News and Notes:  News Release
May 30, 2007

Topeka: KLFA makes retreat plans in lieu of next business meeting

A strong national economy requires good public schools to develop new generations of productive employees, good citizens, creative entrepreneurs and innovators, and effective leaders in all fields.  In order to help the Kansas Learning First Alliance help Kansas schools improve, a first-ever retreat has been scheduled for August 23 and 24 at the Kansas History Museum in Topeka.  Preliminary plans for the Thursday evening session call for teambuilding activities, while the Friday session would be devoted to reviewing current strategic initiatives to improve teaching and learning in the state and sharpen them in light of recent national and state events and data.  Impetus for a retreat came from discussions that took place in Washington, D.C. at the Learning First summit last March.  The retreat will be held at the Kansas Museum of History and co-sponsored by the Kansas State Historical Society.

KLFA celebrated its eighth anniversary at the May 30 meeting and recognized Sandee Crowther for her two years of service as chair.  Blake West, KNEA president, will step into the chair position, and Sue Givens, soon to be superintendent at El Dorado, was elected to be vice chair.  Each will serve two-year terms.

Pat Hill, from the Kansas State Department of Education, briefed the Alliance on the agency’s plan to build Professional Learning Communities that would correspond with the ten State Board Regions.  The initiative is designed to provide support to school and districts by using the model many buildings are adopting to focus their school improvement focus.

The Alliance also heard an update on the Kansas Learning First Alliance Educational Foundation.  The Foundation is to receive a $4,000 grant this year from Kansas Families and Schools Together, which will be used to improve professional opportunities that will help teachers better work with parents.  Other recent donations have been a $500 donation from the Kansas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.

Sue Gamble, State Board of Education member, attended the meeting as one of the two State Board members that were named by the Board as its official representatives.  KSDE has been a KLFA member since its founding, but the State Board only recently decided to join.  Kathy Martin will be the other State Board representative.  Thirty-three other members from 19 member organization also attended.

As is the norm, much of the meeting was devoted to the three standing workgroups working on their different goals.  The three groups are working toward improving student achievement; strengthening the professional development of educators; and engaging the public in school improvement and student achievement efforts. To focus their work, three general goals offer guidance.  They are:

• KLFA will broadly disseminate our work to influence practitioners.
• KLFA will increase its visibility with policy makers. 
• KLFA will strengthen and increase its organizational capacity.

The next KLFA business meeting is Oct. 4 at the Kansas Association of School Boards’ office.