Don Epps, superintendent of Pleasanton USD 344, spoke to attendees of the 2025 Great Ideas in Education Conference about the need to "prioritize joy" by celebrating student success in fun and even unconventional ways.

As Kansas children are returning to the classroom for the start of the 2025-26 academic year, the Kansas Commissioner of Education has a message for educators:  

“We’ve got to be so intentional,” Dr. Randy Watson said. “When the kids walk in, we all have to execute at a high level.  If anyone can get this work done, we can do it in Kansas.”  

Watson spoke these words to nearly 500 administrators and teachers in late July during the 2025 Great Ideas in Education conference. He said he is “extremely optimistic” going into the new school year. He referenced the decreasing the number of Kansas children who are reading at the lowest level and historic highs in the high school graduation rate. He also mentioned the number of students taking advancement placement exams and achieving scores of 3, 4 or 5.  

“You have to take time to celebrate this,” Watson said. “True academic success matters. Not the test score but what the test score represents.” 

During the coming school year, Watson said he wasn’t going to let Kansas educators “off the hook” in maintaining high standards for themselves and their students. However, he said everyone should also “focus on what you can control.” 

“I’m proud to be on this journey with you,” he said. 

The partnership between families and their schools is key to sustaining student success and school improvement, Dr. Jane Groff told the conference attendees. 

“Parents become partners when we share in the child’s learning,” she said. “It’s something that every child deserves.” 

Groff, who is the executive director of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC), said parental involvement is mandated under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and is supported by the Kansas Education System Accreditation (KESA) school improvement model. There is also a parent page on the Kansas Assessment Program’s website and the Kansas State Board of Education endorsed family engagement standards in 2008. 

“In Kansas, our leaders know our children rise the highest when parents are involved,” she said, adding that decades of research show the link between parental involvement and student achievement. “Schools with strong family and community ties were four times more likely to make reading and math gains.” 

Groff said in addition to higher grades and test scores, other benefits students from all backgrounds experience with parental engagement include the following: 

• Enrollment in higher-level programs 
• Attainment of proficiency for their age and grade 
• Adaptation to school and regular attendance (lower chronic absenteeism) 
• Better social skills and behavior 
• Graduation from high school and postsecondary education 

The conference’s back-to-school message was capped off by Don Epps, superintendent of Pleasanton USD 344, well-known for his high energy and injecting fun into learning and celebrating students, teachers and the school community. 

“Kids that are having fun, they’re involved and engaged, and they learn,” he said. “It starts with our staff. Your everyday actions should reflect what you aspire to be.” 

Epps said it’s important to remember that even the smallest of moments build credibility with students and their families, making the biggest impact. 

“Every day moments are what transform your culture and builds your foundation,” he said. “It sets the tone for everything.”