In this edition ...

In the latest episode of the KSDE Insight Podcast, Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson and his guests explore the growing concern of chronic absenteeism and its impact on student success.  

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly this week celebrated 35 Topeka USD 501 educators who recently completed the Foundations of the Science of Reading: Understanding and Applying Structured Literacy Principles, the Kansas Board of Regents Blueprint for Literacy's structured literacy training course.  

Registration is open for the annual Counting KIDS workshops in August and September led by Laurel Murdie, KSDE director of fiscal auditing, and Kyle Lord, KSDE assistant director of information technology.  

*Please note: Since Sept. 20, 2025, falls on a Saturday, Count Day moves to the first school day following Sept. 20, which is Monday, Sept. 22. 

The Kansas State Department of Education is seeking nominations to fill three vacancies on the Professional Practices Commission (PPC). The open positions are: 

• Position 1 – Junior high/middle school principal (public school) 
• Position 2 – Elementary school principal (public school) 
• Position 3 – K–12 school teacher (public school)