2022 USA Conference Program

51ST ANNUAL USA-KANSAS 

CONFERENCE 

June 1-3, 2022 

Hyatt & Century II Convention Center 

Wichita, KS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Welcome Letter 2 

Conference Overview 3 

Wednesday Sessions 7-10 

Vendor Information 11-34 

Thursday Sessions 37-76 

Friday Sessions.......................................79-80 

USA-Kansas Info 83 

WiFi Info....................................................... 85 

Venue Maps...........................................86-88

Welcome to the 51st Annual USA-Kansas 

Conference! Again, it’s wonderful to be 

together at the USA-Kansas Conference 

with a traditional schedule. I hope you have 

prepared yourself for learning, relaxing, and 

rejuvenating. You choose the order, because 

that is what these three days are about. I 

encourage you to leave your frustrations, issues, 

and concerns at the front door, and spend three 

days focusing on yourself and taking care of 

your own needs. 

The last 27 months have been nothing short 

of crazy and an unmistakably gut-wrenching 

experience for everyone. At some point we 

have to decide to stop the craziness and turn 

the page. I’m hopeful our annual conference 

and this summer can be the opportunity to 

make that happen. For some of you attending, 

this is your last conference as a full-time school 

district employee. To you we say, “THANK 

YOU for your leadership and dedication to 

kids.” For others attending this event for the first 

time or tenth time, we are happy you decided 

to spend the week with your colleagues. 

For my seven years in this position I have 

stressed the importance of professional learning 

opportunities in order to continue to grow 

2 

the capacity of leaders. Over the course of 

this year, we have seen a record number of 

administrators participating and taking full 

advantage of learning opportunities. Yet, at the 

same time, we continue to hear about the stress 

and burnout school leaders are experiencing. 

I truly believe there is a connection, but it’s not 

what you might think or believe. 

The leaders having the greatest emotional 

struggles are those who feel stuck in their 

buildings/districts, the individuals who don’t 

feel they have time or permission to attend 

workshops or meetings outside their district. 

Your attendance today demonstrates an 

understanding of the importance of getting 

away from the daily grind, connecting with 

peers, and going back to the job refueled and 

ready. 

As we move past this conference I’m 

encouraging each and every one of us to make 

sure we are caring for our colleagues. Make 

sure they are healthy, encourage them to get 

out and connect with others, and make sure 

they are attending conferences, workshops, or 

simple organizational meetings. Each of these 

are a perfect opportunity for people to remain 

connected and feel valued for the work they 

do. 

Have a wonderful conference, and I look 

forward to connecting with you this week! 

G.A. Buie 

Executive Director 

USA-Kansas 

WORLD CLASS LEADERSHIP, 

WORLD CLASS STUDENT SUCCESS

Conference 

Overview 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 

Registration Opens - Lower Gallery Between Hyatt & Century II - 9:00 a.m. 

Cornhole Tournament - Expo Hall - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Sponsored by BCS, Hutton, and Virco 

Western Kansas Leadership Academy Meeting - Stimson Trail - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 

Opening General Session with Consuelo Castillo Kickbush - Eagle Ballroom - 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by Credit 

Union of America & Piper Sandler 

Vendor Showcase - Expo Hall - 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sponsored by Harris Education Solutions 

THURSDAY, JUNE 2 

Registration Opens - Upper Gallery, Century II - 7:00 a.m. 

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

Innovative Classroom - Promenade Connecting Lobby - 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Learning Clusters - 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

USA-Kansas Lunch - Eagle Ballroom - 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Sponsored by Paper 

Lunch with Globe Life - Stimson Trail - 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

President’s Reception - Riverview Ballroom - 3:45 - 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by Jostens 

Hospitality & Dueling Pianos - Redbud 210 ABC - 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Sponsored by IMA & Renaissance 

FRIDAY, JUNE 3 

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

KPA Association Meeting - Redbud A/B - 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

KSSA Board Meeting - Birch 203 - 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. 

KASCD Association Meeting - Enterprise Boardroom - 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. 

KPA Secondary Meeting with KSHSAA - Redbud AB - 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. 

KPA Elementary Meeting - Redbud C - 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. 

Hot Breakfast - Eagle Ballroom - 8:00-9:30 a.m. Sponsored by ESP 

Dr. Randy Watson - Eagle Ballroom - 9:30 a.m. 

Closing Session with Mark Robinson - Eagle Ballroom - 10:00 a.m. Sponsored by OFG 

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. 

3

4

Capture it all. 

Lifetouch is your one stop shop for memories. From School 

Pictures, Senior Portraits, Sports and events to Yearbooks 

and more, Lifetouch captures every milestone for families. 

schools.lifetouch.com

Discover the power of Renaissance literacy solutions 

Authentic Reading Practice 

Equitable access to books 

Skill Building 

Engaging “just in time” practice 

Aa Bb 

Cc Dd 

Independent reading practice to 

accelerate growth for all learners 

A personalized digital library at 

every student’s finger tips 

An interactive world for 

systematically building 

foundational literacy of 

K–2 learners 

Differentiated reading and ELA 

skills practice using K–12 content 

aligned to state standards and 

the Common Core 

Stop by our booth to learn more and enter for a chance to win a Mini Projector! 

Kathy Higgins, M.S. Field Account Executive 

Kathy.Higgins@renaissance.com / (913) 390-9633 

Sparkle Oehlert Account Executive 

Sparkle.Oehlert@renaissance.com / (913) 302-5004 

©Copyright 2022 Renaissance Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. 555199.0322

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 

10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. 

Stimson Trail

OPENING GENERAL SESSION 

EAGLE BALLROOM 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022 

3:00 - 4:30 P.M. 

Consuelo 

Castillo Kickbush 

Born and raised in a small barrio in Laredo, Texas, Consuelo Kickbusch overcame poverty, 

discrimination, and illiteracy to become a successful community leader. Lacking material 

wealth, Consuelo’s immigrant parents taught her to value her culture, traditions, values and 

faith. 

Throughout her education at Hardin Simmons University and rise to highest- ranking Hispanic 

woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army, she embodied their invaluable lessons, 

eventually retiring to fulfill her mother’s dying wish –that she return to her roots and become a 

community leader. She founded Educational Achievement Services, Inc. maintaining a strong 

dedication to saving the youth of America by mentoring students and parents across the 

United States. In addition to her work with American youth, Consuelo reaches audiences in 

corporate, professional, non-profit and multicultural markets. 

Proud mother of five daughters, and grandmother of 5 grandchildren, Consuelo resides in 

Nevada with her husband, David. 

Sponsored By: 

9

VENDOR SHOWCASE & HOSPITALITY 

EXPO HALL 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022 

4:00 - 7:00 P.M. 

Sponsored By: 

The USA-Kansas Convention Committee encourages you to spend this 

time visiting exhibits. Please take time to talk with vendors and 

business partners about your needs. Exhibitors are vital to the success 

of our convention. They recoup their investment only when you stop by 

and visit. 

We will be holding raffles throughout the evening. You must be present 

to win and will have 15 minutes to claim your prize before another 

winner is drawn. 

10

2022 EXHIBITOR LIST 

COMPANY BOOTH ABOUT US WEBSITE 

A-Lert Roof 

Systems 

A.T.G.-Ram 

Industries, LLC 

AASPA 

Age of 

Learning, Inc 

Agtac 

Alloy 

Architecture 

American 

Fidelity 

83 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 

88 Turn-Key Synthetic Turf Construction www.atgsports.com 

47 National organization for school HR 

professionals. 

117 Age of Learning works closely with educators 

to reimagine education by delivering 

personalized, equitable instruction that 

accelerates achievement. Our solutions, My 

Reading Academy and My Math Academy are 

designed to support every student in reaching 

mastery through a holistic approach to child 

learning and development. 

Personalizing learning with an equity lens puts 

children at the center of a supportive learning 

environment that we call the Personalized 

Mastery Learning Ecosystem (PMLE). The 

result is a focused collaboration of students, 

teachers, administrators, and families that 

creates powerful and effective learning 

experiences to keep students on track for 

success. 

39 Facility Services Custodial Maintenance 

Grounds Engineering 

76 Alloy Architecture is a multidisciplinary 

team of architects, interior designers and 

technical professionals, that is experienced 

in the planning and design of new and/or 

replacement educational facilities, recreational 

spaces, FEMA shelters and specialty education 

centers. 

99, 113 

Sponsor 

Section 125, Flexible Spending Accounts, 

HSA's, and supplemental insurance products 

www.aaspa.org 

www.ageoflearning.com 

www.agtac.com 

alloyarchitecture.com 

americanfidelity.com 

11

#USAKS22 


Ameritime LLC 

Apptegy 

Athco 

Audio 

Enhancement 

Baker 

University 

Benchmark, 

Inc. 

BetterLesson 

100, 101 

Sponsor 

Financial Education for Educators 

42 Apptegy builds products and provides services 

that empower you to run better schools. Our 

products make it easy for administrators and 

educators to reach and interact with your 

parents, students, staff, and your community at 

large. 

www.ameritimeks.com 

apptegy.com 

58, 59 Playground, gym, scoreboard equipment www.athcollc.com 

36 Audio Enhancement provides customizable 

solutions to support learning inside and outside 

the classroom. These solutions include 

classroom audio, cameras, safety alerts, and 

school-wide 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. 

98 Baker University offers 5 masters and 3 doctoral 

degrees which help teachers and administrators 

advance in their careers. 

24 Roof and Pavement Consultants. Assessments, 

Design/Bid, Construction Phase Services. 

22 

Sponsor 

Professional Learning Services 

audioenhancement.com 

www.bakeru.edu 

12



Boardworks 

Education 

Bright Thinker 

Building 

Controls and 

Services, Inc 

BuyBoard 

National 

Purchasing 

Cooperative 

CENTEGIX 

44 Provide the supplemental materials your 

teachers need to enhance instruction and 

engage students. Reduce the time needed 

to build new lessons with a library of 

25,000 standards-aligned activities for K-12 

instruction. Customize presentations and share 

them between teachers in a collaborative 

environment. Address the learning gap with the 

right content at the right time for every student, 

without requiring additional time from teachers. 

37 At Bright Thinker we are assisting teachers 

and administrators by providing them the tools 

needed to educate modern learners. Through 

rigorous standards-aligned curriculum, chunked 

and differentiated lessons, and our powerful 

platform, educators can feel supported inside 

and outside of the classroom. 

23 

Sponsor 

Total Room Automation, HVAC, Building 

Controls, Facility Assessments 

80 The BuyBoard National Purchasing Cooperative 

is an audit compliant, free, governmental based 

national cooperative. It is a comprehensive 

purchasing tool developed for local 

governments. The mission of the BuyBoard is 

to lessen the burden of government by driving 

down costs and making the procurement 

process more efficient. The BuyBoard provides 

a wide range of vendors with pricing based on 

national volume levels. 

70 CrisisAlert empowers confident human action 

in any incident – from the everyday to the 

extreme. Our easy-to-use solution allows staff 

and administrators to immediately handle 

any situation, anywhere on the premises. Our 

wearable badge ensures that staff never have 

to worry about finding help because help will 

always find them. 

www.boardworkseducation. 

com 

www.brightthinker.com 

bldgcontrols.com 

www.buyboard.com 

www.centegix.com 

13



Central 

Mechanical 

Construction 

Commercial 

Laundry Sales 

and Service 

CommLink IT 

Computer 

Information 

Concepts, Inc. 

Coryell Roofing 

Credit Union of 

America 

DCS Services, 

LLC 

40 Mechanical (HVAC, plumbing and electrical) www.centralmechanical. 

com 

66 We sell Sport Commercial Washers, Dryers, 

and chemicals and provide quality service. 

31 Access Control, Security Cameras, Paging 

Systems, IP Speakers, On Premise and Cloud 

Phone Systems, IT Sales and Support. 

32 Computer Information Concepts, Inc. (CIC) is 

the Kansas Infinite Campus / Tableau Partner. 

CIC provides sales, professional services, 

technical support and related products for 

student information and analytics systems. 

33, 34 

Sponsor 

120, 121 

Sponsor 

Commercial Roofing 

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 

clsands.com 

www.commlinkit.com 

www.cicesp.com 

www.coryellroofing.com 

www.cuofamerica.com 

17 Project Management www.dcsservices.net 

14



Discovery 

Education 

DLR Group 

137 Discovery Education is a K12 daily learning 

platform built around the amazing content we’re 

known for, you’ll find brand new tools and 

resources to engage students with that content, 

track their progress in real-time, and gain 

professional inspiration, every day. 

71, 85 

Sponsor 

Dondlinger 

Construction 

DotCom Therapy 125 

e-hallpass 

DLR Group provides the architecture, 

engineering, and planning necessary to 

empower learners through a forward-looking 

research-informed design focus that delivers 

transformational opportunity and fulfillment for 

all. 

57 Construction Services, General Contractor, 

CMAR Services, Facility Maintenance 

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. 

105 e-hallpass is The Total Digital Hallpass Solution. 

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 noobligation 

Pilots! 

discoveryed.com 

www.dlrgroup. 

com/sector/k-12- 

education/?ref=menulist 

www.dondlinger.biz 

www.dotcomtherapy.com 

eduspiresolutions.org 

15



Educational 

Design 

Solutions 

Elevate K-12 

Emporia State 

University 

Energy 

Solutions 

Professionals 

engage2learn 

126 Educational Software - Social & Emotional 

Learning, Literacy and Math 

135 

Sponsor 

Elevate K-12 is on a mission to make highquality 

instruction available to all students, 

irrespective of where they live, bringing equality 

to education. 

38 100% Online graduate programs for your 

teachers and staff in Educational Administration 

/ Curriculum and Instruction / Instructional 

Coach / National Board Certification / 

Licensure in Administration 

8, 9 

Sponsor 

ESP provides energy audits, guaranteed 

energy saving projects, ESSER funded 

improvements, and upgrades including: indoor 

air quality (IAQ), HVAC, lighting, controls, 

building envelope, plumbing, chillers, boilers, 

conservation training, and more. 

18 Since e2L was founded in 2011, it has become 

a leading provider of personalized professional 

learning, job-embedded coaching, and related 

technology solutions tools. Rather than a 

one-size-fits-all, pre-packaged solution, e2L 

partners with school districts to create unique, 

sustainable systems aligned to their priorities. 

These systems help districts build internal 

capacity, retain teachers, and improve student 

outcomes in every school. 

www. 

educationaldesignsolutions. 

com 

elevatelearning.com 

online.emporia.edu/gregg 

www.energyesp.com 

engage2learn.org 

16



Filament 

Essential 

Services & SOCS 

Websites+Apps 

First Responder 

KS 

Flint Hills Job 

Corps 

Friends 

University 

30 Our goal at Filament Essential Services is to 

simplify life for the clients we serve. Since 1986, 

we have supported education organizations 

by providing time-saving and cost-effective 

services that alleviate pain points including: 

- SOCS Websites and Apps - A CMS 

with visually stunning sites anyone in your 

organization can maintain. Plus, an app that 

enables mobile site updates and one for your 

audience to help them stay connected. 

- Branding and Video - A strong brand (which 

is more than a nice logo) can help you stand 

out from the rest and instill pride in your 

organization. Then share your impact with an 

emotional and compelling video. 

- Data Security - Protecting your data is 

becoming increasingly more important. Our 

experts will help keep yours safe. 

- Tech Support - Technology is great when it 

works. When it doesn't, call us. Our tech gurus 

will get you back on track. 

- Payroll and Bookkeeping - Let us manage 

your finances, help you prepare for audits and 

keep your payroll and bookkeeping in check. 

Contact us today for a website demo, a noobligation 

estimate or chat about any other 

way we might be able to help relieve some of 

your pain points. 

www.filamentservices.org 

91 AED sales-service-training www.firstresponderks.com 

41 Information on the training and educational 

benefits of the Job Corps program. 

29 Higher Education with an emphasis in 

Elementary and Secondary Education. 

jobcorps.org 

www.friends.edu 

17



Frontline 

Education 

Globe Life 

Family Heritage 

Division 

HADDOCK 

EDUCATION 

TECHNOLOGY 

Harris Education 

Solutions 

Heartland 

Seating, Inc. 

HELLAS 

CONSTRUCTION, 

INC 

HEPACART, Inc. 

21 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. 

10, 11 

Sponsor 

Industry leading supplemental benefits featuring 

return of premium products. 

www.frontlineeducation.com 

www.globelifeinsurance. 

com 

72, 73 Educational technology www.gohaddock.com 

107, 108 

Sponsor 

Harris Education Solutions provides stateof-the-art 

platforms for curriculum, content, 

assessments, data collection and analytics, 

teacher growth tools and more! We offer 

valuable solutions which allow educators to 

grow, students to succeed, and schools to 

improve. We also provide superior training, 

coaching and customer support to set you up 

for continued success. 

53 Spectator Seating, Indoor and outdoor 

bleachers, grandstands, auditorium chairs 

www. 

harriseducationsolutions. 

com 

www.heartlandseating.com 

136 Sports Construction www.hellasconstruction.com 

12 Air Filtration Products www.hepacart.com 

18



Hollis and 

Miller Architects 

Horace Mann 

Companies 

Houghton 

Mifflin Harcourt 

HTK Architects 

Hutton 

IMA Financial 

Group 

102, 103 Hollis + Miller Architects, an integrated design 

firm 100% committed to education and learning 

environments, harnesses the power of cocreation 

to develop research-based designs 

supporting learners of all ages. 

74 Horace Mann offers affordable auto and home 

insurance, as well as retirement strategies and 

financial wellness education. We understand 

the educational community and are committed 

to providing practical solutions to help address 

the challenges members face every day — in 

and out of the classroom. Our solutions can 

help make your job easier and support you as 

a member. 

15 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is a global 

learning company committed to delivering 

integrated solutions that engage learners, 

empower educators and improve student 

outcomes. As a leading provider of K-12 

core curriculum, supplemental solutions and 

professional learning services, HMH partners 

with educators and school districts to uncover 

solutions that unlock students' potential and 

extend teachers' capabilities. HMH serves 

more than 50 million students and 3 million 

educators in 150 countries, while its awardwinning 

children's books, novels, non-fiction 

and reference titles are enjoyed by readers 

throughout the world. 

124 Full Service Architecture firm specializing in 

Pre-K-12 Education and Bond Planning. 

51 

Sponsor 

114 

Sponsor 

General contractor, facilities services and 

helping pass a bond. 

Employee Benefit Consulting/Brokerage 

Services 

www.hollisandmiller.com 

www.horacemann.com 

hmhco.com 

www.htkarchitects.com 

www.huttonbuilds.com 

imacorp.com 

19



Imagine 

Learning/ 

Edgenuity 

INA Alert, Inc. 

incite Design 

Studio 

Istation 

JE Dunn 

Construction 

Kansas Board 

Solutions, 

Inc/ Kansas 

Association of 

School Boards 

62, 62 

Sponsor 

16, 65 

Sponsor 

We empower educators to enable 

breakthroughs for every student by enabling 

them with the most forward-thinking solutions 

at the intersection of people, curricula, and 

technology by providing solutions for initial 

credit, credit recovery, virtual school services, 

SEL, and supplemental literacy and math. 

Camera Surveillance, Access Control, Vape/ 

Air Quality Sensors, Intercom Systems, etc. 

133 Architectural design services, including facility 

assessments, master planning, programming, 

construction documents, and construction 

administration services. 

55 Istation is an award-winning, comprehensive 

e-learning program used by more than four 

million students and educators around the 

world. 

20 At JE Dunn, we exist to enrich lives through 

inspired people and places. We offer 

construction management services and value 

our client partnerships, striving to understand 

our your purpose, goals and customers and 

then delivering transformational solutions with 

certainty of results. 

109 Kansas 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 industryspecific 

experience together to offer our 

members customized solutions built to overcome 

challenges and seize opportunities. 

www.imaginelearning.com/ 

en/us 

inaalert.com 

www.incitedesignstudio.com 

istation.com 

www.jedunn.com 

www.kasb.org/solutions 

20



Kansas Center 

for CTE - 

Pittsburg State 

University 

Kansas 

Correctional 

Industries 

Kansas Learning 

Center for 

Health 

Kansas 

Principals 

Association 

56 The Kansas Center for CTE was created with the 

purpose of providing technical and professional 

development for Career and Technical 

Education instructors. 

KCCTE has the following four objectives: 

-Provide technical workshops to Kansas 

CTE instructors. These workshops will offer 

CTE instructors professional development 

opportunities to practice industry skills within 

their occupational area. 

-Provide an online resource sharing library at 

no cost to Kansas CTE instructors. Resources 

may include lesson plans, classroom 

management tips, and organizational tools. 

-Provide a mentoring network to Kansas CTE 

instructors. This service pairs new CTE instructors 

with experienced CTE instructors to assist them 

during their first two years of teaching. 

-Provide Technical Teacher Education 

coursework to Kansas CTE instructors. We 

offer an AASCTE, BSCTE, MSCTE, and CTE 

Administrator Certificate, and plan our course 

offerings five years in advance! 

132 We are a work training program for inmates 

who build desks, tables, chairs, janitorial items, 

signs, and also paint, also outdoor metal 

furniture. 

60 KLCH offers 17 different Health Education 

Programs for students Pre-K to College. The 

Center is also home to Valeda, an anatomical 

transparent mannequin, and has an interactive 

exhibit hall. KLCH's most requested programs 

are Puberty, Human Reproduction, Drug 

Prevention, Nutrition, and Healthy Relationships. 

54 This booth will be provide information about the 

Kanas Principal Association. Kansas Principal 

Association board members will be available to 

visit with building administrators. 

kccte.pittstate.edu 

kansasci.com 

www.learningcenter.org 

www.ksprincipals.org 

21



Kansas State 

University 

Global Campus 

Kansas Traffic 

Safety Resource 

Office 

Kansas Truck 

Equipment 

KCAV 

Key Apparel 

Kruse 

Corporation 

Lakeshore 

Learning 

Materials 

81 K-State offers online bachelor’s, master’s, 

and doctoral degrees, and certificate and 

professional development opportunities 

for those who are unable to attend oncampus 

classes. Technology, flexible hours, 

affordability, and award-winning programs 

make K-State a leader in online education. 

54 Traffic Safety education programs for students 

K-12, as well as workplace education, including 

bus drivers. 

Bus #4 

35, 50; 

Upstairs 

Innovative 

Classroom 

Thursday; 

Sponsor 

Since 1963, Kansas Truck Equipment has been 

the sole distributor in Kansas for the Blue Bird 

school bus – the leader in providing the safest 

and most reliable buses. Our service facility is 

staffed with factory-trained Cummins-certified 

technicians. 

KCAV provides AV sales, design, installation, 

training and support services for schools and 

businesses to create engaging spaces to learn, 

work and share. 

1 Apparel such as T-Shirts, polos, outerwear, 

sweatshirts, jackets, and vests. We are the 

manufacturer and the decorator, and we can 

screen print and embroider our garments in 

house. 

75 HVAC-Mechanical- Sheet/Arch Metal- 

Comfort Controls 

online.ksu.edu 

www.ktsro.org 

kansastruck.net 

www.kcav.com 

www.keyapparelstore.com 

www.krusecorp.com 

77 Educational products, materials and furniture. www.lakeshorelearning.com 

22



Lifetouch 

Mammoth 

Sports 

Construction 

McCownGordon 

Construction 

Menlo Inc. dba 

K12itc 

87 Every picture tells a story, and nothing should 

get in the way of that. We believe life is about 

making memories and sharing them with others. 

Our intent is to help people live in the moment, 

capture memories, and share what matters, 

knowing that every moment counts. With our 

large network of photographers nationwide we 

can help preserve every moment so you can 

enjoy and capture life’s memories. 

95, 96 Mammoth Sports Construction provides 

complete design build construction service 

from the opening meeting to opening day. Our 

design build process improves communication 

with clients while reducing costs and the 

overwhelm that comes from large construction 

projects. 

Self-performing every step of the construction 

allows us to streamline budgets and timelines. 

Services include: Master planning, Architecture 

& Engineering, General Construction, Synthetic 

Turf Design & Installation (Partnered with 

FieldTurf), Concrete, Steel Erection, Tracks 

(Partnered with Beynon), Golf Construction, 

Earthwork, and Creative Services 

123 McCownGordon specializes in construction 

management and is committed to delivering 

the best building experience to enhance the 

journey for our associates, clients, partners and 

community. 

110 We admit it. 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. 

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. 

Put simply – we get you. And we can help 

provide IT support for your school. 

23 

lifetouch.com 

mammothbuilt.com 

mccowngordon.com 

www.K12itc.com



Mid-States 

School 

Equipment Co. 

Inc. 

Midwest Bus 

Sales, Inc. 

Midwest Transit 

Equipment, Inc 

Musco Sports 

Lighting 

National Bus 

Sales 

Navitas 

Network 

for Educator 

Effectiveness 

Newkirk Novak 

Construction 

Partners 

46 Telescopic Bleachers, auditorium chairs, 

library furniture, grandstands, cafeteria tables, 

classroom furniture 

Bus #2 

Sponsor 

Bus #1 

School bus sales, leasing, parts, service, 

contracting 

New and used school bus sales, service, parts, 

leasing and financing. 

127 Musco’s TLC for LED technology delivers 

unmatched light quality and control for sports 

venues around the world, and is backed by a 

long-term warranty covering parts and labor. 

msseci.com 

midwestbussales.com 

www.midwesttransit.com 

www.musco.com 

Bus #3 New 45' long Ultra Coachliner bus www.nationalbus.com 

119 Energy Service Company navitas.us.com 

4 Comprehensive educator evaluation program 

that provides training and support for 

evaluators, an online data tool, and online 

professional learning resources. 

112 Construction Management Services 

www.neeadvantage.com 

24



Newsela 

13 Newsela is an instructional content platform 

that takes authentic, real-world content from 

trusted sources and makes it instruction ready 

for K-12 classrooms. Each text is published at 

5 reading levels - with thousands of articles 

available in English & Spanish -so content is 

accessible to every learner. Newsela content 

is aligned to TEKS and attached to activities 

and reports that hold teachers accountable for 

instruction and students accountable for their 

work. Newsela offerings include Newsela ELA, 

Newsela Social Studies and Newsela Science. 

We collaborated with PDE on Middle School 

exemplar units and can support custom content 

needs for districts. 

93, 94 Financial Services 

OFG Financial 

Sponsor 

Services Inc 

7 Oklahoma LED is a fully licensed electrical 

Oklahoma LED 

contractor specializing in LED lighting 

conversions and LED sports lighting. We 

provide turnkey conversions and service 

everything we sell. We have converted over 

500 schools, business and municipalities in 

Oklahoma and Kansas to date. 

Opaa! Food 

Management 

Oral Health 

Kansas 

68 Opaa! Food Management operates school 

food service in K-12 districts 

82 Healthy, active children learn better, perform 

better academically, and behave better. 

Drinking water at school is one of the best ways 

to ensure kids are healthy and ready to learn. 

Thirsty for Health is an initiative sponsored 

by Oral Health Kansas, USA-Kansas, and 

Community Action, Inc. The partners will 

share information about hydration for Kansas 

K-12 students, resources for teachers and 

administrators, and policy options to improve 

access to water during the school day. 

ofgfinancial.com 

www.oklahomaled.com 

opaafood.com 

www.oralhealthkansas.org/ 

Thirsty.html 

25



Paper 

67, 79 

Sponsor 

Paper partners with your school district to 

provide unlimited access to trained tutors so 

every student can ask questions, work through 

problems, and grow their confidence. 

Paper.co 

122 Financial Services 

Piper Sandler & 

Sponsor 

Co. 

84 Outdoor Recreation and Sports Equipment www.playscaperecreation. 

Playscapes 

com 

61 Janitorial supplies and consulting www.purozone.com 

Pur-O-Zone, Inc. 

26 With the impacts of the pandemic, compounded www.qualtrics.com 

Qualtrics LLC 

by the rise of quick services provided in the 

private sector, it is more crucial than ever 

to understand the experiences of students, 

families, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. 

Understanding and acting on these experiences 

will enable schools to increase enrollment, 

improve educational outcomes, and provide the 

most thriving learning environments possible. 

This is achieved by infusing pragmatic, datainformed 

thinking into day-to-day operations 

and long-term administration planning. 

However, this creates several challenges for 

leaders, including determining how to 1) turn 

stakeholder feedback into evidence-based 

decision-making, 2) measure and improve 

educational efficiency and optimize tax dollars, 

and 3) address IT governance and data 

security issues. K-12 schools need a technology 

partner who can provide an out-of-the-box 

solution that fully addresses these challenges 

and empowers academic administrations to 

drive meaningful improvements through better, 

data-driven decisions. Qualtrics Experience 

Management (XM) offers the only platform 

that can measure every experience throughout 

student and staff journeys and tie them all 

together to produce automated actions to close 

gaps. parents and families to drive student 

enrollment and retention. 

drive student success. 

26



Reality U - The 

Pando Initiative 

Renaissance 

92, 106 

Sponsor 

River City Fund 

Raising 

SafeDefend 

115, 116 

Sponsor 

Sandifer 

Engineering 

14 Financial Literacy Pandokids.org 

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. Renaissance 

solutions reach more than 40 percent of US 

schools and more than half a million students in 

other regions across the world. The Renaissance 

portfolio 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 teacher-led differentiated 

instruction; Schoolzilla, to give educators 

actionable insights into trends in student 

attendance and achievement; Lalilo, to develop 

critical foundational skills; and Nearpod, for 

teacher-facilitated instructional delivery. For 

more information, visit Renaissance.com. 

Renaissance.com 

43 World's Finest Chocolate, Fundraising www.rivercityfundraising. 

com 

SafeDefend is the most comprehensive crisis 

management solution available. From training, 

to notification, to crisis management, we 

PREPARE, NOtIFY, and PROTECT your staff, 

students and community. We bring peace 

of mind when addressing your number one 

concern. 

5, 6 Video Surveillance, Access Control, Fire 

Protective Systems & HVAC Controls 

www.safedefend.com 

Sandifercontrols.com 

27

Savvas Learning 

Company 

86 

Sponsor 

At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. 

Our next-generation K-12 learning solutions 

engage students and empower teachers, helping 

all learners discover their greatness. 

Scholastic 

52 Scholastic - books, magazines, literacy and math 

curriculum, intervention literacy tools, and more. 

School Specialty 

LLC 

Educational resources 

SchoolStatus 

27 SchoolStatus provides simple solutions for K-12 

School Districts who need accessible student 

data and a district-wide communication tools 

to increase parent and student engagement. 

The platform aggregates information from 

assessments, benchmarks, SIS, LMS, attendance 

and discipline systems and pairs this with call, 

text and email capability for data-informed 

communications between school and home. 

Scott Rice 

Upstairs 

Innovative 

Classroom 

Thursday 

Scott Rice Integrated Companies comprises 

a unique family of interdependent companies 

that combine to offer complete solutions. Each 

company is an expert in its field and each 

brings its own set of highly specialized skills to 

offer fully integrated planning, tenant finishes, 

technology, construction, accessories, move 

management and furniture. 

Savvas.com 

www.scholastic.com/home 

www.schoolspecialty.com 

schoolstatus.com 

scottrice.com 

SJCF Architecture 

19 Architectural and Interior Design Services www.sjcf.com 

SJCF Architecture 

19 Architectural and Interior Design Services www.sjcf.com 

118 Educational Furniture, Bleachers, Lockers, 

SOPA Inc. 

Science Casework 

SpedTrack 

89 SpedTrack is web-based software (IEP's, 

Evaluations, Section 504s, Progress Monitoring, 

Services Tracking, 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. 



www.sopainc.com 

www.spedtrack.com 

28



64, 78 Public Finance Services, Advisory & 

Stifel, Nicolaus & 

Sponsor Underwriting 

Company, Inc 

45 STOPit empowers schools with comprehensive 

STOPit Solutions 

safety technologies, training solutions and 

world-class resources to create safer, better 

connected, and healthier learning cultures. Our 

award winning Anonymous Reporting System 

and 24/7 Crisis Center is known for helping 

schools to keep their students safe! 

Strawbridge 

Studios, Inc. 

Stifel.com 

stopitsolutions.com 

69 School Photography and Yearbooks www.strawbridge.net 

SynLawn 

134 Synthetic turf, or artificial lawn that will provide 

a safe, and virtually maintenance free, and 

visually stunning landscape. We install 

playgrounds to sports fields, commercial and 

residential applications from start to finish. 

The Garland 

Company, Inc. 

The Purchasing 

Cooperative at 

Greenbush 

TIPS - The 

Interlocal 

Purchasing 

System 

Trane U.S. Inc. 

48, 49 

Sponsor 

111 High-performance roofing & building envelope 

solutions. 

129-131 For more than 45 years, The Purchasing 

Cooperative at Greenbush has helped schools, 

municipalities, and other organizations, 

save time and money through cooperative 

purchasing. 

25 TIPS is a national purchasing cooperative 

offering competitively solicited contracts to 

education saving both time and money. TIPS 

provides a proven, streamlined process that 

eliminates the purchasing stress for Members. 

“Purchasing Made Personal” 

Trane, a name you can trust for over 100 years 

to optimize indoor air quality, energy costs, 

and building system reliability has developed 

educational programming in collaboration 

with KBOR, KSDE, USDs, and NC3 to provide 

students with real-world, rigorous, and relevant 

PBL/WBL that lead to Industry-Recognized 

Credentials in high-demand, high-tech, highwage 

careers. 

29 

www.synlawnkansascity. 

com 

https:www.garlandco.com 

www.greenbush.org 

www.tips-usa.com 

www.trane.com/kansascity

Twotrees 

Technologies 

Universal 

Construction 

Company 

Virco 

97 Twotrees Technologies provides educational 

technology solutions on contract that include 

STEM products, devices, networking and server 

hardware and services. 

3 Construction Management and General 

Contracting Services for school construction 

and construction planning. 

www.twotrees.com 

104 K-12 School Furniture www.virco.com 

Manufacturing 

128 Student-Centered Furniture for 21st Century 

VS AMERICA 

Learning Spaces 

Wichita State 

University - 

Corbin Education 

Center 

90 WSU Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP 

Program); Para Educators now have a 

shortened pathway to Teacher of Record with 

the Online Teacher Apprentice Program at 

Wichita State College of Applied Studies in the 

School of Education. The inverted curriculum 

allows Para Educators to complete their degree 

without leaving their local school district position 

Wray Roofing 

2 Repair/replacement of low sloped or flat roofs. 

Roof analysis, leak repairs,writing spec., free 

estimates. 



www.wrayroofing.com 

30


BY BOOTH NUMBER 

Key Apparel 1 

Wray Roofing 2 

Universal Construction Company 3 

Network for Educator Effectiveness 4 

Sandifer Engineering 5, 6 

Oklahoma LED 7 

Energy Solutions Professionals 8, 9 

Globe Life Family Heritage Division 10, 11 

HEPACART, Inc. 12 

Newsela 13 

Reality U 14 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 15 

INA Alert, Inc. 16, 65 

DCS Services, LLC 17 

Engage 2 Learn 18 

SJCF Architecture 19 

JE Dunn Construction 20 

Frontline Education 21 

BetterLesson 22 

Building Controls and Services, Inc 23 

Benchmark, Inc 24 

TIPS-USA 25 

Qualtrics LLC 26 

SchoolStatus 27 

Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office 28 

Friends University 29 

Filament Essential Services & SOCS 

Websites+Apps 

CommLink IT 31 

30 

Computer Information Concepts, Inc. 32 

Coryell Roofing 33, 34 

KCAV 35, 50 

Audio Enhancement 36 

Bright Thinker 37 

Emporia State University 38 

Agtac 39 

Central Mechanical Construction 40 

Flint Hills Job Corps 41 

Apptegy 42 

River City Fund Raising 43 

Boardworks Education 44 

STOPit Solutions 45 

Mid-States School Equipment Co. Inc. 46 

AASPA 47 

Trane U.S. Inc. 48, 49 

Hutton 51 

Scholastic 52 

Heartland Seating, Inc. 53 

Kansas Principals Association 54 

Istation 55 

KS Center for CTE - Pitt State Univ 56 

Dondlinger Construction 57 

Athco 58, 59 

Kansas Learning Center for Health 60 

Pur-O-Zone, Inc. 61 

Imagine Learning/Edgenuity 62, 63 

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc 64, 78 

Commercial Laundry Sales & Service 66 

Paper 67, 79 

Opaa! Food Management 68 

Strawbridge Studios, Inc. 69 

CENTEGIX 70 

DLR Group 71, 85 

Haddock Education Tech 72, 73 

Horace Mann Companies 74 

Kruse Corporation 75 

Alloy Architecture 76 

Lakeshore Learning Materials 77 

BuyBoard National Purchasing Coop 80 

Kansas State University Global Campus 81 

31

2022 EXHIBITOR 

BOOTH MAP 

Oral Health Kansas 82 

A-Lert Roof Systems 83 

Playscapes 84 

Savvas Learning Company 86 

Lifetouch 87 

A.T.G.-Ram Industries, LLC 88 

SpedTrack 89 

Wichita State Univ - Corbin Education Center 90 

First Responder KS 91 

Renaissance 92, 106 

OFG Financial Services Inc 93, 94 

Mammoth Sports Construction 95, 96 

Twotrees Technologies 97 

Baker University 98 

American Fidelity 99, 113 

Ameritime LLC 100, 101 

Hollis and Miller Architects 102, 103 

Virco Manufacturing 104 

e-hallpass 105 

Harris Education Solutions 107, 108 

Kansas Board Solution, Inc /KASB 109 

Menlo Inc. dba K12itc 110 

The Garland Company, Inc. 111 

Newkirk Novak Construction Partners 112 

IMA Financial Group 114 

SafeDefend 115, 116 

Age of Learning, Inc 117 

SOPA Inc. 118 

Navitas 119 

Credit Union of America 120, 121 

Piper Sandler & Co. 122 

McCownGordon Construction 123 

HTK Architects 124 

DotCom Therapy 125 

Educational Design Solutions 126 

Musco Sports Lighting 127 

VS America 128 

The Purchasing Coop at Greenbush 129-131 

Kansas Correctional Industries 132 

incite Design Studio 133 

SynLawn 134 

Elevate K-12 135 

Hellas Construction, Inc 136 

Discovery Education 137 

Midwest Transit Equipment, Inc Bus #1 

Midwest Bus Sales, Inc. Bus #2 

National Bus Sales Bus #3 

Kansas Truck Equipment Bus #4 

Scott Rice 

School Specialty LLC 

Upstairs 

Thursday 

Upstairs 

Thursday 

32

2022 EXHIBITOR 

BOOTH MAP 

Douglas Street 

VESTIBULE 

MAIN ENTRY 

WEST LOADING DOCK 

TICKET 

BOOTH 

Parking Lot 

Douglas & Waco 

WEST LOADING DOCK 

CONCESSION WOMEN 

MEN 

Bar 

Drape Line 

128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 

Food 

65 66 67 79 80 8 9 

10 11 12 13 14 15 

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 

23 24 25 26 27 81 

Bus 42' 

USA Kansas Convention 

Century II Expo Hall 

June 1, 2022 

STORAGE 

7 

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 

35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 

WOMEN 

MEN 

6 

5 

4 

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 

58 59 60 61 62 63 64 

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 

68 69 70 71 

Bus 42' 

3 

72 73 74 75 76 77 78 

82 83 84 85 

Hyatt Gallery 

2 

Registration 

8' Drape 

1 

86 87 88 89 90 91 92 

100 101 102 103 104 105 106 

93 94 95 96 97 98 99 

107 108 109 110 111 112 113 

Bar 

Bus 45' 

Entrance 

Food 

DOORS TO 

HYATT 

Water 

Station 

114 115 116 117 118 

119 120 121 

122 123 124 125 

126 127 

Bus 34' 

40'W x 20'H DOOR 

EMERGENCY EXITS 

Waterman & Main 

EMERGENCY EXITS 

33

2022 RAFFLE 

PRIZES 

USA-Kansas Raffle Drawings for Great Prizes in Expo Hall 

4:00 - 7:00 p.m. 

Please take time to visit our 2022 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 reception at various times from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. we will have raffle drawings. 

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

for you to take to the announcer booth. Please print your name and district on the back of your buck and put it in any 

of the drawing boxes to win prizes at the USA-KS booth located in the center Expo Hall under the large celling circle. 

You must be present to win and will have 15 minutes to claim your prize before another winner is drawn. Drawings 

will be held at the following times: 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 

7:00 p.m. 

ALSO: During the Showcase administrators will be voting on our vendor booths. Voting will take place in 

two categories: “Most Creative/Innovative/Interactive Booth” AND “Best Swag/Prizes.” Cast your vote at 

the USA-KS BOOTH! 

2022 Raffle Prizes 

$100 Gift Cards for each – Dillard’s, Bass Pro Shops, Williams Sonoma, Amazon 

$50 Gift Cards for each: AMC Movies, The Cheesecake Factory, Regal, Omaha Steaks 

2022-2023 Complimentary USA-Kansas Dues 

2023 Complimentary USA-Kansas Convention Registration 

USA-KS Staff Gift Baskets 

G.A. - KSU 

Jerry - On The Go 

Cara - Cheers To You 

Jessica - Disc Golf 

Kim - Lucky Lotto 

Sara - Baking Fun 

Houston - KU 

Jessi - Relax & Recharge 

2022 Raffle Sponsors 

Purchasing Coop at Greenbush 

Lifetouch 

Playscapes 

Twotrees Technologies 

Mammoth Sports Construction 

Wray Roofing 

Virco Manufacturing 

34

LEARNING CLUSTER 

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 

Time 

Location Session Title 

8:30a-9:15a Cherry 202 A Scholastic Esports & Student Mental Health 

8:30a-9:15a Cherry 202 B Special Education Essentials: What Leaders Need to Know 

8:30a-9:15a Birch 203 

Teacher Residency Programs: An Innovate Pathway to the 

Classroom 

8:30a-9:15a Cedar 204 Collaboration room 

8:30a-9:15a Maple 205 

4 Ways a Flexible Media Center Expands Your Scheduling 

Options 

8:30a-9:15a Oak 206 Using Sand Buckets to Teach School Budget 101 to Constituents 

8:30a-9:15a Osage 207 

Teacher Recruitment and Retention: 3 Key Leadership Strategies 

to Create a Culture That Will Make Your Teachers Want to Stick 

With You For The Long Run 

8:30a-9:15a Walnut 208 Sensitivity in the Workplace 

8:30a-9:15a Cypress 209 A 

Empowering and Allowing Students to Be Responsible, 

Productive Teammates 

8:30a-9:15a Cypress 209 B HR Issues & District Leaders: Wait! I didn't sign up for this! 

8:30a-9:15a Redbud 210 A Culture Impacts Student Learning! Plan For Success in 2022! 

8:30a -9:15a Redbud 210 B 

Staff / Student Interactions over Social Media - when do they 

cross the line? 

8:30a-9:15a Redbud 210 C 

Building Administrator and School Counseling Collaborations: 

Working Together to Be Preventative in School Mental Health 

and Advance Academic Achievement 

9:30a-10:15a Cherry 202 A Finding Full Time Success With a Part Time Superintendent 

9:30a-10:15a Cherry 202 B 

Understanding the Unique Needs of Students who are Deaf/ 

Hard of Hearing 

9:30a-10:15a Birch 203 Renaissance Empowers Teachers 

9:30a-10:15a Cedar 204 

How will you decide Which KPERS Pension Option is right for 

you? 

9:30a-10:15a Maple 205 Elevate Leadership 

9:30a-10:15a Oak 206 Maintenance Confidence and Capital Budget Planning 

37


Time 


9:30a-10:15a Osage 207 Looking Forward 

9:30a-10:15a Walnut 208 Pilot Mental Health Therapy in Rural Public School Setting 

9:30a-10:15a Cypress 209 A Coaching: The Power Within You 

9:30a-10:15a Redbud 210 A Supporting Student Engagement in the Classroom 

9:30a-10:15a Redbud 210 B 

Top 10 Legal Trends (anticipated for the upcoming 22-23 school 

year) 

9:30a-10:15a Redbud 210 C 

Leveraging the Kansas Teacher Retention Survey to Improve 

Teacher Engagement and Retention 

10:30a-11:15a Cherry 202 B 

Integrating Student Data, Curriculum and MTSS into Digital 

Dashboards to Support Teaching and Learning 

10:30a-11:15a Birch 203 Creating Safer Schools with Technology Solutions 

10:30a-11:15a Cedar 204 Elevate Learning with Sustainable Change 

10:30a-11:15a Maple 205 Women in Leadership 

10:30a-11:15a Oak 206 The Practice Lab: Mentor Training for Today's Leaders 

10:30a-11:15a Osage 207 Looking Forward Part 2 

10:30a-11:15a Walnut 208 It's Easy(ish) Once you know it-Special Education Law 101 

10:30a-11:15a Cypress 209 A 

Enhancing Professional Growth through Effective Evaluation 

Processes 

10:30a-11:15a Cypress 209 B 

The Invisible Kids - Educator Strategies Learned from a Formerly 

Invisible Kid! 

10:30a-11:15a 

Redbud 210 A 

Redesigning Leadership: Sparking Innovation to Achieve 

Kansas’ Vision for Education 

10:30a-11:15a Redbud 210 B Transgender Students - Rights and Responsibilities 

10:30a-11:15a Redbud 210 C Shared Leadership Makes BIG Dreams Come True 

How one KS School District saved over $1 Million on Health 

12:45p-1:30p Birch 203 Insurance Costs: A Case Study 

12:45p-1:30p Cedar 204 The importance of benefits education in today’s job market 

38

LEARNING CLUSTER 

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 

Time 


12:45p-1:30p Maple 205 KPA BOOM 

12:45p-1:30p Oak 206 Producing TV News for Schools 

12:45p-1:30p Osage 207 

Marketing Maneuvers: Marketing Strategies to Empower School 

Leaders 

12:45p-1:30p Walnut 208 Navigating Student Discipline for All Students 

12:45p-1:30p Cypress 209 A School Finance & Budget Basics for Kansas School Leaders 

12:45p-1:30p Cypress 209 B 

Beyond Building SIT - Leveraging collaborative leadership to 

effectively meet student needs 

12:45p-1:30p Redbud 210 A Connecting the IPS with Postsecondary Success 

12:45p-1:30p Redbud 210 B 

Vigilante Parents: Recommendations on Navigating Challenging 

Parent Relationships 

12:45p-1:30p Redbud 210 C Keeping your Graduates Locally! 

1:45p-2:30p Birch 203 Uncovering Root Causes - A Process for Sustainable Change 

1:45p-2:30p Cedar 204 Unlock the Potential of your People 

1:45p-2:30p Maple 205 #ListenUp A LIVE podcast! 

1:45p-2:30p Oak 206 Early Learning in Math and Literacy 

1:45p-2:30p Osage 207 

Empowering and Allowing Students to Be Responsible, 


1:45p-2:30p Walnut 208 

Common Challenges for Principals and Suggested Solutions 

and Tips 

1:45p-2:30p Cypress 209 A 

Moving Beyond Blah: Addressing and Soaring above 

Languishing 

1:45p-2:30p Cypress 209 B Walkthroughs- Building A Flywheel Of Success 

1:45p-2:30p Redbud 210 A 

Moving the Needle on Student Success Skills and Achievement 

with Real World Application, Personalized Learning, and 

Partnerships 

1:45p-2:30p Redbud 210 B Heads Up! Guide to Employee Mental Health Issues 

1:45p-2:30p Redbud 210 C 

Grow Your Own: How the Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP) 

Can Help Fill Teacher Vacancies in Your District 

2:45p-3:30p Birch 203 Leading By Instinct 

39


Time 


2:45p-3:30p Cedar 204 

Optimizing Facility Operations and PBL/WBL Programming with 

Data-Analytics 

2:45p-3:30p Maple 205 New Heights 

2:45p-3:30p Oak 206 

WeKan Academy: Special Education Onboarding and 

Orientation 

2:45p-3:30p Osage 207 Improving the Safety Culture on Campus 

2:45p-3:30p Walnut 208 

Pandemic, Endemic, and Academic - Reimagining Innovative 

Learning Environments 

2:45p-3:30p Cypress 209 A The Role of Happiness in School Culture 

2:45p-3:30p Cypress 209 B Cultivating Relationships through Restorative Practices 

2:45p-3:30p Redbud 210 A A Report by the Kansas Graduation Requirements Taskforce 

2:45p-3:30p Redbud 210 B Sideways Behavior Off-Duty 

2:45p-3:30p Redbud 210 C Using Mentor Relationships To Build Collective Efficacy! 

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. 

INNNOVATIVE CLASSROOM 

Thursday, June 2 

Promenade Connecting Lobby 

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

40

Providing benefits 

and consulting 

services to K-12 

public schools 

IMACORP.COM/BENEFITS 

PROUDLY SERVING 

Kansas School Districts 

Year-Round Assistance With 

Bond Issues and School Finance Matters 

Steve Shogren | David Arteberry | Bret Shogren | Stan Jones 

Wichita: (316) 264-9351 | Kansas City: (816) 203-8728 | www.stifel.com/publicfinance 

301 North Main Street, Suite 800, Wichita, Kansas 67202 | 4801 Main Street, Suite 530, Kansas City, Missouri 64112 

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com

About Us 

The edInsight Performance Suite 

is a state-of-the-art package of 

must have platforms to help make 

your in and out of the classroom 

experience the best it can be 

Data Dashboard 

An advanced data analytics tool that 

provides comprehensive, relevant and 

up-to-date information to educators 

via an intuitive web-based interface 

RTI/MTSS Software 

Easily identify and tier at-risk 

students, assign interventions, 

monitor progress and report on 

intervention effectiveness 

Additional Features 

Curriculum Management System 

Lesson Planner 

Assessment Builder Tool 

Coaching and Professional 

Development Training Programs 

More Info 

412.325.8000

LEARNING CLUSTERS - THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 

8:30-9:15 A.M. 

• Lena Kisner,Executive Director, Reno 

County Education Cooperative 

• Chelsey Mathias 

Scholastic Esports & Student 

Mental Health 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Cherry 202 A 

Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Kristen Craft, Crafted Coaching 

• Katelyn Schoenhof, Kyle Shoenhog, 

Clint Dayhuff 

Can esports in schools improve chronic 

absenteeism, student engagement, and mental 

health? The answer is YES! Esports represents an 

opportunity for students who are not involved 

with traditional extracurriculars and sports 

and are left with minimal options to make a 

connection. In addition, scholastic gaming 

represents an opportunity to leverage an area of 

interest into legitimately supporting self-esteem, 

self-efficacy, and life skills. In this session, you’ll 

learn the evidence-based resources to help you 

implement scholastic esports in your school. 

Special Education Essentials: 

What Leaders Need to Know 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Cherry 202 B 

Presenter(s): 

43 

The administration of special education services 

can be daunting to even the most seasoned 

leader. The purpose of this session is to explore 

essential information about special education 

from the perspective of the building or district 

leader to avoid legal pitfalls and set your 

teams up for success. Participants will explore 

strategies to build their capacity and confidence 

as they partner with teachers, parents, 

advocates, and special education administrators 

to deliver mandated services to students with 

exceptionalities and thereby improve services for 

all students. 

Teacher Residency Programs: 

An Innovate Pathway to the 

Classroom 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Birch 203 

Presenter(s): 

• Kim Wilson, Professor, Wichita State 

University 

With the profession of education facing 

significant challenges in terms of recruiting 

individuals into classroom instructional 

positions (with special education being even 

more challenging), this session will highlight


an innovative teacher residency program 

launching at WSU that is a para to teacher 

pathway utilizing a residency model that licenses 

candidates in both ECU and EEU. 

redesign and subsequent study of the new media 

center to help more schools think differently 

about how they can use their shared spaces as 

part of envisioning a new normal. 

Collaboration Room 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Cedar 204 

Presenter(s): 

This room is open for groups to meet and discuss 

what they like. 

4 Ways a Flexible Media Center 

Expands Your Scheduling Options 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Maple 205 

Presenter(s): 

• Myron Graber, Principal, Lawrence 

Free State High School 

• David Reid 

Using Sand Buckets to Teach 

School Budget 101 to Constituents 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Oak 206 

Presenter(s): 

• Rob Scheib, Assistant 

Superintendent for Business, 

Emporia USD 253 

Using multi sized and multi colored sand buckets 

to teach constituents about the school budget 

has worked well in our school district recently. 

This visual aid works to address fund spending 

limitations, revenue sources, and the complexity 

of budget transfers. This presentation will cover 

strategic concepts and possible uses for them. 

Kansas schools are reimagining parts of school 

too long taken for granted. How can we get 

more out of libraries, media centers, and other 

public spaces? Lawrence Free State High School 

offers a case study of how our media center 

became a vibrant hub for the school and a vital 

support for our implementation of Flexmod 

scheduling. We will share 4 lessons from the 

44


Teacher Recruitment and 

Retention: 3 Key Leadership 

Strategies to Create a Culture That 

Will Make Your Teachers Want to 

Stick With You For The Long Run 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Osage 207 

Presenter(s): 

• Romain Bertand, Senior Manager 

of Solution Design and Executive 

Coach, BetterLesson 

Staffing in our schools is a biggest challenge 

than ever this school year and creating a culture 

that makes teachers wanting to stick with us 

for the long run should be a top priority right 

now. This question can feel daunting, however, 

there is plenty of evidence out there that 3 

simple but powerful leadership strategies have 

proven effective in supporting the retention and 

recruitment of teachers. Come to this session to 

learn more about these 3 levers and how you 

could activate them more strategically in your 

schools and districts. 

Sensitivity in the Workplace 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Walnut 208 

Presenter(s): 

• Keith Reynolds, Director or Equity 

and Diversity Training, Wichita 

Public Schools 45 

The presentation will help attendants create 

cultural ID cards, delve into what is culture, 

cultural proficiency, cultural sensitivity, and how 

effectively can we relate to customers without 

possessing sensitivity. Attendants will look at the 

importance of belonging, inclusion, and how 

to achieve sensitivity skills. Attendants will be 

involved in a cultural continuum and perceptions 

activities. 

Empowering and Allowing 

Students to Be Responsible, 


Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Cypress 209 A 

Presenter(s): 

• Matt Turner, Assistant 

Superintendent, Dodge City USD 443 

• Gilbert Still 

Purpose: Helping all students and staff in our 

schools feel safe and connected by using a 

student-led process! 

Student- Led – Inspire students to “own their own 

process” in getting this done! 

Learning Targets 

1. I can define the key components of studentled 

leadership 

2. I can explain the impact of implementing 

student-led leadership on the school community 

and overall school culture.


3. I can determine what structures will need to be 

in place within my school district to set us up for 

success with student-led leadership 

What makes this process different than what is 

out there? 

• Most programs are “Tell and Show you how 

to...” 

• The Uncommon process is “Empowering and 

Allowing you to...” 

USD 443 is leading this with teams from Dodge 

City High School and each of three middle 

schools have a team. They take concerns and 

solutions back to their schools and are planning 

on going into all nine elementary schools in the 

district to make a difference. 

HR Issues & District Leaders: Wait! 

I didn’t sign up for this! 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Cypress 209 B 

Presenter(s): 

• Katie Wolfgang, Director of Human 

Resources, Wamego USD 320 

home and make your “other duties as assigned” 

a little bit more manageable. Topics addressed 

will include the FMLA and ADA processes, 

employee evaluations, reprimands, and 

dismissals, worker’s compensation, and more! 

Culture Impacts Student Learning! 

Plan For Success in 2022! 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Redbud 210 A 

Presenter(s): 

• Caleb Smith, Principal, Newton High 

School 

• Tiffany Stephey, Blake Smith, Ben 

Reed, Derek Bristol (Assistant 

Principals) 

The NHS Admin Team will present on ways 

principals can support instruction in the 

classroom. Ty & Kaitlin will present on a number 

of ideas from his own classroom that have 

created a highly successful learning environment 

for his students. 

Educators go into education to teach. Building 

and district level administrators move into 

administration to lead those educators, but 

somehow many areas of human resources 

get thrown on their plate in the process. This is 

inevitable, but join me as I break down complex 

HR items, into bite size pieces, that you can take 

46


Staff / Student Interactions over 

Social Media - When do they cross 

the line? 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Redbud 210 B 

Presenter(s): 

• Jessica Bernard. Attorney/Partner, 

Guin Mundorf, LLC 

• Anthony McDaniel 

This session will explore the liability associated 

with staff and student interaction over social 

media platforms. It will explore best practices on 

how to monitor and manage, as well as how to 

train staff on appropriate use. 

Building Administrator and 

School Counseling Collaborations: 

Working Together to Be 

Preventative in School Mental 

Health and Advance Academic 

Achievement 

Time: 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. 

Location: Redbud 210 C 

Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Lyndsey Brown, President, KSCA 

• Craig Ryan 

success of all students in their building. 

Working together is essential so that students 

can reach their highest potential. Come find 

out how this imperative team can work even 

smarter to support student success and effect 

change in their school climate and culture, as 

well as academic achievements. You will also 

hear about how once school counselor and 

administrator team worked together to change 

the dynamic of their relationship and to work 

to promote what was best for students in their 

school. 

9:30-10:15 A.M. 

Finding Full Time Success With a 

Part Time Superintendent 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 

Location: Cherry 202 A 

Presenter(s): 

• Brian Spencer, Superintendent, 

Pawnee Heights USD 496 

• Mark Pywell 

We will share the challenges we faced and how 

we addressed them when the district hired a Part 

Time Superintendent. 

Building Administrators and School Counselors 

collaborate on a daily basis to ensure the 

47


Understanding the Unique Needs 

of Students who are Deaf/Hard of 

Hearing 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Joan Macy, Director of Outreach & 

Related Services, Kansas School for 

the Deaf 

A student who is deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) 

experiences and interacts with the world in a 

different way than those who have full auditory 

access. Even a “mild” hearing loss can have 

an enormous impact on a student’s success in 

school. This workshop will introduce participants 

to the impact of hearing loss, misperceptions 

of learning, and solutions to better incorporate 

effective pedagogy for both academic and 

social/emotional growth. Participants will leave 

with a better understanding of deaf culture, 

linguistic equity, and how to advocate for their 

DHH students. 

Renaissance Empowers Teachers 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Tiyi Smith, National Academic 

Advisor, Renaissance 

• Brad Hanson 

At Renaissance we advocate for keeping 

teachers in the center of education. 

Why? Because we believe that high quality 

instruction does not happen without teachers. 

Our solutions provide support for continuous 

learning that allows for flexible accommodative 

instruction and learning while recognizing the 

challenges of 21st century education. As we go 

through the ups and downs of the pandemic, we 

recognize that there has been a shift towards 

technology. While we recognize this, we also 

recognize that teachers have been given more 

and more responsibilities to fulfill. That is why 

Renaissance has built our solutions to provide 

aligned assessment, practice, applications, 

and data that supports teachers in the ultimate 

outcome of accelerating learning for all students. 

48


How will you decide Which KPERS 

Pension Option is right for you? 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Russ Lane, President, Ameritime, 

LLC 

• Tyler Lane, Representative, 

Ameritime LLC 

Join us to hear how this year over two hundred 

school leaders from across our state engaged 

in a leadership experience and more through 

their participation in the Elevate Leadership 

Workshop Series. Leaders from across Kansas 

will share their experiences and the impact of 

what they learned during the Elevate series. If 

you are looking to feel re-inspired, connected to 

other leaders, and a little bit curious about all of 

this Elevate Leadership talk this is the session for 

you! 

Topics discussed: Which ONE of the KPERS 

42 Options is right for me? How will KPERS 

changes impact my Retirement? Am I eligible to 

purchase additional pension years? What does 

my retirement plan look like with KPERS, Social 

Security and my own investments? 

Elevate Leadership Panel 

Discussion 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Stacey Green 

• Trevor Ashcraft 

• Ron Orsak 

• Kim Panzer 

• Midge Simmons 

• Allyson Lyman 

• Lindsay Cravens 

• Alma Henry 

• USA Team 

49 

Maintenance Confidence and 

Capital Budget Planning 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jeff Hohnbaum, Facility Services 

Leader, Hutton Facility Services 

• Mike Thompson 

When you face a person-level challenge, the 

effects are typically felt by few individuals. 

When you face a building-level challenge, the 

effects are often felt by all. Sometimes obsolete 

building systems and deteriorating facilities 

even pose safety, legal and accessibility risks. 

Administrators face challenges and are required 

to be creative problem-solvers every day, but 

wouldn’t it be nice if you could minimize your 

interruptions from facility incidents? No longrange 

plan can eliminate all unexpected capital 

issues but being intentional about predictive and


preventative maintenance can help. Join Hutton 

Facility Services’ Jeff Hohnbaum, USD 259’s 

Mike Thompson and other special guests as 

they discuss how facility planning with a longerrange 

lens can increase your “system by system” 

certainty while helping to establish your capital 

outlay budgeting process. 

Looking Forward 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Mark Tallman, Associate Executive 

Director of Advocacy, Kansas 

Association of School Boards 

• Leah Fliter 

• Scott Rothschild 

Pilot Mental Health Therapy in 

Rural Public School Setting 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Kaitlin Meade, Licensed Clinical 

Mental Health Provider, Nemaha 

Valley USD 115 

• Kailey Patton 

This presentation will highlight the introductory 

year of establishing in-house mental health 

therapy services to students of USD 115. We will 

touch on research to support need for mental 

health services in the school setting, obstacles 

and boundaries to establishing the program, and 

future plans for continued growth. 

These two sessions will be focused on strategies 

to use to look forward from decisions made 

by the legislators. Participants will be able to 

understand how recent laws could affect them 

in their daily activities. Participants will be asked 

to participate and offer suggestions to move 

forward in a positive way to help the students in 

Kansas. 

50


Coaching: The Power Within You 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Marney Hay, Student Support 

Specialist, Maize USD 266 

Abraham Maslow once wrote, “In any given 

moment we have two options: to step forward 

into growth or to step back into safety.” Three 

years ago, the Maize School District began 

utilizing the coaching process to build a culture 

of professional learning and leadership. With 

the belief that every person can benefit from 

coaching, our district has made investments to 

help leaders uncover their fullest potential. In 

this session, participants will learn more about 

Maize’s journey, the benefits and challenges 

of the coaching process, and action steps 

for building a culture of coaching within their 

leadership teams. 

The NHS Admin Team will present on ways 

principals can support instruction in the classroom. 

Ty & Kaitlin will present on a number of ideas from 

his own classroom that have created a highly 

successful learning environment for his students. 

Top 10 Legal Trends (anticipated 

for the upcoming 22-23 school 

year) 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jessica Bernard, Attorney/Partner, 



We could have never predicted the state of 

education in the last couple years, but this 

session will explore anticipated legal issues in the 

upcoming school year. 

Supporting Student Engagement 

in the Classroom 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Caleb Smith, Principal, Newton High 

School 

• Ty Unrau 

• Kaitlin Unrau 

• NHS Admin Team 

51


Leveraging the Kansas Teacher 

Retention Survey to Improve 

Teacher Engagement and 

Retention 

Time: 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Bret Church, Professor, Emporia 

State University 

• Dr. Luke Simmering 

All of us know the current challenge we face 

specific to teacher retention in Kansas. The Kansas 

Teacher Retention Survey gathered insights from 

nearly 20,000 teachers in Kansas regarding 

their reasons for staying or possibly leaving our 

profession. While the response to the survey was 

amazing, we must leverage this data in ways that 

will improve our ability to retain teachers. Through 

our work on the Kansas Teacher Retention Initiative, 

we have been able to go well beyond standard 

graphs and charts and identify key strengths and 

challenges that exist in our current system. This 

session will provide attendees (Superintendents, 

Principals, SPED Leaders, Human Resource 

Leaders, and Teaching and Learning Leaders) 

with information and recommendations for how 

to utilize both the state data and specific district 

data to improve the engagement and retention 

of Kansas educators. The content of our session 

will benefit all school and district leaders in 

creating an environment that will attract and keep 

quality professionals. Join us for discussion and 

investigation of this important issue. 

10:30-11:15 A.M. 

Integrating Student Data, 

Curriculum and MTSS into Digital 

Dashboards to Support Teaching 

and Learning 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jamie Rumford, Superintendent, 

Scott County USD 466 

• Nathan Howell, Harris Education 

Solutions 

Data has the power to uncover solutions to some 

of your school’s toughest challenges, but with 

data scattered across many systems, it becomes 

a tedious task to integrate all of this information. 

In this session, you will learn how the leadership 

team at Scott County School District was able 

to gain clarity into their student data to support 

their Student Data Committees, PLC’s and 

Collaboration time. We will review the tools, 

resources and processes that help provide them 

with a holistic view of the data to help drive 

teaching and learning. We will also take a look 

at the how edInsight is being used to integrate 

student data and digitize curriculum to be shared 

with staff and parents. 

52


Creating Safer Schools with 

Technology Solutions 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jake Strecker, Chief Sales Officer, 

INA Alert, INC 

• Nick Strecker 

Is your facility safe and secure? 

Come listen to Jake Strecker speak on how 

technology can help to create safe and secure 

environments. Making your facility conducive to 

productivity and greatly reduces any instance 

where safety or productivity are negatively 

affected. 

You will walk away with knowledge of 

how technology creates safe and secure 

environments, how technology can provide time 

and cost savings and how technology can make 

your facility more efficient. 

Elevate Learning with Sustainable 

Change 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Marilyn Denison Ed.D., Teaching & 

Learning, DLR Group 

53 

According to Lezotte (2005), schools are either 

improving or declining; they simply cannot 

meet the status quo. Each new school project 

is an opportunity to have a positive impact 

on learning as whole. However, without a 

clear change process, teaching and learning 

behaviors slip back to pre-existing mindsets. 

Join us to hear about School District’s firsthand 

experiences and learn how to move your 

district/campus toward a common vision and 

implement change to benefit each learner. 

Women in Leadership 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jessica Griffin, Director of 

Professional Development, USA- 

Kansas 

• Cara Ledy, Director of Principal 

Services, USA-Kansas; Executive 

Director, Kansas Principals 

Association 

Join us in celebrating the journey overcoming 

life’s hurdles and our growth as individuals 

and as a community, lifting each other to reach 

our greatest potential. We have faced many 

challenges over this year and yet we show up, 

are resilient, persist, WE RISE from the challenges 

and come out stronger. Be a part of our dynamic 

and supportive community as we empower one 

another through stories and lessons to cultivate


and inspire the work we do. Attendees will hear 

from other female leaders in education, discuss 

hot topics, and network with like-minded women 

from throughout the state. 

The Practice Lab: Mentor Training 

for Today’s Leaders 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Donna Augustine-Shaw, 

Associate Professor, Kansas State 

University 

• Dr. Rick Doll 

This session will provide an interactive 

experience for participants centered around the 

coaching tenets of providing reflective feedback, 

powerful questioning, and active listening. 

As part of the mentor training for the Kansas 

Educational Leadership Institute (KELI), mentors 

participate in a practice lab that enables each 

participant to practice selected coaching skills 

with real-life scenarios identified by building 

and district leaders serving as mentors in the 

field. Session facilitators will model the coach/ 

client experience around a current leadership 

issue followed by an opportunity for all session 

participants to be a coach/client to practice one 

of the coaching skills in a problem of practice 

of their choice. This practice allows participants 

to see the power of the practice lab in both, 

practicing coaching skills in serving as a mentor, 

54 

and problem-solving around a relevant issue 

facing leaders today. The practice lab provides 

evidence of how mentoring can help new 

leaders reflect and grow in their own skills and 

build their individual leadership capacity. By 

reflecting on decisions made in daily practice, 

mentors and mentees grow in their professional 

skills as effective leaders in their local school 

districts. 

Looking Forward Part 2 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Mark Tallman, Associate Executive 

Director of Advocacy, Kansas 


• Leah Fliter 

• Scott Rothschild 

This will be a continuation from session 1 

discussing decisions made by our legislators 

and how to continue the positive work within our 

districts for students.


It’s Easy(ish) Once you know it- 

Special Education Law 101 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Lori Kopp, Attorney, Kansas 


Special education law can be daunting, 

especially for a new administrator, but once 

you understand the basic tenets of the law, you 

will feel more confident in working through the 

process and supporting all students. This session 

will focus on the things you need to know about 

special education as well as a few helpful hints 

to avoid potential pitfalls on your journey. 

Enhancing Professional Growth 

through Effective Evaluation 

Processes 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Kellan Adams, Superintendent, 

Chanute USD 413 

• Tracy Russell 

With a shift in mindset and methods, educator 

evaluation has the power to positively impact 

professional growth and student achievement. 

In 2021-2022, Chanute Public Schools 

55 

implemented new evaluation practices through 

the Network for Educator Effectiveness. These 

processes refocused our evaluation efforts 

on high-impact instructional strategies and 

effective feedback conversations with teachers. 

We have seen our mindset around evaluations 

shift, resulting in deeper conversations around 

instructional strategies that enhance teaching 

and learning in our classrooms. Come learn 

about our work across the district and in our 

buildings that has put professional growth at the 

forefront of our evaluation processes and the 

positive changes that have resulted. 

The Invisible Kids - Educator 

Strategies Learned from a 

Formerly Invisible Kid! 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Murphy Jonas, Author 

• Shelley Jonas 

Spend this session with Murphy Lynne, Author of 

“Am I Invisible - Things I Wish Teachers Knew” 

and her mother/educator Shelley Jonas. You 

don’t have to be familiar with the book to leave 

with a better understanding of how to connect 

with those students who are our most challenging 

to connect with: those who are introverts, those 

on the autism spectrum and those with mental 

health challenges. Murphy was all of those in 

her journey through school. After graduation,


Murphy wrote a book to help heal herself 

and help others learn from her experiences. 

Participants will leave with a stronger knowledge 

of how these students function and feel in their 

schools and classrooms, Kindergarten - High 

School. But most of all, educators will leave with 

practical strategies and small changes that can 

make a big impact in how to build relationships 

with these hard to reach students, how to adjust 

to these student needs within your classroom 

walls and throughout the day in your schools, 

and how to communicate with the students 

themselves and their parents. This session is 

real and raw and participants will leave reenergized 

in their efforts to make sure no student 

is INVISIBLE! 

Redesigning Leadership: 

Sparking Innovation to Achieve 

Kansas’ Vision for Education 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jay Scott, Redesign Specialist, KSDE 

• Tammy Mitchell 

how those lessons will be carried forward into 

how systems are accredited through the Kansas 

Education System Accreditation (KESA) model. 

Transgender Students - Rights 

and Responsibilities 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Anthony McDaniel, Attorney/ 

Partner, Guin Mundorf, LLC 

• Jessica Bernard 

This session will explore the current state of the 

law as it pertains to transgender students, and 

explore the rights and responsibilities of both 

students and the District. 

In this session, you will learn how teachers 

and administrators redesigned their school 

culture by intentionally empowering teacher 

leaders through shared leadership. This session 

will feature testimonials from school leaders 

regarding lessons learned through the Kansans 

Can Redesign Project. Presenters will also share 

56


Shared Leadership Makes BIG 

Dreams Come True 

Time: 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Lynette McLean, Principal, Wiley 

Elementary 

• Jessica Self, Instructional Coach, 

Wiley Elementary 

• Katy Fraser, Carol Stockton, Judy 

Brown, Amy Allen 

We truly believe that schools should no longer 

be a one size fits all – each student has 

unique learning and social emotional needs. 

But to accomplish our vision, it takes a team 

willing to collaborate, reflect and celebrate. 

Through the Kansas Redesign Process, and 

with implementation of Leader in Me, our staff 

is empowered to lead initiatives in three core 

areas: Academics, Leadership and Culture. Our 

hope is to share our vision of reimagining a 

school where everyone is empowered to: Have 

a passion, Acquire skills, Work hard, Keep it kind 

and Succeed in their future! 

57

24

LUNCH TIME! 

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Eagle Ballroom 

Sponsored By: 

59

Nothing Should 

Stop Learning 

• 24 hours a day 

• 7 days a week 

• 365 days a year 

Paper partners with your school district to 

provide unlimited access to trained tutors so 

every student can ask questions, work through 

problems, and grow their confidence. 

Learn more at paper.co 

60


12:45-1:30 P.M. 

How one KS School District 

saved over $1 Million on Health 

Insurance Costs: A Case Study 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jessica Nothern, Employee Services 

Director, Garden City USD 457 

• Vanessa Keith, IMA Finicial Group 

Many school districts across the state are 

experiencing increases in their health insurance 

costs. This presentation will discuss how one 

school district, working with their benefits 

consulting firm, was able to find considerable 

savings on their health insurance plan. The 

school district was faced with continued 

increases in their pharmacy costs. Come learn 

how your district can implement similar strategies 

to reduce your health insurance costs without 

plan design changes. 

The Importance of Benefits 

Education in Today’s Job Market 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• James LaPish, Kansas State 

Manager, American Fidelity 

• Wayne Ryan 

With the pool of candidates that schools are 

currently choosing from, it is as important as 

ever that they retain as many employees as 

possible at all levels. This presentation will 

discuss the role your benefits and compensation 

play in retention, and the importance of benefit 

education. Let’s stop the great resignation! 

61


KPA BOOM! 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Shawn Roberts, Principal, Scott 

Community Schools 

• Eric Sacco 

KPA members will be sharing fun and engaging 

strategies and ideas that have been successful 

in their schools. Each presenter will have five 

minutes to share something you can bring back 

to your school. You are guaranteed to walk 

away with several new ideas! 

Producing TV News for Schools 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Richard Brundage, Center for 

Advanced Media Studies 

• Marcus Officer 

Taught by current and past network television 

news professionals, our day-long highly 

interactive workshop teaches school districts 

how to shoot, edit and get their stories on the 

“evening television news.” This kind of reporting 

can and should come directly from the school 

district, edited for the media, and placed on 

a web-based platform for both parents and 

media access. We teach District PIO’s and Tech 

Integration Specialists the proven network format 

that is being used today! The news media itself, 

not only looks for video clips on the internet, 

they also actively solicit the same. Our workshop 

is a proven effective way to reach the public 

with stories in a format that television news 

organizations can and will use. 

62


Marketing Maneuvers: Marketing 

Strategies to Empower School 

Leaders 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Virginia Duncan, Associate 

Principal, Garden City High School 

• Marie Henderson 

Become empowered leaders through learning 

practical strategies to market professional 

learning and instructional initiatives. Motivate 

staff to voluntarily participate and implement 

learning outcomes. Recruit and sustain 

professional learning relationships through the 

use of marketing tools. In a society where we 

must compete for people’s attention, proactively 

engaging your audience is essential to successful 

adult learning opportunities. Using effective 

marketing strategies to motivate adult learners 

models and parallels strategies teachers can 

use in their own classrooms to motivate students 

to engage in learning tasks. Presenters will 

share example marketing techniques; session 

attendees will gain examples, tools, ideas, 

and structures for promoting and developing 

professional learning and instructional initiatives. 

Each participant will: 

- Consider how adult learning theory informs 

leaders to create promotional materials 

that motivate adults to pursue and actively 

participate in professional learning. 

- Explore marketing tools and strategies that 

63 

empower instructional leaders to engage an 

adult audience. 

- Gain tips and examples for designing and 

creating promotional/marketing materials that 

serve to recruit and sustain professional learning 

relationships. 

- Examine the relationship between marketing 

for professional learning purposes and the 

educator’s role as a marketer in their classrooms. 

Navigating Student Discipline for 

All Students 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• David Cunningham, Attorney, 

Kansas Association of School Boards 

• Lori Kopp 

No two students are exactly alike, so why would 

schools approach student discipline from a “one 

size fits all” perspective? This session will examine 

the purpose of discipline, the due process rights 

of students, and other important considerations, 

like special education, through various scenarios 

where you will decide what punishment fits the 

crime – or more accurately, but maybe not as 

catchy - what discipline is appropriate for the 

violation of the student code of conduct.


School Finance & Budget Basics 

for Kansas School Leaders 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Kellan Adams, Superintendent, 

Chanute USD 413 

Each year, school boards across Kansas are 

charged with overseeing approximately $3B 

for Kansas school district budgets. These funds, 

accounting for over half of the state’s General 

Fund, are primarily raised through local taxation. 

The expectations for efficient and effective uses 

of these funds has never been more scrutinized 

as these decisions are consistently subject to 

the public view. Whether you are a new or 

experienced board member, it is important to 

understand the funds that have been entrusted 

to your office by your stakeholders. This session 

provides for an overview of both the finance and 

budget structures for Kansas School Districts, 

including (but not limited to): 

a.) How funds are generated - mill rates, state 

aid, etc. 

b.) Basics of fund expenditures and how and 

where funds are expended from 

c.) An introduction to common terminology 

d.) Common practices for districts on how to 

properly manage the funds they have 

Beyond Building SIT - Leveraging 

collaborative leadership to 

effectively meet student needs 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Nichole Honeywell, Director of 

Special Education, Atchison USD 490 

What do you do when a student has exhausted 

the resources of the building level Student 

Intervention Team? How and when do you 

determine that an alternative school placement 

is the best fit? This presentation will detail 

the process implemented by a new Special 

Education Director to increase collaboration 

between building administration, counselors, 

truancy prevention officers, and district leadership 

to ensure effective and timely interventions and 

placement decisions are made for students at 

the tier 3+ level - applicable to both general 

and special education students. Identifying a 

systemic problem, creating a process, identifying 

resources, and following a cycle of continuous 

reflection and feedback will be highlighted. 

Leveraging personnel and resources, timely 

family communication, and an appropriate chain 

of command will also be a focus. 

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Connecting the IPS with 

Postsecondary Success 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Stacy Smith, Assistant Director, KSDE 

Kansas State Department of Education, Assistant 

Director, Stacy Smith will present on the State 

Board of Education mandate for an Individual 

Plan of Study for each student and demystify 

what often appears to be an elusive goal. This 

session seeks to engage administrators in a 

discussion of what works practically in building 

execution and how those actions can support 

Postsecondary Success. 

practical recommendations for managing such 

relationships. 

Keeping your Graduates Locally! 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Joe Coles, Educational Consultant 

• Jay Zehr 

• Boyd Orr 

• Tom Jones 

Goal: To keep our graduates in Kansas in a 

career they are passionate about, living a life 

they love! 

Vigilante Parents: 

Recommendations on Navigating 

Challenging Parent Relationships 

Time: 12:45 - 1:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 


Guin Mundorf 


While we always welcome and encourage 

parent involvement, the level and intensity of that 

involvement has greatly shifted in the past couple 

years. This session will explore both legal and 

65 

Mission: Create partnerships with young people, 

business/industry, high schools and community 

colleges in Kansas to match career opportunities, 

student skills, and connections to help keep 

people in the area. 

1. Purpose: 

a. Our purpose for the collaboration was 

twofold. 

b. The consortium’s first goal was to keep our 

young people in SW Kansas or facilitate them in 

returning to returning home if they leave. 

c. This was to be accomplished by assisting them 

in becoming job ready and exposing them to job 

opportunities. 

d. The second goal was to develop a workforce 

based on the needs of our area industry.


e. The intent of this partnership was to 

collaborate with area business and industry to 

perceive what our school districts could do to 

provide support based on the needs of these 

entities. 

f. Teach and expect leadership, teamwork, and 

accountability 

2. Areas of Focus: 

a. Developing soft skills and the ability to work 

as a team. 

b. Expose and identify career possibilities in SW 

Kansas. 

c. Connect and build relationships with both 

young people and people in business and 

industry. 

d. Quality of life and financial opportunities 

e. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. 

1:45-2:30 P.M. 

Uncovering Root Causes - A 

Process for Sustainable Change 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Abi Sanny, Implementation Coach, 

The Kansas Learning Network 

• Mary Myers, Implementation Coach, 

The Kansas Learning Network 

School improvement efforts often feel short 

lived and result in frustrations from stakeholders. 

Starting with a foundational needs assessment, 

this session will walk participants through the 

process used by the Kansas Learning Network 

in supporting districts and buildings in identifying 

a root cause and implementing evidence-based 

actions connected to that root cause. Participants 

will walk away with a process to use at any level 

from district systems to problem solving around 

student concerns, ways to effectively use data 

to identify root causes and any other areas of 

unfinished learning needing to be addressed. 

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Unlock the Potential of Your 

People 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Beverly Mortimer, Senior Vice 

President of Programing, Jobs for 

America 

• Christy Pray 

How can you unlock and utilize the superpowers 

that each individual brings to the team, where 

that is the adults in your school/district or the 

students in the classrooms? Jobs for America’s 

Graduates-Kansas partners with more than 40 

school districts in Kansas. 

Our successful outcomes, including a 97% 

graduation rate with students facing barriers 

to success (due to various risk factors) is built 

around building and maintaining effective 

relationships. JAG-K uses principles from the 

”Ideal Team Player” and DISC starting in 

the hiring practice. Strategies presented in 

this session can help an organization build 

a culture around being ”people smart” that 

apply to the district office all the way to the 

classroom. Participants will walk away with a 

basic understanding of four behavior styles and 

how to use the strengths and limitations of all 

leadership and learning styles. Strategies will be 

provided in the areas of leadership, teamwork, 

communication, conflict management, stress 

relief, and goal setting. These strategies and 

67 

mindset can re-engaging your team by honoring 

others for who they are and what they bring 

to the office or the classroom. Then you can 

develop a culture where an understanding 

and appreciation of different work styles leads 

to greater effectiveness and one powerful 

team. It starts with looking the in the mirror 

and understanding yourself in order to value 

those around you before you can improve 

relationships and work/school culture. Unlock 

that potential one person at a time with simple 

strategies, while setting the norms for your 

school/district culture. As a bonus, participants 

will also leave with a Project-Based Learning 

lesson plan ready to implement in the classroom. 

#ListenUp A LIVE Podcast! 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Trevor Goertzen, Principal, Spring 

Hill Middle School; KPA 

A live and interactive podcast featuring 

guests from Season 4 of the Kansas Principals 

Association podcast #ListenUp


Early Learning in Math and 

Literacy 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Laura Evins, District Early Childhood 

Coordinator, Southern Lyon County 

USD 252 

• Doug Hes 

Early intervention is key for our youngest 

learners. Providing an enriching learning 

environment in math, literacy, and social 

development is essential in early childhood. 

Young children learn best through play and 

hands on learning. 

Empowering and Allowing 

Students to Be Responsible, 


Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Matt Turner, Assistant 

Superintendent, Dodge City USD 443 

• Gilbert Still 

Student- Led – Inspire students to “own their own 

process” in getting this done! 

Learning Targets 

1. I can define the key components of studentled 

leadership 

2. I can explain the impact of implementing 

student-led leadership on the school community 

and overall school culture. 

3. I can determine what structures will need to be 

in place within my school district to set us up for 

success with student-led leadership 

What makes this process different than what is 

out there? 

• Most programs are “Tell and Show you how 

to...” 

• The Uncommon process is “Empowering and 

Allowing you to...” 

USD 443 is leading this with teams from Dodge 

City High School and each of three middle 

schools have a team. They take concerns and 

solutions back to their schools and are planning 

on going into all nine elementary schools in the 

district to make a difference. 

Purpose: Helping all students and staff in our 

schools feel safe and connected by using a 

student-led process! 

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Common Challenges for Principals 

and Suggested Solutions and Tips 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• David Cunningham, Attorney, 

Kansas Association of School Boards 

This presentation will address common 

challenges principals encounter weekly, if 

not daily. Can I search a student’s bookbag? 

Car? Can I tell a board member “no”? Can 

I sign the soft drink contract for my building? 

Practical solutions and tips to help the principal 

know when to call the attorney to ensure more 

challenging issues are avoided. 

Moving Beyond Blah: Addressing 

and Soaring above Languishing 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Cindy Couchman, Superintendent, 

Buhler USD 313 

in 2021, and we are here to guide you through 

that research. We are also here to present 

strategies for moving beyond blah, soaring past 

that sense of languish, and finding flow as an 

educator in 2021-2022. 

Walkthroughs- Building A 

Flywheel Of Success 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Justin Howe, Principal, Oregon Trail 

Middle School 

• Denise Herman 

Do you want to do walkthroughs but never find 

the time? Do you do walkthroughs but not see 

the return on your investment? Do you ever 

wonder what you should even be looking for in 

a walkthrough? This session is designed to show 

you how to build a walkthrough program that 

administration and building leaders can use to 

truly support teachers, follow through on pd, and 

promote a climate in the building of positivity and 

presence. Turn what we all know we need to do 

into something your building cannot do without! 

In our presentation, we will recognize and 

analyze the emotion of languishing that has 

pervaded educators’ minds and hearts in 

the post-pandemic season. Educators aren’t 

depressed or burnt out, they are just in a state of 

“blah.” There is science behind this for everyone 

69


Moving the Needle on Student 

Success Skills and Achievement 

with Real World Application, 

Personalized Learning, and 

Partnerships 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Allyson Lyman, Principal, 

Timmerman Elementary 

• John Martin 

During this engaging presentation, participants 

will learn about ways to engage our learners 

in work that is rigor, relevant, and will prepare 

them for projected post-secondary success at the 

elementary level. The focus of the presentation 

will relate to the integration of project-based 

learning and the leveraging of family, business, 

and community partnership in correlation with 

personalizing learning in order to meet the needs 

of a diverse population of students. 

Heads Up! Guide to Employee 

Mental Health Issues 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 



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This session will explore the ways in which 

employee mental health impacts District decisions 

regarding staff evaluations, FMLA, leave requests, 

etc. 

Grow Your Own: How the Teacher 

Apprentice Program (TAP) Can 

Help Fill Teacher Vacancies in Your 

District 

Time: 1:45 - 2:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jill Wood, Coordinator Teacher 

Apprentice Program, Wichita State 

University 

• Julie Thiele 

With the shortage of general and special 

education teachers and paraprofessionals 

becoming a major issue for school districts across 

the state, districts need innovative solutions. In the 

past 5 years, the Teacher Apprentice Program 

at Wichita State University has helped over 200 

school districts in Kansas fill paraprofessional 

and certified teaching positions--all while their 

paras maintain employment in their districts and 

transition to licensed teaching positions. Come 

find out more about this innovative program that 

helps districts to “grow their own” teachers.


2:45-3:30 P.M. 

Leading By Instinct 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Shelly Martin, Associate Professor, 

Pittsburg State University 

Each of us has a unique profile of instincts 

for how we solve and react to problems 

and challenges. This session provides an 

overview of the research-based Kolbe © 

indexes through discussion and hands-on 

activities. Understanding and leveraging 

individual strengths can not only improve hiring 

practices but also increase the effectiveness of 

administrative teams, teacher teams, and school 

boards. 

Optimizing Facility Operations 

and PBL/WBL Programming with 

Data-Analytics 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dan Whisler, Educator in Residence, 

Trane 

• Dr. Cindy Lane 

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In this session, attendees will explore the perfect 

storm of events driving facilities operations and 

management teams to assess and align facilities 

demands with academic programming and 

the power of data analytics to create datadriven, 

synergistic solutions for facilities teams, 

leadership, teachers and students. Join us to: 

- Learn how to engage students in real-world, 

relevant and rigorous PBL/WBL programming 

that leverages data analytics optimization and 

management programs to optimize your very 

own district school buildings. 

- Explore how to support statewide workforce 

demands and post-secondary success through 

industry-recognized certifications, career 

exploration and Diploma+ opportunities. 

- Ask questions about the impact this program 

can have for your school from a panel of 

educational leadership, advocates and peers. 

We look forward to sharing more about 

how this award-winning programming takes 

an innovative approach to solving district 

challenges while equipping the future of Kansas 

with the tools to succeed and prosper. 

New Heights 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Lucas Matile, Principal, Central 

Heights USD 285 

• Melissa Oram


Are you ready to address the high social 

emotional needs every district is experiencing 

in a new and creative way? Are you looking 

for a creative way to get community members 

involved to foster greater ownership and a 

larger “village” to support your students? Come 

see how Central Heights partnered with New 

Horizon Equine Therapy Ranch to help students 

learn essential skills such as communication, 

responsibility, communication, and dealing with 

social structure and cues. More importantly, 

leave this session with an outside the box 

proactive approach to meet the social emotional 

learning needs in your school and community 

including an idea of who you can partner with to 

make this a reality in your building. 

Learn how we identified students to attend 

New Heights and the impact it has had on our 

students as well as what we have learned along 

the way. 

Sessions were developed by NHR staff around 

a character skill that the counselors identified 

as a need for our students. This year those 

character skills included respect, responsibility, 

decision-making, communication, kindness, and 

self-control. While it is apparent to the adults 

involved that there is much growth and learning 

happening, the students seem to think they’re 

there just to have fun! 

WeKan Academy: Special 

Education Onboarding and 

Orientation 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Kyle Carlin, Director of Special 

Education, Hays USD 489 

• Chris Hipp 

Complex policies, unique student needs, and 

alternative certifications make starting in special 

education challenging for new staff. We have 

found success by creating a structured approach 

to new staff orientation that addresses the 

challenges that lead to burnout and attrition. 

WeKan Academy includes printed documents, 

beginning of the year inservice, monthly cohort 

meetings and training, and leveled mentoring 

to meet staff where they are. After implementing 

WeKan Academy, our turnover rate reduced 

from 27% to 11%, and has remained low for the 

last three years. 

Come learn how each session is run and ask 

questions about how you can start a similar 

program in your community. 

72


Improving the Safety Culture on 

Campus 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Douglas B. Parisi, Director of 

Training, SafeDefend 

The presentation will focus on the ways to 

enhance the responsibility for each group on 

campus, staff, teachers, students, parents, & 

responders. Past incidents will be examined 

for areas of improvement and greater 

understanding of each units role in school safety. 

Issues such as legal scope of searches, manner 

in reporting and handling threats, concerns 

over social media interaction, responding to 

anonymous threats, and other current topics will 

be discussed. 

Pandemic, Endemic, and 

Academic - Reimagining 

Innovative Learning 

Environments 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Sue Ann Highland, PhD, National 

Education Strategist, School 

Specialty 

• Jaime Gregory 

73 

COVID is forcing us to act quickly, think 

differently, and reimagine what teaching and 

learning looks like. Often multiple times in a 

school year. What if we take that learning 

and continue to reimagine what learning 

environments could look like in the future? Look 

at the lessons learned from teaching during 

COVID’s multiple iterations, research on teaching 

and learning, information about today’s students, 

and trauma-informed practices - then apply 

those to the learning environment. Come and 

reimagine what flexible, stimulating, dynamic, 

connected, and versatile learning environments 

can look like and feel like – and how to apply 

them. Let’s reimagine spaces together! 

The Role of Happiness in School 

Culture 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Tracy Keegan, Assistant Principal, 

USD 501 

• Dianne Denmark 

The Science of Happiness 

Everyday we make a choice. Everyday we 

impact those around us with our attitude and 

outlook. You will learn some easy ways to call 

attention to actively making the choice each 

morning. These are activities that have been tried 

in multiple schools and found success in having a 

positive impact on the culture. When you leave,


you will have at least 3 products to take with you 

as reminders to repeat these activities when you 

get back to your school in the fall. 

Cultivating Relationships through 

Restorative Practices 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jennifer Georgie, Student Support 

Facilitator, West Middle School, USD 

497 

• Therese Brink Edgecomb 

Restorative Practices are not new, many schools 

have been using them for over 20 years. 

They have been proven to improve behavior, 

encourage respect and responsibility, reduce 

exclusions and disruptions, and develop 

empathy and accountability. We will highlight 

how we have implemented Restorative Practices 

in our school and district to truly cultivate 

relationships and build a stronger community. 

A Report by the Kansas 

Graduation Requirements 

Taskforce 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Jim McNiece, Kansas State Board of 

Education 

• Jarred Fuhrman 

The Leadership Team of the Kansas Graduation 

Taskforce will present information on their efforts 

as well as gather feedback from participants 

on possible changes to Kansas High School 

Graduation requirements. 

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Sideways Behavior Off-Duty 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Anthony McDaniel, Attorney/ 

Partner, Guin Mundorf, LLC 

• Jessica Bernard 

How to manage employee’s off-duty behavior 

when it reaches the District. This session will 

explore recommendations on when you can 

(and should) respond and/or discipline. 

This session will also explore employee First 

Amendment protections and just how far they 

reach. 

Using Mentor Relationships To 

Build Collective Efficacy! 

Time: 2:45 - 3:30 p.m. 


Presenter(s): 

• Dr. Deanna Gooch, KMIC Facilitator, 

Wichita State University 

• Dr. Deb Hamm 

receive effective mentoring & coaching early 

in their career, they build skills that can lead 

to collective efficacy. Research indicates 

collective efficacy has the greatest impact on 

student achievement. Mentor training includes 

relationship building, mentoring language, 

and tools for dialogue, which helps mentors 

develop those skills to assist in promoting social 

emotional needs. Through cross-district dialogue, 

participants are provided a safe space to learn, 

develop, practice mentoring and coaching 

skills, and see what works in other contexts. The 

residual benefit of providing quality and effective 

dialogue to enhance mentoring and coaching 

impacts the growth of others in the district, 

building collective efficacy. In this interactive 

session, presenters will share their experiences in 

mentoring and training. Participants will practice 

strategies to aid relationship building. 

Do you want to retain your investment in new 

teachers? An answer can be found in creating 

a strong mentoring and coaching relationship 

for your new teachers and their mentors. 

Relationships forged through mentoring & 

coaching build teacher efficacy. When teachers 

75

President’s Reception 

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 

3:45 - 4:30 P.M. 

RIVERVIEW BALLROOM 

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 

9:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M. 

REDBUD 210 ABC 

Sponsored By: 

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Missouri Innovation Campus 

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DLR Group is transforming the 

educational learning environment 

with integrated design. 

Contact: Rachel Treanor, CPSM 

K-12 Education Business Development Leader 

816.359.7625 | rtreanor@dlrgroup.com

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addresses all aspects of energy use for Kansas schools. 

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and maintain streamlined operations in an effort to 

provide exceptional, cost-effective, value oriented 

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simply. 

• Energy Audits 

• ESSER Funded Improvements 

• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) 

• Guaranteed Energy Saving Performance Contracts 

• Energy Awareness Training 

• Renewable Energy 

• State of Kansas Pre-Approved Provider 

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FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 

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

KPA Association Meeting - Redbud A/B - 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. 

KSSA Board Meeting - Birch 203 - 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. 

KASCD Association Meeting - Enterprise Boardroom - 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. 

KPA S econdary Meeting with KSHSAA - Redbud AB - 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. 

KPA Elementary Meeting - Redbud C - 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. 

Hot Breakfast - Eagle Ballroom - 8:00-9:30 a.m. Sponsored by: 

Dr. Randy Watson - Eagle Ballroom - 9:30 a.m. 

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CLOSING GENERAL SESSION 

EAGLE BALLROOM 

FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 

10:00 A.M. 

Mark Robinson 

Mark Robinson is an award-winning magician, comedian, author, and speaker. 

After receiving a university degree in speech communication, he spent nine years in a 

sales career before starting his own company. 

He is the owner of Best Motivational Speakers, an agency that specializes in entertainmentbased 

motivational speakers. 

Mark has magically appeared cars and boats for corporate clients, performed NBA 

halftime shows, toured in theaters across China, appeared in TV commercials, and been the 

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As a corporate speaker, he logs over a hundred flights a year bringing laughter and 

motivation to companies across America. 

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OFG Financial Services and its 

Representatives are committed to 

maintaining the highest standards 

of integrity and professionalism 

in our relationship with you, our 

customer. We endeavor to know 

and understand your financial 

situation and provide you with only 

the highest quality information, 

services, and products to help you 

reach your goals. 

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Beyond gleaming floors and fresh paint, schools are full of hidden potential. 

We're making schools stronger by shifting costs from operations to education, 

and building STEM engagement with energy education programs and 

sustainability dashboards. We're using digital technologies to keep 

classrooms healthy and effective. 

Let's go beyond conventional HVAC thinking and make your building more 

cost efficient, sustainable and conducive to learning. We're transforming 

schools with experience, innovation, and passion for making buildings better. 

82

USA-Kansas Board of Directors 

Steve Noble - President 

Amy Haussler - President-Elect 

Christie Meyer - Past President 

Michael Argabright - Director 

Rena Duewel - Director 

Juanita Erickson - Director 

Becca Flowers - Director 

Stacey Green - Director 

Michelle Hackney - Director 

Eric Hansen - Director 

Volora Hanzlicek - Director 

Alma Henry - Director 

Steve Karlin - Director 

Renee Nugent - Director 

Heath Peine - Director 

P.J. Reilly - Director 

Rick Rivera - Director 

Jamie Rumford - Director 

Eric Sacco - Director 

Caleb Smith - Director 

Bryce Wachs - Director 

G.A. Buie, USA-Kansas Executive 

Director 

Jerry Henn, USA-Kansas Assistant 


Jessi Clark, Communications 

Director, USA-Kansas 

Cara Ledy, Director of Principal 

Services, USA-Kansas 

Jessica Griffin, Director of 

Professional Development, 

USA-Kansas 

USA-Kansas Staff 

G.A. Buie, USA-Kansas Executive 

Director 

Jerry Henn, USA-Kansas Assistant 


Jessica Griffin, Director of 

Professional Development 

Cara Ledy, Director of Principal 

Services 

Kim Torrez, Business Manager 

Jessi Clark, Communications 

Communicator 

Sara Warnow, Executive Assistant 

Houston Chinn, Outreach 

Coordinator 

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, KASEA 

2019-20 Ryan Jilka, KAMSA 

2020-21 Christie Meyer, KASCD 

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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 

2021 Jacque Feist 

Member Association Presidents 

KPA - Shawn Roberts 

KSSA - Steve Karlin 

KASBO - Michael Speer 

KASCD - Josh Snyder 

KASEA - Doug Anderson 

KLCTE - Barbara Gonzales 

KanSPRA - Jake Potter 

KASPA - Michelle Hackney

INTERNET ACCESS CODES 

CENTURY II 

Network Name: Century 2 Wireless 

User Name: USAKS22 

Password: USAKS22 

HYATT 

Network Name: Hyatt-MR 

Password: USAKS2022 

Sponsored By: 

85

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HYATT MAP

CENTURY II UPPER LEVEL 

87

CENTURY II LOWER LEVEL 

88

NETWORK & 

STAY CONNECTED 

Facebook.com/USAKansas 

@USAKansas 


SAVE THE DATE! 

52nd Annual USA-Kansas Conference 

May 31 - June 2, 2023 

Wichita, KS

2022 USA Conference Program

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