Under the Umbrella, Volume 2, Issue 1

Under the
Umbrella
Volume 2, Issue 1
August 2019

CONTENTS Volume 2, Issue 1
2 Don’t Do It Alone, G.A. Buie
BACK TO SCHOOL
3 New School Year, Ryan Jilka
4 New School Year, New Opportunities, Jerry Henn
7 Preparing for the New School Year, Stacey Green
8-9 KAESP and KASSP Kick Off the Year With
Beginning Principals Workshops, Duane
Dorshorst
10-11 Starting Off On the Right Foot: Engaging and
Effective Back-to-School Messaging, Joe Sample
12 The Great Debate: Renovate or Build New?,
Scott Pashia
SCHOOL REDESIGN
14 Resistors and Detractors—The Saboteurs of
Delta, Dr. John Vandewalle
SCHOOL SAFETY
16 Thinking Training For the New School Year, Doug
Parisi
17 Social Media a Double-Edged Sword For
Students With Disabilities, Study Finds, Benjamin
Herald
17 Heart, Head and Hand For School Safety, Art J.
McCoy
UPCOMING EVENTS
18-19 Rethinking Leadership and Why, G.A. Buie
NETWORK & STAY CONECTED
@USAKansas
Facebook.com/USAKansas
2019-2020 USA-Kansas
Board of Directors
Ryan Jilka—President, KAMSA
Christie Meyer—President-Elect, KASCD
Sean Cochran—Past President, KASEA
Eric Sacco—Director, KAESP
Mike Berblinger—Director, KSSA
Cory Gibson—Director, KSSA
Eric Hansen—Director, KASBO
Justin Henry—Director, KSSA
Jake Potter—Director, KanSPRA
Volora Hanzlicek—Director, KASCD
Mike Argabright—Director, KSSA
P.J. Reilly—Director, KLCTE
Donna Schmidt—Director, KASSP
Glen Suppes—Director, KSSA
Patrick Schroeder—Director, KAESP
TBD—Director, KASSP
TBD—Director, KASSP
TBD—Director, KASPA
TBD—Director, KASEA
G.A. Buie—Executive Director
Jerry Henn—Assistant Executive Director

DON’T DO IT ALONE
G.A. Buie, Executive Director, USA-Kansas
August, it’s back to school for
the kids, summer break is
coming to a close, and for
everyone it’s time for a fresh
start and a new beginning. It’s
an opportunity for school
leaders to continue the
success of your best programs or a chance to
gather the data and start moving in a new
direction. It doesn’t matter the situation.
Everyone gets to reset the clock and create a new
beginning.
important that schedules, calendars, decorations,
and a host of other task are completed before the
excitement of the first day.
Communities love to celebrate the excitement of a
new school year. Stores kick it off with “back to
school” sales, parents celebrate by taking one last
long weekend get-away, and kids begin to
compare schedules and complain about the
unknown. Yet, behind the scenes, administrators
have their own excitement. The stress of
understanding how critical the start to the school
year is to the overall success of the entire school
year.
Those administrators who have experienced the
excitement/stress of a new school year
understand the difficulty and time-consuming task
of planning a new year. Making sure teachers and
staff members are hired and orientation covers
everything plus a few “what if’s”, pushing the
timeline on summer construction or improvement
projects assuring they are wrapped up or at least
not interfering with the learning. Finally, it’s time
to welcome students, parents, and the public to a
new school year, but before that first day it’s
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As you manage the long hours leading to the
exciting first day, as you cope with the next
challenging task and work through the sea of
changes, yes, it is important the students, staff,
and public only see your best smile. This time of
year can be a stressful, hectic, and lonely time.
You feel every question falls to you and each
answer might lead to the next big challenge. It’s
important to remember you don’t have to lead
alone. True leadership is shared. When you feel
backed into the corner without an answer, please
don’t start digging a hole. Reach out and talk with
a peer, share your story, ask for advice, lean on a
friend, but don’t carry the burden of leadership by
yourself. We are blessed in Kansas to have a
wonderful network of administrators and friends.
Don’t feel like you’re on an island. Take care of
yourself and make sure you can enjoy the
experience and excitement of a new school year
with your students.

BACK TO SCHOOL
NEW SCHOOL YEAR
Ryan Jilka, Principal of Discovery Intermediate School USD 265, USA-Kansas Board President
Happy New School Year! I hope
the summer has treated you all
very well, and you’ve had the
opportunity to recharge your
batteries for the best year ever!
Getting back into the building (if
you ever truly left) can be filled
with a whirlwind of mixed emotions. It’s exciting to
know that you get to incorporate new and improved
strategies for the betterment of all students, but with
that comes the angst of how to best implement these
ideas for maximum effect. There is often a sadness
for those that have moved on, but we also feel the
exhilaration of knowing we have a whole new group
that we get to help and love.
Positivity: /ˌpäzəˈtivədē/
noun - the practice of being or tendency to be
positive or optimistic in attitude.
"Pupils draw power from the positivity of their
teachers."
If you Google
“positivity,” this is the
first thing you’ll see,
and I don’t think it’s a
mere coincidence that
the example given
speaks of the power educators possess. My
challenge to everyone this year is to not only strive to
maintain positivity, but to also spread it like wildfire.
As Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs said, “A positive
attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts,
events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks
extraordinary results.” Please take the time to offer
kind remarks to those that it’s a challenge, celebrate
things often overlooked, and wear a smile every day.
Those things are contagious and good for the soul.
I look forward to a
year of getting to
know my fellow USA-
Kansas colleagues, as
well as sharing our
thoughts and ideas
that continue to make public education in Kansas
world class. We are coming off of an extremely
successful 2019 Conference, and I hope we carry that
momentum into this school year. I wish you all a year
of great success for all your new ventures and
challenges!
Download the
USA-Kansas App!
Search for USAK in
the app store or
use this QR code
for fast access!
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NEW SCHOOL YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Jerry Henn, Assistant Executive Director, USA-Kansas
At the beginning of a new school
year I always heard, “Where did
the summer go?” It does seem
the summer time moves much
quicker than during the school
year, but I would like to believe
and argue the school year moves
just as quick as the summer and maybe quicker.
The beginning of the
school year is an
opportunity to change
lives, educate all levels
of people, and give you
as an administrator the
opportunity to help students become successful. The
other part of your job is to ‘teach’ teachers and have
them understand what their goal is; to teach
students. This all begins much before the first day of
school.
Lastly, do not forget your own families. They must
come first. When I was in the building
administration role, my wife was the best. During a
night activity, she would bring supper to the school
and my children and wife would sit down and have
a picknick in my office. We all made sacrifices, but
our family was together, and we still had family at
suppertime. This is just one idea. I also made time
on the weekends for them. I never thought twice
about the time I spent at home with my family.
When it was time to work, that is what happened.
Relationship building has to be a focus of each school
year. You will have new staff members and new
students that all will benefit from a relationship with
you as the administrator. Make those bonds and be
a positive role model for all.
It would be nice if you could start each day as the
beginning of the school year. The enthusiasm that is
evident at the beginning of each school year is
tremendous. Just think how nice that would be for a
positive environment within the school year. Talk
about the year going fast, I bet you would be looking
at each day totally different. Great opportunities are
made at the beginning of a year, month, day, hour.
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So, have a great start to the school year, each day!
Always focus on those relationships, with new staff
and students as well as all other staff and students.
Make this the best school year ever. Remain
positive in all aspects of the job. You will have
challenging days, but use these as learning
experiences. As usual, you can always call the USA
office with your ideas and questions.
Tel: 785.232.6566
Fax: 785.232.9776
usaoffice@usakansas.org

PREPARING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
Stacey Green, Principal of Stockton Grade School USD 271
When the livestock trailers roll
into town holding precious four
legged 4-H cargo, the ferris
wheel lights up in the night sky,
and motorcycles roar late into
the evening circling the dirt
track, you know it’s time for
the Rooks County Free Fair.
This week in August is sacred time on the calendar, and
rightly so with its rich history of community. For
students and staff at USD 271 Stockton, it is also a
reminder that the start of the new school year will
begin the following week.
As we prepare for the beginning
of a new school year and I develop
a plan for my summer and the first
months, I find that my roles switch
often. With the arrival of spring, I
find myself with one foot in the
current school year and one foot
in the next. We are closely
monitoring class size fluctuations,
reviewing data, exploring staff movement, developing
purchasing plans, and addressing professional
development needs for the upcoming school year. It is
in this planning I am most comfortable and passionate. I
am an instructional lead learner. It is my why. I want
what is best for our students and I know that starts with
collective teacher efficacy.
I am a small school leader. I don’t know any other role
as I’ve been a part of Stockton schools for 29 years, and
with six of those years in administration. I can’t firsthand
say that my role is any different than an
administrator in a large school because I’ve not lived
that role, but through my connections with large school
administrators, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not
all that different. I can best share my view as a small
school administrator by sharing a sampling of the
conversations I have had over the last past two weeks
as we head into the final stretch before school starts.
We are busy interviewing, hiring, and meeting with our
newest teachers; presenting with
teacher leaders at the Impact
Institute to share about our Kansans
Can school redesign; consulting with
our district janitors on the amount
of wax still needed to finish up our
summer maintenance; contacting
our retired janitor to mow the lawns
while we are short staffed with illness; assisting our
board clerk with the Local Consolidated Plan annual
report; welcoming our new superintendent to the
district; developing a plan with our athletic directors
and high school administrator to set up CPR and AED
training for staff; and much more. In all of this there is a
“we” as we work together to accomplish greatness. The
key is that the “we” in a small district is fewer in
numbers. If there was a flowchart for decision making it
would be very short. We don’t work in isolation, but
decision making steps can come quickly.
Community is one of my core values and I prepare and
lead with community in mind. In a small district it takes
each one of us preparing for the year ahead. Our best
prepared plans are only that - a plan. I know that each
day something will change and we will problem solve
and pivot to get the job done. I know way more about
floor wax, LED lighting, roof repair, toilet paper
purchasing, bus routes, lunch room grants, and district
redesign communication plans than I ever dreamed
possible, but it’s all part of the preparation. My
personal preparation time for the new school year is
vital as I self-reflect to sustain my passion for our
“why”. I am careful to carve out this time and I
encourage our staff to do the same.
As I walk through the barns, the buildings, and attend
the shows at the RCFF I will be asked multiple times if I
am ready for the new school year and my response will
always be YES! I am ready to be surrounded by our
students and staff; it’s all about the people. I am TIGER
Ready!
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KAESP AND KASSP KICK OFF THE YEAR WITH
BEGINNING PRINCIPALS WORKSHOPS
Duane Dorshorst, Assistant Director of Principal Leadership, USA-Kansas
Over seventy new principals
gathered in Haysville for one-day
trainings centered around leadership
skills for beginning
principals. Principals and Assistant
Principals from the four corners of
the state participated in networking
activities and presentations designed to help them
better understand the leadership roles they are
stepping into.
The first day was
sponsored by the Kansas
Association of Secondary School Principals (KASSP).
The day focused on middle and secondary
administrators who are either changing positions or
new to the principalship. Topics included building
your own Professional Learning Network, Leadership
101, time management, and utilizing technology tools
to enhance your work and
make managing tasks more
efficient. Practicing middle
and high school teachers
from across the state
provided their expertise
throughout the day. Jacque
Feist from Dodge City, who
is the State Coordinator for
the secondary association,
welcomed the attendees and talked with them about
the importance of becoming involved in their
professional organization. G.A. Buie, USA-Kansas
Executive Director, visited with the group about the
importance of building their PLC’s and how our
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organizations are there to support them in that
process. Greg Rosenhagen from Cheney talked about
the mentoring process and gave the attendees a
glimpse of what that will look like for them if they are
entering the KELI mentoring process.
The principals then split into
groups based on the topics
they listed that they were
interested in networking
about. Principals were able
to discuss three different
topics in an “ed camp” style
arena. Topics included,
Building Culture and Dealing
with Change, Evaluations,
KSHSAA related responsibilities, Truancy and
Discipline, and Transitions from teacher to leader and
assistant principal to principal. Other principals
helping to facilitate the discussions were Deanna
Sherer from Atchison County
and Trevor Goertzen from
Spring Hill. Dr. Britton Hart
from KASB, Jerry Henn,
Assistant Executive Director
of USA-Kansas, and Duane
Dorshorst, KASSP Executive
Director also helped facilitate
the networking around the
topics. After lunch the
participants heard a presentation on” Leadership
101” from Duane Dorshorst, “Time Management
Techniques” from Jerry Henn, and “Tech Topics”
from Trevor Goertzen. The day wrapped up with a
quick tour of the resources provided to them in their
“LiveBinder” as well as a question and answer session
and evaluation.

Day two was sponsored by
the Kansas Association of
Elementary School
Principals and followed the
same format as the previous day. KAESP President
Stacy Green from Stockton Elementary welcomed
the new principals
and helped to
facilitate the SEL
and Trauma
Informed
networking session.
Eric Sacco from
Clifton-Clyde Elementary and Middle School
handled the KELI Mentoring process, worked with
principals during the networking section, and led
the portion of the program talking to the new
principals about Professional Learning Networks
(PLN’s) and the importance
of branding your school
and developing a digital
footprint. Britton Hart
(KASB) and Jerry Henn
(USA-Kansas) also
facilitated networking
sessions around Discipline
and Evaluations. Retired
KAESP Board
Representative, Dr. Earl Martin, provided a
presentation on “Time Management” and setting
priorities. Dr. Britton Hart from KASB and KAESP
Executive Director Duane Dorshorst led the group
in leadership activities and culture building.
New principals left the trainings with a more
positive direction in which to start the new year as
well as some practical applications that they can
begin to use day one.
9

STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT:
ENGAGING AND EFFECTIVE BACK-TO-SCHOOL
MESSAGING
Joe Sample, Superintendent of Marais Des Cygnes Valley USD 456
This summer, our district began
the process of transitioning to a
new website and mobile app.
While there were certainly some
hurdles to clear on the
technology side, I was presented
with an aspect I found myself to
be surprisingly unprepared for:
creating news stories for the website. I had certainly
created social media posts before, I’ve sent out backto-school
letters and accumulated school supply lists
for parents, but creating an actual news story to be
posted on our website was a relatively new task. In
thinking about what news stories I needed to post at
the beginning of the school year and the introduction
of our website/app, I thought I would seek out some
advice from a few folks that I have noticed do a great
job in putting out engaging and effective messaging
for their school district.
Question 1: In communicating with parents about the
beginning of school, what have you found to be the
most important item to highlight within your
messaging?
Mark Dodge, USD 491 - Eudora: I think the most
important item to highlight is the excitement a new
school year brings - new staff, new technology, new
furniture, new playground equipment, etc. If your
school or district has a theme, own it and share it.
This is an opportunity to set the tone that this year is
going to be the best one yet.
10
Cody Kennedy, USD 233 - Olathe: The beginning of
the school year is an opportunity to set a transparent
and accurate tone which students, staff and our
community can expect for the remainder of the year.
August is a busy time for families and while we’re
competing for their attention, being prompt and
accurate with messaging is paramount. There is a
need for information and it’s important to continually
highlight where parents can find commonly
requested resources.
Ryan Colston, USD 231 - Gardner-Edgerton: The most
important thing is to have it all in one place for easy
access for families. In the Gardner-Edgerton School
District, we have a "Back to School Central" portion of
our website where you can find information for the
upcoming school year. This has been an important
item that families have asked for.
Question 2: What have you found to be the best or
most effective avenue in communicating with parents
about back-to-school messaging?
Dodge: Over time I've found social media, Facebook,
in particular, to be the most effective manner in
which to provide parents with any kind of
information that tells "our story" and provides

eminders of specific events to take place. Social
media has the power to provide parents with "realtime"
information.
Kennedy: In the Olathe School District, utilizing a
multi-tiered approach we’re able to reach
stakeholders in traditional and digital spaces.
Stories on our website amplified via social media,
principal communications, a quarterly print
magazine and mobile app are leveraged to keep
our school communities informed, allowing them
to consume information in their preferred method.
The biggest key is understanding your community,
understanding their needs and using a clear voice
reflective of your district.
Colston: The most effective avenue in
communication with parents for our district has
been social media and email communication. In
this day and age, social media is an excellent
avenue to receive information. Having enrollment
information ready on July 1st has been a plus for
families wanting to get a jump on the enrollment
process.
Question 3: In providing awareness of new
initiatives or operations within the school district,
what has been your favorite or most innovative way
to relay pertinent information to stakeholders?
While it’s imperative to communicate utilizing
traditional methods, maintaining an active digital
presence is vital. At an organic level, messaging to
our parents from principals builds trust in our
school communities and in recent parent surveys, it
is commonly how a large number of our parents
receive school or district news.
Colston: My favorite innovative way is our new app.
We are going to start a major push for stakeholders
to download our new app and be up to date with all
things USD 231. The new app came with our
redesign of our website during the 2018-2019
school year and we are ready for the roll out.
Families will now be able to receive push
notifications, and to me, that is going to help with
effective communication.
Dodge: I have always been a huge fan of YouTube
and more recently, podcasts. The power of
recording a message in person and then sharing
the video link via social media, email, print, and
even to those who are subscribers to a YouTube
channel is amazing. I'm currently devising a plan to
attempt a series of podcasts using our website
engine, as a way to connect with our community
and keep them informed.
Ultimately, it seems that messaging for your school
or school district can take many different forms.
Whether it is the usage of a website or mobile app,
posting on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube, or using
printed magazines or newsletters, I particularly
agree with the consensus that understanding your
stakeholders is paramount and will allow you to
effectively reach those you hope to engage.
Kennedy: Leveraging our social media platforms
has had a large impact. We have a robust, engaged
following which aids in spreading new initiatives.
11

THE GREAT DEBATE: RENOVATE OR BUILD
NEW?
Scott Pashia, DLR Group
The decision to renovate
or build new facilities
weighs heavily on a school
district, and each option
has its own set of
advantages and
disadvantages. Renovating
a beloved facility maintains
the public’s sentimental connection to the school. It
also preserves some of the historic, physical
characteristics that give it a sense of individuality
within the community. However, existing facilities
can be inefficient, educationally inadequate and are
sometimes not sited correctly or don’t have adequate
space for expansion, making new construction the
better option to serve students well into the future.
DLR Group does not make the final decision on
renovating or building new for our clients. Rather we
engage communities, district staff, administrators,
parents and students in the conversation. We guide
all of these stakeholders through a process to weigh
the various options and make the final decision based
on community consensus. Throughout the process,
we focus on three primary factors: public perception,
cost value and facility program.
Public Perception: Sentimental value is one of the
most important considerations in the decision to
renovate or build new. Many districts that struggle
with this decision are operating schools that have
served the community for decades, and oftentimes
multiple generations of families. Beyond the
educational value, a school facility on the National
Register of Historic Places also has elements such as
the entrance and envelope that are significant to the
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community’s and district’s identity. In a case such as
this, blending renovation with new construction can
help to preserve the community’s sentimental
attachment to the facility.
Cost Value: Patrons may share a perception that new
construction costs more than renovations, however the
opposite can be true due to unknowns associated with
older facilities. Educating patrons about initial costs
and long-term operating costs is vital. Informing the
community about costs necessary to bring a school up
to today’s safety standards and codes, as well as other
physical improvements to create a more energy
efficient building and an educationally appropriate
building, can help in the decision process. DLR Group
shares a rule of thumb with our clients, if renovation
costs are 60 to 65 percent of the existing building’s
value, we recommend building a new facility for the
long term value. But, again, the ultimate decision still
resides with the community and the district.
Facility Program: Another key factor is the facility
educational program and layout of the building. For
instance, a sloping or small site can prove difficult to
expand a current facility to accommodate growing
student population and new pedagogies. On the flip
side, a green field site provides ample room for an
appropriate-sized school, as well as future growth.
Is your district debating new construction versus
renovation? Taking time to weigh the three factors I
mentioned above and to build consensus will help you
arrive at the right solution for your district and local
community.
Read more insights from our K-12 experts at
www.dlrgroup.com/insights

SCHOOL REDESIGN
RESISTORS AND DETRACTORS—THE
SABOTEURS OF DELTA
Dr. John Vandewalle, CEO Lumen Touch, johnv@lumentouch.com
Focusing on the leaders, the vision, and the mission
Over the years, some of the great bell
ringers are those that constantly and
almost obsessively concern themselves
with team members that aren’t on board
with the change program. Considering that
there is a limited amount of enthusiastic
energy to share it is probably most
appropriate to distribute it to the areas of greatest ROE
(return on energy or Return on Education). You would be
wise to allow the nay-sayers to decide for themselves
whether they want to be on the bus or not.
In building strong teams, there should be an outpouring
of energy into the pools of the enthusiastic. John Kotter
offers so many great reads on the challenges of change.
In his book “Our Iceberg is Melting” to Fred, Alice, Louis,
Buddy, the Professor, and NoNo—they are like people
you probably recognize in your own organization,
including yourself. Their tale is one of resistance to
change and heroic action, seemingly intractable obstacles
and clever tactics for dealing with those obstacles.
John has outlined an 8
step process to bring
about change and create
the big opportunity.
When one examines
these, it is interesting for
us in our organizations
and as Superintendents,
Principals, Board Members and other leaders, to see how
much of this change in the beginning is resting on our
shoulders. We are the instigators and catalysts of this
change and when we don’t approach it in a similar mode,
we will have a tepid outcome that will nurture and
harbor the skepticism. This is the beginning of the
empowerment of the naysayers. The reciprocal of this
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should also be front of mind as members of the space
program. If we do not embark on an approach of some
kind, we will provide the fodder for the naysayers and
our change will not come to fruition. If said in other
ways, we will not be arming our students to be
successful when they leave their school to be in a
different place of lifelong learning.
The world is changing rapidly in front of our eyes; we are
starting to experience a technological and social
tsunami. I highly recommend you to watch the following
video as it brings our future into our shop window today.
John Kotter says that one of the steps to capitalizing on
the big opportunity is to enlist a volunteer army.
Jim Collins talks about getting the right people on the
bus and others talk about building the team.
We would like to
discuss this in the
next while and help
formulate ways that
you can build the high
performing team. No
team can be high
performing if they don’t know where they are going or if
the bus is heading to the wrong destination. In the world
of education, we tussle with the destination and make it
generic which does not light any of our members’ fires.
Be sure you can create a light that attracts the moths
rather than all the insects to build your moth team. You
will know this is happening when you are selecting from
the eclipse of moths rather than recruiting from the pool
of insects. Once the A team is forming a cohesive matrix
that is driving for the vision and mission with the values
of the organization exuding from their pores, then the
others that aren’t on board will be put into a position to
make a decision. Do they want to stay on the bus, or do
they want to find another bus? So, through this model of
continuous improvement your A team will become the
winning team that others will want to emulate or recruit.
DROP ME A LINE WITH YOUR QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS!

SafeDefend.com

SCHOOL SAFETY
THINKING TRAINING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL
YEAR
Doug Parisi, SafeDefend
As we head back to school most
districts have already filled their
schedule for returning teacher
training. You probably are even
instructing your staff on the
changes to Kansas Senate Bill 128
which changed the number of
drills for schools. The Kansas Department of
Education Safe and Secure Schools Unit has valuable
resources on their site. (https://www.ksde.org/
Kansas-Safe-Schools) The important thing to
remember when conducting these drills is that we
empower teachers, staff and students. Too often
the drills are conducted with little preparation or
planning. In order to reduce the anxiety and stress
of these drills they should be discussed prior to
being implemented.
One of the most critical components for a successful
drill is for the students to understand their role in
safety and security. This can only be done if the
teachers are speaking with their students long
before a drill ever occurs. They should regularly take
time (every two months) to review the particulars of
what safety actions should be taken in that
particular room. This is a quick refresher that can be
done in less than a minute as a sort of question and
answer session.
In a fire drill we exit the building in a tornado drill we
go to the shelter. Crisis drills are fluid and
unpredictable, so the response isn’t easily defined.
Classrooms vary and thus the response varies.
Closets, exterior exits, large windows, open
classrooms, etc. can all change the way students
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will be expected to
respond in an
emergency.
Teachers should
point out where
the ‘safer corner’
is located.
We can’t expect our students to
listen to, comprehend, and initiate
instructions in a crisis if they are
hearing them for the first time
when they are frightened.
Students should be told where they should go if they
are in an open area such as a cafeteria, gymnasium
or playground. If exiting the building is part of the
security plan, students need to be told where to go
once outside. We can’t expect our students to listen
to, comprehend, and initiate instructions in a crisis if
they are hearing them for the first time when they
are frightened.
We tend to conduct drills at a time when we know
the students are properly supervised. If it can be
done practically there should be a crisis drill that is
done during a transition, lunch or morning arrival.
This type of drill is a great experience for the
students to recognize that sometimes you need to
get in the nearest room with a secured door. It will
help your staff learn to corral kids that are in
hallways and open areas. These are skills where we
expect our staff to act without ever asking them to
perform these tasks.
Finally, the crisis drills shouldn’t always be
catastrophic. Classroom hold drills or school
lockouts should be conducted as well. If you have
real life medical emergency, we don’t want students
gawking and interfering with responders. If an
unruly parent is in the front office students should
remain in their classrooms. When the police are
responding to a call near the school it would
behoove us to secure the building until they are
finished. Scrambling to the safer corner and waiting
for the all clear is not the only way to practice a
crisis.

SOCIAL MEDIA A
DOUBLE-EDGED
SWORD FOR STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES,
STUDY FINDS
HEART, HEAD AND
HAND FOR SCHOOL
SAFETY
Art J. McCoy, AASA School Administrator
Benjamin Herold, EdWeek
Students with disabilities appear to experience higher
highs and lower lows when using social media,
according to a new report from the Ruderman Family
Foundation.
Students with disabilities were 1.8 times more likely
to be victims—and 1.7 times more likely to be
perpetrators—of social media-related cyberbullying,
the group found in an analysis of survey information
covering 24,000 Boston-area high school students.
The connection between experiencing cyberbullying
and suffering from depressive symptoms and suicidal
ideation was also particularly strong for these
students.
At the same time, however, students with disabilities
were more likely than typically developing students
to say they found support on social media and felt
better about themselves after using social media
platforms, the analysis found.
Faced with the ever-present threat of violence in
schools, education leaders must go beyond providing
physical barriers to school violence. They must go
beyond trauma-informed practices and focus on
healing-centered engagement.
At the Jennings Public Schools, a district situated
between the cities of St. Louis and Ferguson, Mo., we
achieve that through our 3H approach to school
safety.
The Heart
First, we touch the hearts of our students each day
by saying in word or action, “We see you, we support
you, and you are significant, sufficient and resilient.”
Students see themselves in the halls of their schools,
in the curriculum we teach and in the relationships
we build. Educators support students’ academic and
behavior goals, but they also take an interest in their
personal goals and career pathways.
CLICK HERE to view full story.
CLICK HERE to view full story.
17

UPCOMING EVENTS
RETHINKING LEADERSHIP AND WHY
G.A. Buie, Executive Director, USA-Kansas
In 2015, USA-Kansas only offered
two aspiring principal workshops
and teamed with KASB on our
annual regional meetings. Three
years later we offer more than 40
workshops, have reached over
1,000 different leaders, and
continue to expand our
partnerships with other professional organizations.
We are excited to share our newest opportunity for
members and school leaders.
We hope you have seen
the 2019-2020 USA-Kansas
Drive-In event schedule
centered around
Rethinking Leadership. These workshops are
designed to support school leaders who are leading
and guiding change within their school or district.
The research from the Wallace Foundation is clear.
Significant change will only occur with a trusted
quality leader. We strongly believe Kansas is blessed
with great individual leaders, but they are often
inexperienced in leading significant change or feel
overwhelmed with the idea of change because they
are all alone.
USA-Kansas has
established a team of
experienced Kansas
leaders who have
successfully moved
their school(s) or
district(s) through a
significant change. We have equipped them with the
newest research to develop a phenomenal team of
facilitators to guide leaders through the skills. These
18
Significant change will
only occur with a trusted
quality leader.
events are not the traditional one-and-done
workshops; participants are going to be challenged
to go back to their schools and work to implement
the newly acquired knowledge. In the months
following the onsite workshop, facilitators,
participants, and others will gather for Zoom video
conversations to share successes, work through
challenges, and discuss common themes.
One of the goals of this program is to help school
leaders establish connections and professional
relationships with other leaders who share common
goals. It should not matter if one is leading a
building or district of 100, 1,000, or 10,000 - the
skills necessary to lead change are similar. These
skills are not just for school leaders involved with
the state redesign program. The Rethinking
Leadership program has been developed for all
leaders, whether young, experienced, or a seasoned
veteran.
It should be noted
that the vision of this
program is for
leaders to
successfully
demonstrate four or
five of these skills
over a two or three
year period within their leader role. USA-Kansas will
establish a “Micro-Credential” in “Leading Change.”
This credential could be valuable with your
individual evaluation, job search, college credit, or
possibly re-licensure. Now, we still have a great deal
of ground to cover to establish college credit or
support re-licensure, but we strongly believe these
are possibilities as we continue to explore and
understand the importance of applied learning.
We encourage everyone to get enrolled and
involved with this program. Even if you feel you
have some of these skills, your experiences will only
add to the depth of the conversation.

2019-2020 Professional
Development Schedule
Leadership Events
No Cost to districts who are PLN Members, Reduced Cost
for USA Members, and Full Price for Non-USA Members.
Events run 9:00-2:00.
Drive-In Events
No Cost to districts who are PLN Members, $100 for USA
members, and $200 for non-USA members. Events run
9:00-2:00.
Instructional Techniques for Students with Dyslexia—
Elizabeth Stevens
9.9.2019—Topeka, 11.11.2019—Wichita
Producing Television News for Schools—Dick
Brundage
10.18.2019—Goddard, 1.24.2020—Topeka
Advocacy in Action
Co-hosted with KASB
1.15-1.16.2020—Topeka
Women in Leadership Summit
Co-hosted with KASB
3.23-3.24.2020—Manhattan
So You Want to Be a
Principal
Designed for anyone aspiring to be a building level leader.
No Cost to districts who are PLN Members, $50 for USA
Aspiring Members, $100 for all other registrants. Events
run 9:00-2:00.
11.8.2019, 12.13.2019, 1.31.2020
Locations TBD
Regional Meetings
No Cost to districts who are PLN Members, $75 for all
other registrants.
9.24.2019—Stafford
9.24.2019—Hiawatha
9.25.2019—Sublette
9.25.2019—Topeka
9.26.2019—Colby
9.26.2019—Olathe
10.1.2019—McPherson
10.1.2019—Greenbush
10.2.2019—Beloit
10.2.2019—Haysville
Rethinking Relationships
10.7.2019—Goddard
10.8.2019—Garden City
10.8.2019—Lenexa
10.21.2019—Topeka
10.22.2019—North Central KS
Rethinking Collaborative Leadership
11.4.2019—Goddard
11.5.2019—Garden City
11.5.2019—Olathe
11.18.2019—North Central KS
11.19.2019—Topeka
Rethinking Reflective Growth
12.2.2019—Goddard
12.3.2019—Garden City
12.3.2019—Lenexa
12.10.2019—Topeka
12.10.2019—North Central KS
Rethinking C.I.A.
2.3.2020—Maize
2.4.2020—Garden City
2.4.2020—Lenexa
2.10.2020—Topeka
2.11.2020—North Central KS
Rethinking Results Orientation
3.2.2020—Goddard
3.3.2020—Garden City
3.3.2020—Lenexa
3.9.2020—Topeka
3.10.2020—North Central KS
19

Source: KPERS.org
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KAESP—Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals
KAMSA—Kansas Association of Middle School Administrators
KASBO—Kansas Association of School Business Officials
KASPA—Kansas Association of School Personnel Administrators
KASCD—Kansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development
KASEA—Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators
KASSP—Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals
KCCTEA—Kansas Council of Career and Technical Education Administrators
KanSPRA—Kansas School Public Relations Association
KSSA—Kansas School Superintendents Association