KU one of two universities selected to present to Kansas State Board of Education on preparing school leaders

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Educational Administration PK-12 program was one of only two university programs in the state selected to present to the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) this month, an opportunity department leaders said reflected the program's growing reputation among practicing school and district leaders.

Jennifer Bessolo, professor of the practice and director of KU's master's and doctoral programs in K-12 administration, represented the KU School of Education & Human Sciences at the July 14 meeting in Topeka alongside Douglas Huffman, associate dean for teacher education and undergraduate programs. The invitation grew out of a KSBE member's request to learn more about how the state's school and district leaders are trained, prompting the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to reach out to deans of education across the state. KSDE selected KU and Pittsburg State University to represent the state's leadership preparation programs before the board.

The presentation stretched into more than 30 minutes of questions as board members asked about building school culture, engaging parents and addressing turnover among principals and superintendents.

"It was an honor to be one of only two universities selected to present to the Kansas State Board of Education on how we prepare future building and district leaders," Bessolo said. "It was a great opportunity to share the work our faculty and school partners have done to create leadership programs that are grounded in authentic practice, connected to the real needs of schools and school districts, and focused on developing leaders who make a difference for students."

Bessolo walked the board through how KU pairs classroom instruction in areas such as teacher evaluation, systems thinking and change management with hands-on experience, including field internships and partnerships with Kansas school districts. Several "grow your own" pipelines are also in development to help address recruitment and retention of school leaders across the state.

"The State Board of Education showed interest and support of the work we are doing to equip our aspiring leaders to thrive in our field, not just survive," Bessolo said. "Their request to learn more about how leaders are trained shows they recognize the critical impact that educational leadership has on our schools across the state."

The presentation is part of a broader push within KU's Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies to strengthen ties between its programs and practicing educators across Kansas.

"This presentation was a fantastic opportunity to highlight how the department is preparing educational leaders across Kansas," said Zak Foste, department chair and associate professor of higher education administration. "I am incredibly proud of our faculty's daily dedication to training the future principals and district leaders who will go on to serve our local communities throughout the state."

Bessolo said the invitation validates a direction the program has been building toward for several years.

"We know that effective school and district leaders are developed through a combination of strong preparation, authentic experiences, and close partnerships with practicing educators," she said. "Sharing our work with the state board allowed us to highlight how KU is preparing educational leaders who are ready to step into tomorrow's leadership roles and make a difference for students, staff and communities across Kansas and beyond."

A recording of the July 14 meeting, including KU's full presentation and the board's discussion, is available on the Kansas State Department of Education's YouTube channel.