As an avid runner, Dr. Renee Nugent literally took to heart the axiom, “hit the ground running,” when she stepped into the deputy commissioner’s role at the Kansas State Department of Education in July. 

With a little more than 90 days into her leadership of the KSDE division of learning services, Nugent said school improvement is at the top of her priority list. 

“As I came into this position, we were on full blast with KESA 2.0, which is going well,” she said. As the most recent former superintendent of Atchison USD 409, Nugent said she’s “hearing great feedback” from her colleagues in the field about the accreditation process that has school improvement as its foundation. 

“I think districts are so appreciative that there is support and true collaboration that happens throughout the process,” she said. “If you're not intentional with a plan, then Improvement just is a statement, and it sits on a desk. If there's a plan and you're held accountable to that plan and you're able to collaborate, that is meaningful and that is the positive we’re hearing from districts.” 

KESA 2.0 is the second iteration of Kansas Education System Accreditation which uses the school improvement model as the foundation. Nugent said she plans to expand the current school improvement working group, so more KSDE processes and agency-contracted programs are aligned with school improvement. She said that may help streamline the reporting and other interactions districts and school systems have with KSDE. 

Related to school improvement, Nugent said another priority at the top of her list is applying for a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for flexibility in addressing the student achievement issues for the state’s lowest performing schools receiving Title funds.  

“We're looking at a waiver to potentially postpone identifying new schools so we can align that work with what we're doing in KESA and provide supports,” she said. “So that's a big one right now.” 

Coming from leading a district with more than 1,400 students, Nugent said she wasn’t sure how she would feel about not having as much contact with students in her role as one of two deputy commissioners for KSDE. 

“I really like the work,” she said. “That's exciting to me because I loved being a superintendent. It's wonderful to go to a job every day that you love. I am so impressed by how people are just so welcoming to me and I see how hard people work.” 

As far as her general approach to her work at KSDE is concerned, Nugent said she welcomes calls, emails and, “I just want people to know my door is open.”  

“The first month, every day I left here with my head just full of ideas and a little overwhelmed,” she said. “And now, the more I'm learning about people and their roles, I'm seeing how connected everything is. I'm definitely feeling more comfortable in the role.” 

For more about Nugent and her background, click here.