KSDE Weekly

Student Health and Nutrition

Screen Time Task Force members named, focus defined at Kansas State Board of Education’s August meeting

During the Kansas State Board of Education’s August meeting, members identified the topics and individuals who will serve on the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Screen Time in Schools.  

The 36-member task force, approved by board members in July, will discuss the following areas: 

  • Use of personal devices in schools 
  • Parental oversight of district-issued devices 
  • Screen time and mental health 

 

The task force is comprised of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, local school board members, two legislators, two state school board members and information technology experts. The 10 state board members each chose two individuals to serve on the task force.  

Board members will receive a formal report and a set of recommendations for a state board screen time non-binding policy during their November meeting with possible action on those recommendations expected in December.  

“They’re not working on mandates, they’re working on recommendations,” Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson emphasized to board members of the task force’s work.   

The task force’s meetings this fall will be livestreamed for public viewing on Thursdays, from 4-5:30 p.m., beginning on Aug. 22. (Click here for the task force’s agendas and livestream information. More information will be posted as soon as it is available. 

The following are the members of the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Screen Time in Schools: 

 

Superintendents 

  • Travis Githens, Cherryvale USD 447  
  • Brian Huff, Gardner Edgerton USD 231  
  • Brad Kempf, Jefferson County North USD 339 
  • Troy Pitsch, Wabaunsee USD 329  
  • Tonya Merrigan, Blue Valley USD 229 

 

Principals 

  • Eric Hofer-Holdeman, Wichita USD 259  
  • Brian Houghton, Fredonia USD 484  
  • Kathleen Brennan, Geary County USD 475  
  • John Niehues, Greeley County USD 200  
  • Kamiel Evans, Wichita USD 259  

 

Teachers 

  • Tawna Hall, Derby USD 260  
  • Jose Martinez, Wichita USD 259  
  • Carol Budde, Newton USD 373  
  • Anna Luke, Beloit USD 273 
  • Connie Martin, Shawnee Mission USD 512  

 

Students 

  • Jessica Claire, Leavenworth USD 453  
  • Ananya Argawal, Blue Valley USD 229  
  • Ava Gustin, Mission Valley USD 330 
  • Lane Lamping, Basehor-Linwood USD 458  
  • Alexa Hernandez, Dodge City USD 443  

 

Parents 

  • Amy Warren, Wichita USD 259  
  • Kim Whitman, Shawnee Mission USD 512  
  • Erika Sheets, Blue Valley USD 229 
  • Korin Poppe, Republic County USD 109  
  • Lori Barnes, Arkansas City USD 470  

 

Local board of education members 

  • Sue Bolley, Topeka USD 501  
  • Jackie Gigot, Garden City USD 457  
  • Katie Allen, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383  
  • Laura Corey, Hutchinson USD 308  
  • Trisha Moritz, Attica USD 511  

 

IT Experts 

  • Travis True, Topeka USD 501  
  • Lyndsay Noble, Ottawa 

 

Legislators 

  • Rep. Scott Hill, District 70, Abilene  
  • Sen. Chase Blasi, District 27, Wichita 

 

State Board Members 

  • Melanie Haas, board chair, District 2, Overland Park 
  • Danny Zeck, District 1, Leavenworth 

 

In other business during their August meeting, board members discussed the process for their selections later this fall to the education funding task force, a requirement of House Sub for SB 387 passed by the Kansas legislature this past spring.  

The legislation requires the task force to make recommendations to the legislature in January 2027 for a funding formula that meets the Rose capacities, a key component of the Gannon school funding court case. 

Board members will appoint three people to the 14-member task force (11 voting members and three non-voting members): one state board member, one urban and one rural superintendent. The other members - which will include legislators, a current or retired teacher and a parent - will be selected by the Kansas House and Senate leadership. The board is expected to make its final selections to the task force by its November meeting.  

In other business, board members heard a curriculum materials adoption presentation from two representatives of Topeka USD 501 - Diane Kimsey, a Topeka USD 501 elementary math consulting teacher, and Cherryl Delacruz, a Topeka USD 501 secondary math consulting teacher, and Dr. Ben Proctor, KSDE deputy commissioner of learning services.  

Kimsey and Delacruz walked board members through the implementation process Topeka USD 501 uses for adopting high quality instructional materials and resources. 

In showing how one district chooses their curriculum materials, the presentation emphasized KSDE’s commitment to providing “statewide leadership that informs and supports the decisions made locally related to curriculum and instructional materials,” according to information provided to the board. 

Board members also heard a presentation from Amanda Petersen, director of KSDE’s early childhood program, regarding the All in for Kansas Kids strategic plan adopted in 2020.  

The plan is the result of collaborative work among the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), KSDE and many other early childhood partners to comprehensively assess and address statewide early childhood needs. More information is available at kschildrenscabinet.org

Board members also recognized the following Child Nutrition and Wellness Kansans Can Best Practices 2023-24 awardees: 

  • Dina Hier, Wheatland USD 292 - Kansans Can Serve Local Foods  
  • Melissa Hurley, Fort Leavenworth USD 207 - Kansans Can Provide Outstanding Customer Service 
  • Melissa Patterson, Patterson Family Child Care Center, Topeka - Kansans Can Increase Access to Quality Child Care & Child Nutrition Programs 
  • Teresa Houston, Envision Child Development Center, Wichita - Kansans Can Impact Wellness & Kansans Can Serve Local Foods 

 

In other business, board members did the following: 

  • Heard a presentation from Kristin Brighton of HirePaths regarding the results from a survey of parents’ perceptions of their children’s postsecondary opportunities. Click here for the full story. 
  • Unanimously approved the Narcan policy for the Kansas School for the Deaf and the Kansas State School for the Blind. 
  • Received the recommended standards for American Sign Language (ASL) to be included in the world languages educator program for higher education. Action is expected by the board during their September meeting.  
  • Approved the recommendations for funding the McKinney-Vento education of homeless children and youth grants. 
  • Heard a presentation and watched a demonstration from the Paola Panthers high school robotics team. Click here for the full story. 
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Posted: Aug 15, 2024,
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