KPI Events

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We invite you to join us on Tuesday, July 28, at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) for a presentation by Paul Runko of Defending Education, who will discuss concerns raised about the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice curriculum program (formerly Teaching Tolerance).

Parent groups and school districts across the country have questioned whether Learning for Justice curricular materials move beyond traditional anti-bullying and tolerance education to promote social justice activism and ideological viewpoints. Drawing from Defending Education’s research, Mr. Runko will provide an overview of the organization’s curriculum, Social Justice Standards, and examples of how these materials have been incorporated into schools and educational programs nationwide.

While the Kansas State Board of Education establishes academic standards, local boards of education retain the authority under (K.S.A. 72-1138) to review, approve, and adopt textbooks and instructional materials for use in their schools. As such, school board members have an important responsibility to understand curriculum issues and evaluate instructional resources to ensure they align with district goals and community expectations.

Join us for this informative discussion and opportunity to learn more about a topic that has generated significant interest among parents, educators, and policymakers.

Panelist:

Paul Runko, Jr. is Senior Director of K-12 Initiatives at Defending Education, where he leads national efforts to support parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens in advancing academic excellence and political-neutrality reforms in America’s schools. In his current role, Mr. Runko develops and executes strategic initiatives addressing key issues in K-12 education policy, including curriculum transparency, parental rights, and ensuring civil rights. He works closely with families, grassroots organizations, and state and local stakeholders to elevate concerns and translate them into actionable solutions.

Prior to his work in education policy, Mr. Runko held leadership and project management roles at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Prior to SCAD, Mr. Runko worked in media production in New York where he developed expertise in communications, messaging and audience engagement – skills he now uses to advance public understanding of education policy issues.

Mr. Runko holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Full Sail University and is the father of two.

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The next free-of-charge session will be led by Russ Mccullough, PhD, Wayne Angell Chair of Economics, Founder/Director, Gwartney Institute.

“Economic Freedom”

“Well-defined and well-protected property rights replace competition by violence with competition by peaceful means.”
-Armen Alchian

The success of free market economies is built on the existence of individual rights to private property and free exchange. What are individual property rights, and how do they enable necessary competition and cooperation in our country?

Why do private property and free trade lead to increased well-being? Where are the current policy battles shaping up in regulatory reform, licensing, and trade?

This PELA session will explore why freedom of speech is foundational to a healthy republic, how it has been understood throughout American history, and the reasons certain limits on speech have been recognized in constitutional law. Participants will consider the tension between liberty and restraint and examine how free expression functions in both public and private contexts.

Session Focus

Participants will engage with both the philosophical foundations and practical applications of First Amendment protections, including:

The role of free speech in a pluralistic society
Religious liberty and conscience protections
Distinctions between public and private action
An overview of modern First Amendment jurisprudence

Through guided discussion, this session will connect constitutional principles to contemporary legal and cultural questions, equipping participants to better understand ongoing debates surrounding speech, religion, and liberty in American public life.

Russ Mccullough, PhD

Wayne Angell Chair of Economics, Founder/Director, Gwartney Institute.

Dr. Russ McCullough was raised in Minnesota and completed his BA degree in Economics at St. Cloud University. He moved to Ames, Iowa to attend graduate school at Iowa State University and finished his doctorate in Economics in 2003.  Russ is both an academic and a serial entrepreneur with a passion for innovating.  His business ventures included real estate development-sales-property management, a construction company, a restaurant, a boutique hotel and an equestrian center.  He is a veteran in the classroom with outstanding student reviews, uses his business experience to make economics real and understandable, and is excited to devote his energy, passion and leadership to Ottawa University.