A superintendent and a local school board member have been honored for their advocacy efforts on behalf of public education.
KSBA presented its annual Celebrate Advocacy for Public Education (CAPE) awards on July 8 during its Summer Leadership Institute. Russellville Independent school board member Davonna Page and Boone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Randy Poe were recognized for what KSBA Governmental Relations Director Hope McLaughlin called their “amazing grasp of what it takes to be an effective advocate.” They are “truly ambassadors for public education,” she said.
Page, a 13-year member of the Russellville board who also is a regional chairperson on KSBA’s board, “is passionate about the needs of the students in her district and how the Commonwealth and the federal government can work to help her meet those needs,” McLaughlin said. “She was an amazing resource for me during the legislative session and a valuable voice in Washington, D.C.”
From left, KSBA Executive Director Mike Armstrong; Russellville Independent board member Davonna Page; Boone County board member Karen Byrd, who accepted the award on behalf of Superintendent Dr. Randy Poe; and KSBA Governmental Relations Director Hope McLaughlin.
Poe, a F. L. Dupree Outstanding Superintendent Award winner, knows the importance of “boots on the ground” in Frankfort and is well-known in the hallways of the state Capitol and at education committees of the legislature, McLaughlin said. Poe “keeps a good working relationship with his local legislators and serves as an important voice for public education,” she added.
“There can be no more effective advocates for the needs of students and teachers and their vital support systems than the superintendent and the board members in each district,” said KSBA Executive Director Mike Armstrong. “Whether the focus is legislators in the General Assembly, our members of the U.S. Congress, or officials within the state and federal departments of education, the genuine, front-line insights of these district leaders carry more weight than any other petitioner seeking the attention of decision makers in Frankfort and Washington, D.C.”