* 42 

Twotrees Technologies* 43 

First Responder Ks 44 

Oklahoma LED 45 

McCownGordon** 46 

Emporia State University 47 

Opaa! Food Management 48 

Wray Roofiing* 49, 50 

INA Alert Inc 51, 52 

Baker University 53 

HTK Architects 54 

Midwest Transit Equipment, Inc. 55 

KASB & Kansas Board Solutions 56 

DCS Services* 57 

Frontline Education 58 

incite Design Studio 59 

Athco, LLC 60 

A.T.G.- Ram Industries, LLC 61 

Heartland Seating, Inc. 62 

A-LERT Roof Systems 63 

Alloy Architecture 64 

Piper Sandler** 65, 69 

ATS Facility Services 66 

Network for Educator Effectiveness 67 

Lunchtime Solutions, Inc. 68 

k12itc 70 

Building Controls and Services, Inc. 71 

e-hallpass 72 

KCAV + Scott Rice Education** 73 

Kansas Athletic Trainers’ Socoiety 74 

BetterLesson** 75 

Safe Defend, LLC** * 76 

SpedTrack 77 

The Purchasing Cooperative at Greenbush* 78 

Raymond James - Public Finance** 79 

Audio Enhancement** 80 

Globe Life Family Heritage Division** 81 

Ameritime LLC** 82

2021 Exhibitor 

Booth Map 

Edgenuity** 83 

American Fidelity** 84 

Renaissance** 85 

Trane** 86 

Hutton** 87 

Hollis and Miller Architects 88, 89 

Universal Construction Company 90 

Lakeshore Learning Materials 91 

Kansas Principals Association 92 

QBS 93 

DLR Group** * 94 

SOCS Website Solutions & Filament Essential 

Services* 95 

UV&S 96 

Voice Products 97 

Johnson Controls 98 

Sandifer Engineering & Controls* 99, 100 

Quantum Education* 101 

Mahaney Group 102 

Riggs Rec 103 

LifeTouch** 104, 105 

TORSH 106 

National Bus Sales Inc. 

Daymark** 

* Raffle Prize Sponsor 

** Convention Sponsor 

BUS 

Registration 

24

RECOLLECTION OF USA CONVENTIONS 

Brilla Highfill Scott 

USA Associate Executive Director 1985-1998 

USA Executive Director 1998-2003 

It was 1976 and I had been assistant principal of Lawrence West Junior High School only a few days when Principal 

Paul Hull handed me a membership form and suggested that I join the Kansas Association of Secondary School 

Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, and United School Administrators of Kansas. Little 

did I know how this decision would affect my future professional career. 

With the untimely death of Jerry Schreiner in August 1984, USA was without an executive director. Abilene 

Superintendent Leo Lake and Lawrence Special Education Director Don Herbel immediately stepped up, along with 

USA Assistant Director Mac McKinney, in guiding the USA staff through a difficult year. 

Gerry Henderson, who had been KASSP president, was hired as USA executive director. In turn, the application for 

the USA associate executive director position crossed my desk. I had served on the KASSP Board with Gerry, and I 

decided to apply for the position. 

July 1, 1985, found both of us in new jobs, headquartered in Topeka. We worked together for 13 years, traveling 

throughout the state, meeting school leaders, and providing professional development activities as needed. 

Near the end of each January, a convention was held in Wichita. January was chosen because second semester 

had settled in, and it was an opportune time for administrators to have a change of pace. Yes, the weather could be 

a concern but that rarely happened. 

Some 1200 administrators arrived in downtown Wichita and most stayed in the 26-story Holiday Inn Plaza Hotel. 

The most memorable convention occurred when a phone call was received five days before the USA Convention, 

“The Wichita Downtown Holiday Inn has closed.” 

The Wichita Chamber of Commerce immediately took over finding new sleeping rooms for conventioneers and 

vendors; then notifying them. Gerry began relocating association meetings, luncheons, and other convention 

activities. Fortunately, the convention general sessions were scheduled in the large facilities at Century II. 

A seemingly impossible task was accomplished by the USA staff and school leaders. Our convention opened 

successfully and on time. 

A sad memory of another convention includes a superintendent being notified that his daughter had been killed in a 

car-train collision that morning. Sympathy for the family filtered throughout the convention. 

A surprise event occurred when a nationally known speaker left the hotel internet line open all night, resulting in a 

$700 bill for his one-night accommodation. Not much remained of his honorarium. 

Nineteen USA Conventions were part of my professional career. Enthusiastic USA members, outstanding speakers, 

and knowledgeable vendors made for a great January each year. Congratulations to USA for its 50th Convention! 

25

Registering for the January 

Administrators Convention in 

Wichita gave us a break from 

our daily routines and gave us 

a chance to network with other 

administrators in Kansas. While 

networking we also heard many 

wonderful speakers who motivated 

us to go back to our school settings, 

and encouraged us to make 

improvements in our daily work 

routines. 

-Virgil Funk 

The best part of attending the USA 

Kansas Convention was the opportunity 

to visit with other administrators from 

around the state and share thoughts 

and ideas about various issues. All 

workshop sessions were good, but 

the sharing of ideas with others on a 

one-to-one basis always proved to 

be the most advantageous element of 

the convention. Long live USA Kansas 

and the work with all administrators 

throughout the state of Kansas. 

-Robert Young 

I found the USA convention to 

be a great opportunity for both 

learning about new and different 

educational issues and connecting 

with colleagues in the field. 

Attending the USA convention 

was part of my professional 

responsibilities to learn from, 

connect with, and serve the 

profession. 

-Bill Neuenswander 

School administrators have two 

kinds of true friends, their dog 

and other administrators. I loved 

the connections with friends other 

than my dog at least once a year. 

Attended my first USA Convention 

in 1973. 

-Gary Price 

Wichita in January with a snow 

storm and cold wind from the 

north left me with the impression 

that Wichita can be the coldest 

place in Kansas for a convention. 

Warm conversations and sharing 

of ideas seemed to help us ignore 

the cold wind blowing outside and 

made the conventions a wonderful 

experience. 

-Virgil Funk 

26

Learning Cluster 

Schedule at a Glance 

Date Time Location Session Title 

6/2/21 1:00-2:30 p.m. Redbud ABC 

Trauma and Emotional Safety: A Leadership 

Perspective 

6/2/21 1:00-2:30 p.m. Cypress AB The Uncommon Playbook 

6/2/21 1:15-2:15 p.m. Birch 203 

Hiring Success: Award Winning Candidate 

Experience 

6/2/21 1:15-2:15 p.m. Cedar 204 

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: What One District 

Did to Engage Staff and Have Fun This Year 

6/2/21 1:15-2:15 p.m. Maple 205 

Learning Losses and Learning Gains, Build an 

Equitable Approach to Accelerate Growth Post- Covid 

6/3/21 8:00-9:00 a.m. Birch 203 

Developing a Student-Lead Uncommon School 

Culture! 

6/3/21 8:00-9:00 a.m. Cedar 204 I Can Create: A Cultural Shift in the Classroom 

6/3/21 8:00-9:00 a.m. Maple 205 Implementing Self-Care Practices for Educators 

6/3/21 8:00-9:00 a.m. Walnut 208 Got Boards? District Stability & Executive Governance 

6/3/21 8:15-9:45 a.m. Redbud ABC The Trauma-Informed Continuum in Schools 

6/3/21 8:15-9:45 a.m. Cypress AB Rumor Has It/They Posted What? 

6/3/21 9:00-10:15 a.m. Osage 207 Building Connections 

6/3/21 9:30-10:30 a.m. Birch 203 Esports in Education--It’s Coming, Are You Ready 

6/3/21 9:30-10:30 a.m. Cedar 204 

Empowering Teachers to Engage in Productive 

Conversations with Challenging Parents 

6/3/21 9:30-10:30 a.m. Maple 205 

The Connection Between Student Work-Based 

Learning Experiences and the Individual Plan of Study 

(IPS) 

6/3/21 9:30-10:30 a.m. Walnut 208 

Using Aligned Social and Emotional District Normed 

Data to Grow Your Learning Culture 

6/3/21 10:15-11:45 a.m. Redbud ABC 

Mentoring: Building Leadership Capacity through 

Reflective Practices 

6/3/21 10:15-11:45 a.m. Cypress AB CSI Kansas/We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet? 

27


Date Time Location Session Title 

6/3/21 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Birch 203 

Building a Teacher Workforce: New Pathways, New 

People, New Promise 

6/3/21 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Cedar 204 Building Community Through Student Generosity 

6/3/21 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Maple 205 The Future Elite - Supporting New Teachers 

6/3/21 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Walnut 208 

Helping the Helpers: Providing Social-Emotional 

Leadership and Support 

6/3/21 12:30-2:00 p.m. Redbud ABC Avoiding the Pitfalls of Returning to Normal, Part I 

6/3/21 12:30-2:00 p.m. Cypress AB 

Thoughtful Considersation and fitness for duty exams/ 

Sticks and Stones 

6/3/21 1:30-2:30 p.m. Birch 203 

National Update on the Teacher Shortage and Vision 

Planning for the Future 

6/3/21 1:30-2:30 p.m. Cedar 204 Who’s in the I in I.P.S? 

6/3/21 1:30-2:30 p.m. Maple 205 

#ListenUp A live Podcast featuring Kansas 

Administrators! 

6/3/21 1:30-2:30 p.m. Walnut 208 

Get Your PL in Gear: Innovative Professional Learning 

Even Your Band Director Wants to Attend 

6/3/21 3:00-4:00 p.m. Birch 203 

Supporting & Mentoring Female Leaders as a Male 

Administrator 

6/3/21 3:00-4:00 p.m. Cedar 204 Establishing an Effective Mental Health Team at CES 

6/3/21 3:00-4:00 p.m. Maple 205 Developing and Facilitating Collaborative Groups 

6/3/21 3:00-4:00 p.m. Walnut 208 

Building & Maintaining a Strong School Culture Even 

During a Pandemic 

USA-Kansas is proud to have some of the most talented and dedicated education 

professionals as our members. USA-Kansas has a strong network of practicing and 

retired administrators who have been recognized for their achievements. Membership 

in USA-Kansas allows individuals access to these talented professionals; supports 

a forum for open and engaging dialogues; opportunities to share experiences; and 

participation in professional development programs. 

28

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 

The Uncommon Playbook 

Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. 

Location: Cypress AB 

Presenter(s): 

• Joe Coles, Educational Consultant, 

USD 361 

• J.C. Zahradnik 

Using the Uncommon Playbook in helping teach 

“Social and Emotional Learning,” in sports and 

activities. This can also be used in the classroom. 

This session will demonstrate “common sense” 

lessons that coaches, sponsors and teachers can 

use to teach social and emotional strategies in 

things they are already doing in their practices, 

lessons, classrooms, and performances. They just 

need to be identified and emphasized. 

1. Social and Emotion learning areas: 

2. To understand and manage emotions. 

3. Set and achieve positive goals. 

4. Feel and show empathy for others. 

5. Establish and maintain positive relationships. 

6. Make responsible decisions. 

Trauma and Emotional 

Safety: A Leadership 

Perspective 

Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. 

Location: Redbud ABC 

Presenter(s): 

• Linda Aldridge, Ed.D., Associate 

Professor, Emporia State 

University 

Are you sometimes awake at night, worried 

about that student with moderate to severe 

behavioral issues? How about staff assigned to 

support that student, the ones who appear to be 

unusually tired and stressed? Through engaged 

learning, school leaders come away with sound 

strategies for promoting adult support systems as 

a necessary condition for student success. 

These lessons will be centered around paying a 

P.R.I.C.E. in a T.A.C.T.I.C.A.L. journey! 

29


Culture Eats Strategy 

for Breakfast: What One 

District Did to Engage Staff 

and Have Fun This Year 

Time: 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. 

Location: Cedar 204 

Presenter(s): 

• Dr. John Burke, Superintendent 

and Fun Team Facilitator, 

Haysville USD 261 

• Dr. Clint Schutte 

• Toni Haight 

• David Morford 

Hiring Success: Award 

Winning Candidate 

Experience 

Time: 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. 

Location: Birch 203 

Presenter(s): 

• Brian White, Executive Director 

of Human Resources & Operations, 

Auburn-Washburn USD 437 

Candidates, both certified and classified, have 

employment choices. The candidate experience 

directly impacts your ability to successfully hire 

and retain candidates. 

Haysville USD 261 used a variety of methods 

to engage staff and have fun during this year. 

Whether it was Fun Team Stretchy Pants/Shorts 

Fun Days, Food Trucks, various dress up days or 

bring your putter to work day, our staff found 

ways to engage each other and have fun. 

Thought Exchange software empowered the staff 

to provide responses to the questions, “What can 

we do collectively to reduce stress and improve 

morale?” and “What was the funniest thing that 

happened this year during school?” Results 

were reported out to all staff and action was 

taken. During this high stress year, the district 

constantly focused on asking the staff to do “one 

less thing”. 

30 

Listen to one school district’s journey to improve 

their candidate experience, resulting in winning 

a North American Candidate Experience 

(CandE) Award. Learn best practices and real 

world applications.

Opening General Session 

Mark Scharenbroich 

Eagle Ballroom 

3:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Learning Losses and 

Learning Gains, Build an 

Equitable Approach to 

Accelerate Growth 

Post-Covid 

Time: 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. 

Location: Maple 205 

Presenter(s): 

• Romain Bertrand, BetterLesson 

Learning loss has been a hot topic over the past 

few months. With the pressure to “stop the slide,” 

there is a growing movement to get all students 

back in the building for remediation as soon as 

possible. But if we’re honest, opportunity gaps 

persisted well before covid. As we prepare for 

re-entry, how might we use what we’ve learned 

during the pandemic to avoid making those 

same mistakes again? 

31

Nice Bike – Making 

Meaningful Connections 

Mix thousands and thousands of black leather, bandana wearing, tattoo bearing Harley- 

Davidson riders with a 100th Anniversary and one beige rental car and the end result will be 

the perfect metaphor for connecting with others: “Nice Bike.” 

Join Emmy award-winning speaker, Mark Scharenbroich as he takes you for a fun ride on 

how to be effective at making meaningful connections in both your professional and personal 

life. His Nice Bike principle is supported by three strong actions: Acknowledging, honoring 

and connecting. 

Mark tells engaging stories focused on the relationship side of creating results, connecting 

administrator to faculty, team member to team member, teacher to student and student 

to student. Schools with a strong culture of connections drive improvements in academic 

performance. 

Mark has spent his career speaking in more than 3500 schools throughout North America. 

Along the way, he has discovered the keys that transform good schools into schools of 

excellence. 

Credentials: Award Winning Author of Nice Bike - Making Meaningful Connections 

on the Road of Life, Emmy Award® winner for an ABC TV special, National Speakers 

Association Hall of Fame Inductee, Golden Apple and Silver Screen Film award for his 

movie, The Greatest Days of Your Life…(so far), International film festival award winner. 

32

VISIT US IN 

BOOTH #36

Thursday, June 3, 2021 

Developing a Student-Lead 

Uncommon School Culture! 

Time: 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Britt Hedlund, Jen Clark, Tia 

Regier, Joe Coles; Chaparral 

High/Middle School Leadership 

Advisors 

In a whole, part, whole process, Chaparral 

High School and Middle school has established 

student-led leadership team’s that are intentional 

in working to develop a positive school culture. 

A large leadership team was selected by 

nominations and student interest. These young 

people were taught leadership skills and given 

tools to lead others. Then we broke the large 

group into three smaller teams. One team was 

centered around “”servant leadership,”” and 

community service. Another team is working 

towards a “”student-lead process”” where they 

will research and receive input from students in 

their school of their needs and being intentional 

in making a difference. The third leadership 

team is intentional in making a difference in 

their school in substance abuse. Educating other 

students on these topics and being “”bold”” in 

being positive role models for others! 

Got Boards? District 

Stability & Executive 

Governance 

Time: 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. 

Location: Walnut 208 

Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Chad Krug, Assistant 

Superintendent, USD 214 - Ulysses 

The stability of a school district is predicated 

on the shared governance roles of the 

superintendent-board arrangement. Frequent 

turnover in the superintendent position can 

lead to a myriad of trouble areas which 

include: disruption of staff morale, irregularity 

in carrying forth on governance items, and a 

negative impact on student achievement. This 

session overviews the results of a current study 

surveying board presidents and superintendents 

in Kansas. The session will cover the findings 

which revealed significant relationships between 

effective Pillars of Leadership and superintendent 

stability. 

35


I Can Create: A Cultural 

Shift in the Classroom 

Time: 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Amy Hiebert, 5th Grade Teacher, 

Halstead USD 440 

• Dr. Ron Barry, USD 440 

Superintendent 

Learn how a vision and a tool created a cultural 

shift in a classroom that is now inspiring students 

and teachers throughout a district. I Can 

Create is a shift in the mindset of instruction and 

learning, utilizing iPads to empower students 

creativity and ownership in their learning. Join 

us to learn more about how we started the 

cultural shift in our classrooms, how our learning 

environments have changed and how we have 

been able to manage all of this in the middle of 

a pandemic. 

Implementing Self-Care 

Practices for Educators 

Time: 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• John Cannon, Principal, Park 

Elementary, USD 405 Lyons 

This presentation will focus on giving 

administrators practice tools and applications for 

self-care to help teachers manage their mental 

health while in and out of school. It will also 

stress the importance and application of selfcare 

for administrators as well. 

36


Rumor Has It/They Posted 

What 

Time: 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jessica Bernard/RyanFry, Attorney, 

Guin Mundorf LLC 

Social media is ubiquitous. Both students and 

staff use it, and sometimes abuse it, to post 

content that creates significant concerns for 

school administrators. Protections of the First 

Amendment limit the actions that can be taken 

by Districts in response to staff and student social 

media or other forms of speech. This session will 

explore new legal developments in the realm of 

student and staff speech, including recent U.S. 

Supreme Court decisions addressing off-campus 

student speech. Our legal team will explore the 

tools available to school administrators when 

faced with such issues. 

The Trauma-Informed 

Continuum in Schools 

Time: 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz, Rebecca 

Lewis-Pankratz 

The term trauma-informed is misleading in public 

education, because most people think that 

because they know about the ACE’s study, they 

are trauma-informed. Actually, the term traumainformed 

is defined as: Everything we do in our 

school is informed by the science of trauma and 

resilience. 

One of the crucial components of creating 

this culture is staff Co-Care and building staff 

resilience, as staff cannot give to children, what 

they do not possess themselves. 

There are 4 distinct phases that a school passes 

through on the journey to becoming traumainformed. 

Discover where your building or 

district is on the trauma-informed schools 

continuum as well as steps needed to take your 

building to the next phase. 

37 

We will also do an activity that can be taken 

and used with staff to build relationship 

strategies and help people identify resilience as 

a verb and not a label.


Building Connections — 

100 Ideas to Improve School 

Climate 

Time: 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. 

Location: Osage 207 

Presenter(s): 

• Mark Scharenbroich 

According to a Minneapolis-based research 

organization, Search Institute, a study done on 

healthy youth shows that only 29% of middle 

and high school students feel that their school 

provides a caring, encouraging environment. 

When students have a strong, positive 

connection to their school, academic results 

follow. 

Empowering Teachers 

to Engage in Productive 

Conversations with 

Challenging Parents 

Time: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Shawn Henderson, Principal, USD 

#407- Russell High School 

Educators frequently site parents as the reason 

they leave the profession, but you can assist your 

staff members in developing the skills to take 

conversations with parents from “awkward” and 

“awful” to productive, caring, and trust-oriented. 

You will walk through the basics of challenging 

interactions, discuss skills for focused practice, 

and communicate specific tips and tools that not 

only maintain the dignity of all stakeholders, but 

also produce results. Leave with resources you 

can use next week with your staff members at all 

grade levels! 

38


Esports in Education-- 

It’s Coming, Are You Ready 

Time: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Kristy Custer, Principal, 

Complete High School Maize, USD 

266 

• Dr. Michael Russell, Social 

Studies Teacher/Esports Coach 

Esports has exploded in high schools and 

colleges around the world. Improvements 

in engagement and attendance, resulting in 

decreases in chronic absenteeism and behavior 

issues are just some of the reasons why schools 

are adding esports to their educational tool 

belts. In this session, participants will learn 

how Complete High School Maize turned 

a teacher’s passion project into an esports 

program complete with after-school esports 

team, for-credit esports class, and the addition 

of a gaming lab. Participants will also receive 

a free electronic version of Gaming Concepts, 

the complete esports curriculum written by the 

presenters that has been viewed over 200,000 

times on the Microsoft Educator Community. 

The Connection Between 

Student Work-Based 

Learning Experiences and 

the Individual Plan of Study 

(IPS) 

Time: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. 

Location:Maple 205 

Presenter(s): 

• Natalie Clark, Education Program 

Consultant/IPS Coordinator. KSDE 

A comprehensive work-based learning 

approach ensures Kansas students have 

equitable access to high quality work-based 

learning experiences designed to prepare 

each student for postsecondary, and workforce 

success, in high wage, high demand and critical 

need occupations of our state and regions. 

39


Using Aligned Social and 

Emotional District Normed 

Data to Grow Your Learning 

Culture 

Time: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dedra Raines, Director of Special 

Services, USD 345 Topeka-Seaman 

• Dr. Rich Harrison, Behavior 

Specialist, USD 345 Topeka-Seaman 

Participants will learn how to develop normative 

social and emotional behavior data for their 

district in the areas of assignment/activity 

completion, following directions, disruptions, 

positive peer interactions, and aggression using 

a norming tool, the HOF (Harrison Observation 

Form). We will then discuss how to use that 

data to compare with individuals or groups of 

students, as well as track growth across time 

to make decisions regarding tier 2 and tier 3 

supports systematically across the district. 

CSI Kansas/We’re Not Out of 

the Woods Yet? 

Time: 10:15 - 11:45 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 



Although the COVID-19 vaccine will likely 

allow Districts to move back to “normal,” in 

person operations, the employment issues facing 

Districts this Fall will continue to be dominated 

by COVID-19 – despite our collective wish to 

move beyond the COVID-19 world. Vaccination 

of new hires, sick leave for COVID-19 without 

FFCRA, an expiration of COVID-19 liability 

shields, and more pose continued, and 

significant, risks to Districts in Kansas. Our 

attorneys will address the labor and employment 

concerns Districts will likely face in what might 

actually become the ‘new normal.’ 

40


Mentoring: Building 

Leadership Capacity through 

Reflective Practices 

Time: 10:15 - 11:45 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Donna Augustine-Shaw, Associate 

Professor, Kansas State University 

• Rick Doll, KELI Executive Director, 

KSU 

provide an interactive experience around the 

coaching tenets of reflective practices with 

current KELI mentors, mentees, and audience 

participants. Facilitators will provide an 

opportunity for participants to practice selected 

coaching skills with real-life scenarios identified 

by attendees. This practice will provide evidence 

of how mentoring can help new and practicing 

leaders reflect and grow in their own skills and 

build their individual capacity for effective 

leadership in Kansas schools. 

The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute 

(KELI) provides mentoring to new building and 

district leaders. Experienced Kansas leaders 

serving as mentors are trained in coaching skills 

which include providing reflective feedback, 

powerful questioning, and active listening. 

The training program, along with mentoringin-action, 

allows mentors to grow in their own 

professional work. Likewise, new leaders, guided 

by mentors, are encouraged to continually 

reflect on their decisions and growth aligned to 

their individual leadership style and the goals 

of their organizations. Mentoring, embedded 

in reflective practice, enables principals and 

superintendents to continually maintain a pulse 

on the impact of their leadership in providing 

quality focus on student learning and overall 

organizational development. This session will 

41


Building a Teacher 

Workforce: New Pathways, 

New People, New Promise 

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Liz Meitl, Alternative 

Certification Program Adviser for 

Kansas City Kansas Public Schools 

USD 500 

Participants in this session will begin by 

imagining what the teacher workforce would 

look like if we could attract anybody we wanted 

to the field. We will use collaborative tools to 

map the current landscape of teacher education, 

licensure and recruitment and to identify the 

spaces where we can begin to re-shape the 

teacher workforce. It is time for us to get creative 

and proactive in the ways we grow our own 

teachers, and we will share different models that 

are being used around the state. Participants 

will leave with practical tools for growing their 

districts’ ability to cultivate diverse, dynamic, 

professional work forces that reflect the rich 

diversity of our state. 

Building Community 

Through Student 

Generosity 

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Kaitlyn Pressnall, Asst. Director 

of Special Education, Cowley 

County Special Services 

An interactive session that guides you through 

applying generosity to inquiry based learning. 

This session also introduces free resources that 

help you educate giving and caring students for 

lifelong civic engagement. Participants will learn 

how to activate youth passion and voice and be 

introduced to tools that can spark discussion with 

youth. You will learn from educators sharing their 

own personal experiences with service-learning 

and youth voice. You’ll walk away with materials 

you can present to your staff tomorrow. 

42


Helping the Helpers: 

Providing Social-Emotional 

Leadership and Support 

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Jessica J. Lane, Assistant 


• Dr. Donna Augustine-Shaw, 

Associate Professor, Kansas State 

Universit 

• Dr. Leah McKeeman, Assistant 


wellness is amplified during any crisis, but 

perhaps most notably during the past academic 

year with COVID-19. Come learn how an 

educational leadership professor, counselor 

educator and secondary education professor 

promote social-emotional learning, leadership, 

and supports in building leaders, counselors, 

and administration. This session will be grounded 

in the results of a statewide survey of P-12 

educators, counselors, and administrators after 

spring 2020 and work to support these needs. 

Presenters will: 

• Discuss stress, compassion fatigue, and 

mental health in educators 

• Share strategies to support connection, 

engagement, and resiliency among staff 

• Provide trauma-informed practices that 

support school culture, community, and 

student/staff support 

The individual and collective social-emotional 

well-being of faculty has tremendous impact on 

staff retention, school culture, and student safety. 

As P-12 student social-emotional needs continue 

to grow, teachers become the frontline in socialemotional 

support. Too often, our faculty and 

staff are skilled in academics and teaching, but 

are not trained, or perhaps feel ill equipped, in 

delivering necessary social-emotional support. 

Thus, teachers and staff often look to teacher 

leaders, school counselors, and administrators 

to lessen the burden and seek tips, tricks, 

and advice for not only their students, but for 

themselves. The critical need for social-emotional 

43


The Future Elite - 

Supporting New Teachers 

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Brett Fenton, School 

Improvement Services 

Administrator, Greenbush 

• Jim Dillon, School Improvement 

Services Administrator, 

Greenbush 

Lunch 

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Location: Vendor Hall 

Presenter(s): 

A hot buffet lunch and seating will be available 

in the vendor hall. 

Being a first or second-year teacher is a 

challenge in and outside of the classroom. 

Providing ongoing support is vital to their success 

and transition, which then also leads to students 

being successful in the classroom. Join us as we 

help you and your staff support the Future Elite. 

44


Avoiding the Pitfalls of 

Returning to Normal 

Time: 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Brian Jordan and Dr. Britton 

Hart, Kansas Association of School 

Boards 

Education will never go back to the way it 

was before the pandemic. How do you lead 

adaptive change? This breakout session will 

unpack the work of Ron Heifetz, a famous 

change theorist that identifies two types of 

challenges in change: adaptive and technical. 

Participants will learn and apply the 5 strategies 

to lead adaptive change as the new normal 

takes shape in schools. Part II will examine 

different scenarios and profiles of students’ 

preferred learning modes. Participants will apply 

their understanding of leadership and change to 

best address the challenges school leaders are 

facing with creating learning environments for all 

students. 

Thoughtful Considersation 

and fitness for duty exams/ 

Sticks and Stones 

Time: 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 



Every time a crisis occurs, a conflict arises, and 

a parent or member of the public communicates 

with our districts, engaging with them using 

the right language is an important tool in 

any administrator’s toolbox. Our legal team 

will provide attendees with these right words 

and phrases, giving them a new, invigorated 

understanding of crisis communication – and the 

importance of their reflective leadership when 

the need arises. 

47

Get Your PL in Gear: 

Innovative Professional 

Learning Even Your Band 

Director Wants to Attend 


Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Virginia Duncan, Instructional 

Coach, Garden City High School, 

Garden City USD 457 

• Marie Henderson, Instructional 

Technology Specialist, Hays USD 

489 

Make your Professional Learning (PL) dreams 

reality! Discover practical, flexible, personalized 

structures for ongoing teacher growth, changing 

HOW PL happens and empowering teachers 

to be learning leaders. Flexible PL encourages 

ongoing growth/leadership even during times of 

change in education. Each participant will: 

• Navigate flexible professional learning 

structures to understand how to convert inperson 

professional learning to asynchronous 

professional learning. 

• Consider how different activities can 

be reconstructed to stimulate reflective 

48 

professional growth when completed outside 

of the typical format. 

• Explore how to empower educators to take 

control of their professional learning through 

autonomous tasks that motivate the adult 

learner to personalize experiences. 

• Gain tips and examples for designing and 

creating a flexible professional learning 

experience that meets the needs of adult 

learners. 

#ListenUp A live Podcast 

featuring Kansas 

Administrators! 

Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Trevor Goertzen, KPA-Vice 

President & Spring Hill Middle 

School Principal 

Be a part of a live recording of the Kansas 

Principals Association podcast #ListenUp. We 

will have a round table discussion driven by 

questions generated from the audience! 

9


National Update on the 

Teacher Shortage and Vision 

Planning for the Future 

Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Kelly Coash-Johnson, Executive 

Director, AASPA 

As the demand for public education increases, 

states will continue to struggle to recruit and 

retain high-quality educators. While the need to 

educate our students is consistent, how we get 

educators in the right placement at the right times 

will vary from state to state. 

Who’s in the I in I.P.S? 

Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Nathan West, Principal, Neodesha 

High School, USD 461 

• Valon Jones, CTE Coordinator 

Who’s in the I in the I.P.S.? An I.P.S. or an 

Individual Plan of Study is more than just the 

individual student. From the counselor or advisor 

to the teachers and parents it takes a collective 

group to make the IPS successful. Implementing 

Student Led Conferences, Career Development 

lessons and helping students and parents feel 

comfortable developing a plan is all part of 

Neodesha Jr/Sr High School’s IPS process. 

Join Kelly as she shares what the American 

Association of School Personnel Administrators 

(AASPA) has been tracking with regards to the 

national teacher shortage. Learn what is going 

on in some key states good and bad. We will 

discuss some key strategies districts and K12 HR 

teams can use to improve their recruitment and 

retention. Start to develop your own HR vision 

statement and utilize it best to reach a more 

diverse audience. 

49


Building & Maintaining a 

Strong School Culture Even 

During a Pandemic 

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Caleb Smith, Principal, Newton High 

School 

• Ben Reed 

• Everardo Flores 

• Blake Smith 

Presentation will give a variety of ideas on how 

to build and maintain a strong school culture with 

specific action steps we used at Newton High 

School. 

Developing and Facilitating 

Collaborative Groups 

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Deborah J. Hamm, Co-Director 

Corbin Connect, Wichita State 

University 

COVID-19 has forced schools to adapt. Has 

it made us adaptive? How might we cultivate 

our abilities to facilitate collaborative groups 

and become better group members to advance 

our work in classrooms, board rooms, and 

during meetings? This session will introduce 

participants to components of Adaptive Schools 

and provide participants with tips for working 

more collaboratively and being adaptive as we 

continue to navigate the changes we have seen. 

50

Supporting & Mentoring 

Female Leaders as a Male 

Administrator 

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Sue Givens, Leadership Services 

State Field Specialist, Kansas 

Association of School Boards 

• Brett White, Superintendent, USD 

385 Andover 

Despite years of focus on equity, numbers 

of female administrators in Kansas has not 

significantly increased. KASB and USA/Kansas 

have collaborated to bring support to women 

leaders through initiatives such as Women 

Connecting with Women and the KS Women’s 

Leadership Summit. The initiatives will have 

greater impact on change by adding male 

voices to the conversations. This session will 

focus on how male leaders can contribute to 

equalizing the Kansas educational leadership 

gender imbalance through support and 

mentoring. 


Establishing an Effective 

Mental Health Team at CES 

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Eric Hoops, Principal, Chanute 

Elementary School - USD 413 

• Brooke Wire, Chanute Elementary 

School Assistant Principal 

• Jenn Rausch, Chanute Elementary 

School Assistant Principal 

• Dr. Kellen Adams, USD 413 Chanute 

Public Schools Superintendent 

Do you have the need to establish an effective 

mental health team in your school? If so, this is 

the presentation for you. This presentation will 

focus on three main points. First, the resources 

that are available to students at CES will be 

shared. The resources discussed the following 

staff members: Building Administration, 

School Counselors, Communities in Schools, 

Mental Health Liaison, Case Manager and 

Social Worker. Second, the process used to 

establish the CES Mental Health Team from 

these resources will be presented. Finally, the 

implementation plan of the resources provided 

by the Mental Health Team will be discussed. 

In addition to these resources, CES has plans to 

continue the growth of this program! 

51

Vendor Classroom Sessions 

Ameritime LLC. 

Location: Vendor Hall, Booth #82 

Wednesday, 6.2.2021 

• 2:45 – Ready to retire? What is the optimal decision for you and your family? 

• 3:15 – What are the risks of a 30-year retirement? 

• 3:45 – Which of the 42 KPERS pension options should you choose? 

Thursday, 6.3.2021 

• 8:30 – Which of the 42 KPERS pension options should you choose? 

• 10:15 – Will you outlive your money in retirement? 

• 12:15 – Ready to retire? What is the optimal decision for you and your family? 

• 2:15 – What are the risks of a 30-year retirement? 

8 53


DLR Group 



• 1:30 p.m. - Inquiry Based Hybrid Learning as an Equitable Approach to Learning. Ian Kilpatrick, 

Design Leader, AIA, NCARB 


• 9:30 a.m. – Integrated Design Project Delivery Benefits. Jonathan Draheim, Mechanical 

Engineer, PE, LEED AP BD+C, BEMP 

• 11:00 am – What if you could see the quality of the air in your schools? Sonrai IAQ Software. 

• 1:30 p.m. – Repositioning your School or District Brand. Adam Wells, Experiential Graphics 

Design Leader (virtual) 

54


Hutton 



• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. 

• Facility Maintenance Expertise 

• Get expert advice on facility maintenance – from cost-cutting prevention to urgent concerns to 

long-term master planning – in this townhall-style session with Hutton Director of Facility Services 

Jeff Hohnbaum. 


• 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. 

• Facility Maintenance Expertise 

• Get expert advice on facility maintenance – from cost-cutting prevention to urgent concerns to 

long-term master planning – in this townhall-style session with Hutton Director of Facility Services 

Jeff Hohnbaum. 

55


SafeDefend 



• 2:00 p.m. - When a staff member crosses the line; preventing, responding and managing 

inappropriate or dangerous staff involvement with a student. 

• 4:00 p.m. - Mental Health Toolbox: A district level approach in providing staff with the tools, 

resources and skills needed to address mental health needs in Covid influenced world. 


• 10:00 a.m. - How SafeDefend is changing the culture and safety climate in schools 

• 11:30 a.m. - When a staff member crosses the line; preventing, responding and managing 

inappropriate or dangerous staff involvement with a student. 

• 1:30 p.m. - Mental Health Toolbox: A district level approach in providing staff with the tools, 

resources and skills needed to address mental health needs in Covid influenced world. 

• 2:30 p.m. - SafeDefend in 2021: How SafeDefend is evolving into the premier crisis 

management solution in the country. 

56


SpedTrack 


SpedTrack’s goal is to simplify the process of Special Education. Join us to learn how your staff will 

spend less time on paperwork and more time with their students. 


• 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., & 4:00 p.m. 


• 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., & 4:00 p.m. 

The Purchasing Cooperative at Greenbush 



• 1:00 pm - Safety Reimagined 


• 2:00 p.m. – Indoor Air Quality Matters 

57


Trane 



• 1:30 p.m. - Optimizing Facility Operations and PBL/WBL Programming with Data-Analytics 

• Attendees will learn how the perfect storm that aligns facility-side challenges with facilitiesmanagement-side 

challenges is driving the need to assess/align facilities with academic 

programming priorities and develop data analytics driven optimization and management 

programs. In addition, this awarding winning program engages students in real-world, relevant 

and rigorous PBL/WBL programming that utilizes data analytics from district school buildings. 

• Dr. Cindy Lane, Governor Kelly’s Council on Education; Jeff Travis, Superintendent, Beloit 

USD 273; Blake Vargas, Superintendent, Caney Valley USD 436; Dr. Kelly Arnberger, 

Superintendent, Dighton USD 482; Randy Scott, Energy & Mechanical Systems Manager, 

Wichita USD 259; Dan Whisler, Trane, Educator in Residence; Keven Ward, Strategic Program 

Consultant 

• 2:45 p.m. - ESSER Planning for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with Data & Science 

• Learn how Districts are investing ESSER $s to optimize IAQ in alignment with ASHRAE & CDC 

guidance while addressing associated deferred maintenance backlogs at the same time. 

• Jeff Travis, Superintendent, Beloit USD 273; Bob Davies, Superintendent, Holton USD 336; Keven 

Ward, Strategic Programs Consultant 


• 9:00 a.m. - ESSER Planning for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with Data & Science 

• 10:00 a.m. - Award-Winning BTU Crew Energy Pathway - Physical Science & Env. Science PBL/WBL 

• Meeting the goal of “CTE For All Students” and providing more opportunities for career 

exploration requires schools to be creative in integrating standards with existing class schedules 

and staff for introductory courses. Combined with IPS opportunities for IRC’s can then enhance 

Diploma Plus and post-secondary success rates. 

• Jay Scott, Secondary Redesign Specialist, KSDE; Meg Richard, Science Education Consultant, 

KSDE (by way of video); Clark Coco, NC3 - National Coalition of Certification Centers ; Dan 

Whisler, Educator in Residence, Trane 

• 11:00 a.m. - Optimizing Facility Operations and PBL/WBL Programming with Data-Analytics 

58

Closing General Session 

Brandon P. Fleming 

Eagle Ballroom 

Sponsored By: 

3:00 - 5:00 p.m. 

Friday, June 4, 2021 

Association Meeting Hot Breakfast 

Time: 7:30-8:15 a.m. 

Location: Promenade Walkway 

KPA Association Meeting 

Time: 8:00-9:15 a.m. 

Location: Redbud B 

KSSA Association Meeting 

Time: 8:00-9:15 a.m. 

Location: Redbud C 

KASPA Association Meeting 

Time: 8:00-9:15 a.m. 


Hot Breakfast 

Time: 8:45-9:30 a.m. 

Location: Eagle Ballroom 

59

Brandon P. Fleming’s story of struggle, success, and service has inspired millions around the 

world. An at-risk youth and college dropout turned award-winning educator, Fleming is 

Assistant Debate Coach at Harvard University and Founder/CEO of the Harvard Diversity 

Project. Fleming was recruited to join the Harvard debate faculty at the age of 26. Harvard 

later approved Fleming’s proposal to establish a new department within the university 

system called the Harvard Diversity Project – an unprecedented pipeline program that the 

Harvard Debate Council adopted as its subsidiary. Fleming now leads an executive staff 

and board that has raised a million dollars to enroll over 100 students of color into Harvard’s 

international summer debate residency on full scholarship. Fleming recruits underserved youth 

with no prior debate experience who he then trains to compete against hundreds of elite 

debaters from over 25 different countries around the world. For three consecutive years, since 

the program’s inception in 2017, every cohort trained by Fleming has won the international 

competition, with one group achieving an unprecedented undefeated record as global 

champions. 

Fleming has established a groundbreaking organization that is pipelining Black youth into Ivy 

League and elite colleges & universities. His students have now matriculated to Harvard, Yale, 

Stanford, and others alike on full scholarship. 

At the age of 29, Fleming was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. MISEDUCATED is 

Fleming’s journey – in life and language – from being an at-risk youth and a college dropout 

to becoming an award-winning Harvard educator. The book is scheduled to be released in 

June of 2021. 

60

USA-Kansas Board of Directors 

Christie Meyer – President 

Steve Noble – President-Elect 

Ryan Jilka – Past President 

Michael Argabright - Director 

Ben Boothe - Director 

Sean Cochran - Director 

Rena Duewel - Director 

Becca Flowers - Director 

Cory Gibson - Director 

Eric Hansen - Director 

Volora Hanzlicek - Director 

Amy Haussler - Director 

Andy Koenigs - Director 

P.J. Reilly - Director 

Eric Sacco - Director 

Deanna Scherer - Director 

Donna Schmidt - Director 

Glen Suppes - Director 

G.A. Buie - USA-Kansas 

Executive Director 

Jerry Henn - USA-Kansas 

Assistant Executive Director 

USA-Kansas Staff 

G.A. Buie, USA-Kansas 

Executive Director 

Jerry Henn, USA-Kansas 

Assistant Executive Director 

Kim Torrez, Business Manager 

Jessi Clark, Communications & 

Marketing 

Sara Chinn, Executive Assistant 

Houston Chinn, Outreach 

Coordinator 

Member Association Presidents 

KPA - Ben Jimenez 

KSSA - Mike Argabright 

KASBO - Merle Hastert 

KASCD - Christie Meyer 

KASEA - Heath Peine 

KLCTE - Travis Riebel 

KanSPRA - Kimberly Koop 

KASPA - Andy Koenigs 

Past USA-Kansas Presidents 

1971-72 Charles L Stuart, KASA 

1972-73 Harlan J Trennepohl, KASCD 

1973-74 Melvin F McDonald, KASBO 

1974-75 O L Plucker, KASA 

1975-76 Walter L Davies, KASCD 

1976-77 W Wayne Warner, KASBO 

1977-78 Jack L Larson, KASSP 

1978-79 Donald Crowell, KAESP 

1979-80 Ferman P Marsh, KASA 

1980-81 Clark Whiting, KASBO 

1981-82 Glenn Pyle, KASCD 

1982-83 Gerald W Henderson, KASSP 

1983-84 Dick McCall, KAESP 

1984-85 Donald Herbel, KASEA 

1985-87 Leo Lake, KASA 

1987-88 Tom Hawk, KASCD 

1988-89 John Harris, KASBO 

1989-90 James A Gates, KASSP 

1990-91 Merry Wade, KAESP 

1991-92 Pat Stephens, KASEA 

1992-93 Jerry Webster, KASA 

1993-94 Gary Marshall, KASCD 

1994-95 Robert Balsters, KASBO 

1995-96 Jim Sowers, KASSP 

1996-97 John Geuy, KAESP 

1997-98 Paulette Strong, KASEA 

1998-99 Marietta Gray, KAMSA 

1999-00 Marceta A Reilly, KASCD 

2000-01 Jan Collins, KASA 

2001-02 Sharon Zoellner, KASBO 

2002-03 Jim Menze, KASSP 

2003-04 Janice Strecker, KAESP 

2004-05 Susan Sipe, KASEA 

2005-06 Sue Givens, KAMSA 

2006-07 Dennis Stones, KASA 

2007-08 Rob Balsters, KASBO 

2008-09 Mary Getto, KASCD 

2009-10 Jacque Feist, KASSP 

2010-11 Jacque Feist, KASSP 

2011-12 Rob Garman, KAESP 

2012-13 Bert Moore, KASEA 

2013-14 Jill Dickerson, KAMSA 

2014-15 Craig Wilford, KSSA 

2015-16 Steve Splichal, KASCD 

2016-17 Donna Zerr, KASSP 

2017-18 Pete Bastian, KAESP 

2018-19 Sean Cochran 

2019-20 Ryan Jilka 

61 

USA-Kansas Outstanding Service 

Award Winners 

1985 Leo Lake 

Ferman Marsh 

1986 Bob Nispel 

1987 Dale Dennis 

1988 Chuck Stuart 

1989 Cecil Deel 

1990 John Bottom 

1991 Kent Hurn 

1992 Howard Shuler 

1993 Fred Campbell 

1994 Bill Medley 

1995 Tom Jerome 

1996 Rosemary Kirby 

1997 Sandra Terril 

1998 Andy Tompkins 

1999 Mike Soetaert 

2000 Eliese Holt 

2001 Rob Balsters 

2002 Mary Devin 

2003 Gerald W. Henderson 

2004 Ron Wimmer 

Sharon Zoellner 

2005 Pat Terry 

2006 John Heim 

2007 Susan Sipe 

2008 Sue Givens 

2009 Jim Lentz 

2010 Dennis Stones 

2011 Ralph Beacham 

2012 Jacque Feist 

2013 Gene Haydock 

2014 Norm Wilks 

2015 Cynthia Lane 

2016 Ron Vinduska 

2017 Duane Dorshorst 

2018 George Abel 

2019 Kelly Gillespie 

2020 Dr. Randy Watson

Hyatt Map 

62

Century II Upper Level 

63

Century II Lower Level 

64

Century II Internet Access Code 

Process for Logging into Pre-Paid Wi-Fi Account 

From device’s Wi-Fi settings connect to Century 2 Wireless 

Most devices will automatically display different internet options (this may take a few minutes) 

If internet options do not display automatically, open a web browser and refresh the page 

To enter user name and password, select Log In with Account 

Enter username: USAKS21 

Enter password: USAKS21 

You will be redirected to the internet at this time. 

67

Hyatt Internet Access Code 

Network Name: Hyatt-MR 

Passwork: USAKS2021 

68

+ 

CAPTURE, PRESERVE AND SHARE 

DISCOVER WHAT’S 

NEXT WITH LIFETOUCH 

Through a combination of cutting-edge technology, compelling 

offers and exclusive deals, schools and families can expect 

more innovation, continued commitment to data security and 

an enhanced picture day and yearbook experience. 

ENHANCED EXPERIENCE MORE CHOICE GREATER VALUE 

SCHOOLS 

State-of-the-art, patented 

camera systems paired 

with tablet-laptop 

technology improve the 

Picture day experience 

from beginning to end. 

A streamlined, electronic 

check-in process focused 

on capturing a great expression 

and returning students back 

to class faster. 

School pictures 

automatically flow to the 

new Lifetouch Yearbook 

website, making yearbook 

building easier than ever. 

Fundraising is easy with 

Shutterfly Storefronts. Your 

school will earn 8% back 

on all Shutterfly orders 

made through your unique 

Storefront website. 

FAMILIES 

The Lifetouch Rewards 

program allows families to 

earn discounts from their 

picture and yearbook orders 

and receive exclusive, 

Shutterfly promotions. 

Families can search for 

their school’s picture day 

information, PLUS use their 

student’s school ID to order, 

providing additional security 

and eliminating the need to 

remember an ordering code. 

As part of Shutterfly, Lifetouch 

families receive their digital 

school picture on Shutterfly.com 

where they can preserve their 

student’s complete collection 

and share life’s joy through 

personalized products. 

Pictures and yearbooks 

delivered with the highest 

print quality powered by 

Shutterfly’s best-in-class digital 

manufacturing platforms. 

We take great pride in our long-standing partnerships with 

schools. It’s our promise to continue our tradition of providing 

innovative solutions and memories that last a lifetime. 

schools.lifetouch.com 

212-011 © 2021 Shutterfly Lifetouch, LLC

Visit the 2021 USA-Kansas Conference Community 

on our Higher Logic site for even more conference 

content, including a schedule of events, handouts, 

breakout materials, discussion groups, and more!

NETWORK & STAY CONNECTED 

Facebook.com/USAKansas 

@USAKansas 


Save the Date! 

51st Annual USA-Kansas Conference 

June 1-3, 2022 

Wichita, KS

2021 USA-Kansas Conference Program

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?