KSDE Commissioner: Dr. Randy Watson

Dr. Randy Watson is the current Kansas Commissioner of Education through the Kansas State Department of Education. Dr. Watson is a Kansas State University alumnus where he gained his knowledge on education. On Tuesday, February 28, 2017, Dr. Watson spoke at the Kansas State University student union. As he spoke, it was clear that he had a passion for education in the state of Kansas. He spoke with confidence, enthusiasm, and optimism. Dr. Watson presented us with the vision of KansasCan.

During the presentation, Dr. Watson showed us that Kansans want these from their schools:
  • ​Kansas children need quality preschool including all day kindergarten
  • Changes need to be made to address school culture
  • New dynamic roles for counselors and social workers
  • Collaboration between schools and businesses
  • Reorganize schools around students, not the system
  • Community service needs to play a bigger role
The vision to help, is to rebalance the great work Kansas schools and teachers are already doing, and place the right amount of emphasis on helping Kansas students identify and achieve their career aspirations. The state outcomes they want to measure are:
  • Kindergarten readiness
  • Individual plan of study focused on career interest
  • High school graduation rates
  • Posg secondary completion/attendance
  • Social/emotional growth measured locally
As a member of the Kansas State University's college of education, it was an honor to listen to Dr. Watson's vision for education in Kansas. It is great to hear the ideas that will progress one of the most important aspect in life.
Thank you, Dr. Watson.