KPI Events

We invite you to join us on Monday, July 6^th at 12 pm (noon) CDT for a special webinar focused on legislation enacted during the 2026 Kansas legislative session that impacts school board governance and district operations.

This one-hour webinar will provide school board members and district leaders with an overview of significant legislative changes affecting Kansas public schools, including new statutory requirements, policy implications, and compliance responsibilities. Participants will gain practical guidance on required policy updates, newly mandated policies, and implementation considerations to help ensure compliance with Kansas law and support effective local governance.

Presenter: Mike O’Neal – CEO of O’Neal Consulting, LLC Mike is an attorney with over 35 years of litigation experience. He also spent 28 of those years in the Kansas House of Representatives, including two terms as the elected Speaker of the House. Retiring from the House at the end of the 2012 session, Mike was hired as President and CEO of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, a position he held for 4 years before retiring to open his own legal consulting and governmental relations firm. He has over 40 years of combined legal, legislative and governmental relations experience. Mike holds a JD from the University of Kansas School of Law.

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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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