Menu
Officers
Bylaws
Recognition
Strategic Plan
Code of Ethics

About Us

In 1973, a group of communicators, led by John Koepke, set out to advance the cause of education in Kansas and establish the Kansas School Public Relations Association. Koepke, director of publications for the Kansas Association of School Boards (now executive director), served as state coordinator. With the help of the charter members John Wherry, Barbara Kudlacek Long, Arlin Morgan, Sam Stitt, Charles Stuart, Jim Yonally, M.L. Williams and Murray Harris KanSPRA was born.

Since its inception, KanSPRA has been a leader in advancing the cause of education in Kansas. In the fall of 1981, the KanSPRA chapter established the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force. Representatives from Kansas NEA, Kansas Association of School Boards, United School Administrators, Office of the Kansas Board of Regents, Kansas State Board of Education, Kansas Department of Education, Kansas Congress of Parents and Teachers and the League of Women Voters joined in a campaign to increase public awareness about the positive aspects of public education.

The Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force published Kansas: The State of Education. The task force also coordinated billboards, public service announcements and the Governor's Scholars Program. They organized the Friends of Education program to honor citizens who are active supporters of public schools and created a sunflower-apple lapel pin. The Friends of Education program also developed "Parent Partnerships" packets to be distributed twice a year to individual schools for use with parents and community members.

The mutual desire to promote education among the organizations involved in the task force has allowed KanSPRA to work with those organizations in many ways. KASB sponsors an annual publication contest open to KanSPRA members. KanSPRA's annual meeting is held in conjunction with the USA Convention. KanSPRA is the evaluator for the USA convention and is a member organization of USA. KanSPRA's success is reflected by its effect on the local and national educational community. The KanSPRA newsletter keeps members informed of the organization's activities, and regional meetings are held across the state. Over the years, the organization has experienced an increase in membership, especially among administrators. Membership now totals about 105 Kansas educators and communications professionals.

KanSPRA and some of its individual members have received national recognition and several members have been actively involved in the National School Public Relations Association. John Wherry, a charter member of the organization, became executive director of NSPRA in 1977 and served until 1989. Barbara Long, retired director of communications for Topeka USD 501, served as national vice president of NSPRA, and several other KanSPRA members have served on NSPRA committees. Dr. Marsha Chappelow, Assistant Superintendent of Communications for Blue Valley USD 229 recently completed her four-year term as NSPRA South Central Regional Vice President.

KanSPRA works closely with the Kansas State Department of Education through pro-active communication to ensure that KanSPRA members have the latest and most accurate information to share with local audiences. KanSPRA members also assist the KSDE by picking up state issues in their infancy and helping to drive the communications direction the KSDE will take.

A prime example of this working relationship occurred in 1997 with the Education Report Card Communications Guide, which was developed by a committee of KanSPRA members with assistance from KSDE. The guide, with its accompanying workshops that were conducted around the state, helped hundreds of Kansas educators effectively communicate the state's building report card results to local constituents. More recently, KanSPRA involved its members in strategic planning, which will keep the organization focused for the next four years. The strategic planning process will enhance the benefits of the organization for every member.

One goal of the strategic plan involves partnering with educational associations throughout the state. At the 2000 NSPRA Seminar, this chapter effort won the Distinguished Chapter Award for Year Round Projects, one of two awards given state associations by NSPRA. The chapter also received the NSPRA Blue Ribbon Award for the strength and professionalism of KanSPRA members in the field of school public relations.