KAIRS Executive Committee 2004-2005 President Karen Norton Head of School The Independent School, Wichita February 2005, Vol. 3 Vice President Dr. Nick Compagnone Superintendent of Schools KAIRS Celebrates 35th Year Catholic Diocese of Salina In 1970, non-public schools in Secretary Kansas joined together to form Bill Dieckhoff KANS (Kansas Association of Head of School Holy Cross Lutheran School, Wichita Non-Public Schools). By 1989, KANS had incorporated and Treasurer ten years later, the name was David Swank changed to KAIRS (Kansas Head of School Association of Religious and Trinity Academy, Wichita Independent Schools). KAIRS Annual Meeting Secretary was founded to ensure that Judy Pitts children attending religious and Administrator independent schools would be Bethel Life School, Wichita treated equitably in educational law, policy and programs. Ex-Offi cio Member KAIRS Public Policy Coordinator KAIRS is comprised of Chris- Bob Voboril tian, Catholic, Independent, Superintendent Lutheran and Seventh-day Ad- At the Annual Meeting in February, KAIRS members elect the Executive Committee Catholic Diocese of Wichita ventist schools. for the following academic year. From left, sitting: Bill Dieckhoff, Secretary; Nick Compagnone, Vice President; standing: David Swank, Treasurer; Karen Norton, 2004 was fi lled with legislative President; Judy Pitts, Annual Meeting Secretary. issues that will directly affect Staff Corey Nason Reese many of our member schools. Public Relations Director We saw breakthroughs in how with Dr. Andy Tompkins, Com- rently waiting for approval by fi rst-year teachers might be ac- missioner of Education for the the State Board of Education. KAIRS Website: kairs.org credited in our schools. A long- State of Kansas, to allow fi rst- planned Hall of Fame, which year teachers to work in schools Hall of Fame Karen Norton will honor outstanding career that are accredited by alternate It has long been the desire President educators, came to fruition. Our accrediting agencies in order of KAIRS to recognize the Phone: 316-686-0152 website was launched. to qualify for their five-year outstanding life-long teachers [email protected] license. and administrators who have Accreditation of The Professional Standards devoted their lives to education Dr. Nick Compagnone First-Year Teachers Board has now introduced a in the non-public setting. This Vice President Phone: 785-827-4200 This year KAIRS President proposal that will allow this to February, KAIRS will welcome [email protected] Karen Norton worked closely happen and the proposal is cur- continued on page 3 From the KAIRS President — Greetings from the heart of Kansas. We are pleased to present our Commissioner of Education. Thanks to that dialogue, the Professional 2005 KAIRS Annual Report. Standards Board has now introduced a proposal that will allow fi rst-year 2004 was a worthwhile and encouraging year for KAIRS. We saw teachers to teach in schools that are accredited by specifi c agencies and Federal legislation passed that should provide continued assistance to our thus qualify for their fi ve-year license. The proposal is currently waiting schools. Our annual and quarterly meetings featured such speakers as for approval by the State Board of Education. Joe McTighe, the Executive Director of CAPE, (Council of American KAIRS continues to strive toward building collaboration between Private Education) and Nancy Bolz, State Director for the Kansas North private schools and the State Department of Education, all for the im- Central Association. provement of education for children. Our next year promises to be even Perhaps the most benefi cial experience of the year involved an on-go- more exciting. ing dialogue, in regard to new teachers, with Andy Tompkins, Kansas — Karen Norton First Hall of Fame Members Inducted KAIRS Founders to a highly important personal issue: education. He was a past president In 1970, Robert Eggold, James Thiessen and Vince DeCoursey of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors joined together to form the Kansas Association of Non-Public Schools and a former member of the U.S. Catholic Conference Committee. (KANS). The organization was formed to promote the passage of Mr. DeCoursey received his B.S. (1939) in fi nance from the Uni- legislation that would provide acceptable governmental aid to non- versity of Notre Dame. He and he wife, Helen, were married for 50 public schools and a spirit of cooperation among non-public schools, years and had six boys, all of whom graduated from Notre Dame. In the State Legislature and Kansas State Department of Education. a testimony to the emphasis Mr. DeCoursey placed on education, all Together, these three men would sit on the KANS executive board his children obtained advanced degrees. for the next two decades and work for the betterment of non-public schools in Kansas. Bunny Hill has a natural gift for teaching, which has manifested Robert (Bob) Eggold was a vital itself during her outstanding Lutheran educational administra- 33 years at Wichita Collegiate. tor and teacher for more than 40 Currently the Head of Middle years. He served the Lutheran School, Mrs. Hill has also served Church – Missouri Synod in Kan- as Dean of Students, Head of sas for the fi nal 20 of those years Upper School and acting Head as executive director for education of School. Her teaching awards and youth ministry. During the include the 1991 University of fi rst part of his career, he worked Kansas College of Liberal Arts as teacher and principal and was and Science High School Teacher responsible for organizing five Recognition Award. Lutheran elementary schools in An educational innovator, Mrs. Missouri, Wisconsin and Michi- Hill created a series of Brown Bag gan. He was the KANS chairman Discussions for parents in the Wichita community, which dealt with for 20 years, 1969-89. developmental issues of young adolescents. This became the Young Mr. Eggold received his B.S. in education (1951) from Concordia Adolescent Development Series of workshops for parents and educa- University in River Forest, Illinois and a master’s degree in educational tors and is still operating today. administration (1958) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Mrs. Hill received her B.A. from McPherson College (1969) and His wife, Elaine, and he have three sons. her M.A. from Wichita State University (1980). Bunny is married to Patrick and they have three children. James Thiessen has been a faith- ful and outstanding Christian educator for more than 40 years. He began his career in 1960 as KAIRS 2005 Statistics a Bible academy principal and Enrollment of all KAIRS Schools ......................... 21,700 teacher, but Mr. Thiessen spent the majority of his career, from Number of Member Schools ........................................ 108 1966 to 1994, as superintendent Families Represented .............................................. 14,654 of Berean Academy in Elbing. As a founder of KANS, he served as Internet Access in Classrooms ....90% of 1,413 classrooms secretary on the KANS executive High School Graduates ................................................ 938 board for 20 years, 1970-1990. Mr. Thiessen graduated with a Average ACT Score ................................................... 23.3 B.S. from Grace University in Full-time Teachers .................................................... 1,303 Omaha, NE in 1953. He earned a second B.A. (1956) and his M.A. (1958) from Northeastern State Teachers with a Master’s Degree .......................414 (32%) University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He is married to Gladys and Savings to Kansas Taxpayers ...................... $98.1 million* they have fi ve children. (Foregone State Aid estimated at $5,300 in general state aid per pupil.) Vincent DeCoursey, not-pictured, (1917-1991) was a businessman *If all KAIRS children were enrolled in public schools. in the dairy industry for most of his career. When he retired in the late 1960s, he became a founder and Executive Director of Kansas Catholic Conference and dedicated much of the remainder of his life Federal Education Legislation Impacts KAIRS This past year, the United States Congress took center stage when E-RATE it came to public policy that affected KAIRS member schools. Three Still a third program impacted in the federal arena was E-rate, areas in particular were positively resolved from KAIRS perspective. the program in which telecommunications companies must deduct a nominal amount from each customer’s bill to fund technology en- IDEA hancements for schools and libraries according to a sliding scale based The reauthorization of special education legislation (IDEA) received on the percentage of low income families in the schools. a large amount of attention from all educators, especially when it took Last fall, all E-rate applications were frozen until the FCC and the three years instead of one to rewrite the legislation. commission that operates the E-rate were able to resolve funding Because IDEA was reauthorized, KAIRS member schools realized a problems. Presently, schools can still apply for money for the current signifi cant victory when the legislation directed that students be served year and can apply for discounts on next year’s purchases as well. in the district where they attend school rather than in the district where they reside. This legislation should make it possible for each – Bob Voboril, KAIRS Public Policy Coordinator KAIRS school to work with just one public school system for special education purposes. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT Focus for 2005 The ramifi cations of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) con- In 2005, the focus will switch to the Kansas Legislature. First, tinue to be felt by KAIRS member schools. NCLB requires that every the legislature will have to respond to a Kansas Supreme Court child be profi cient in reading and mathematics, and sets targets for decision that Kansas public schools are not funded fairly. Hopefully, the percentage of students who must test as profi cient or above, or KAIRS members will have the opportunity to ask for consideration lose state accreditation.