Approximately 100 educators in several Kansas school district plus eight educators in  the Osage Nation in Pawhuska,Oklahoma, are strengthening their local schools by participating in master’s degree level academies hosted by the Kansas State University College of Education.

The academies build and enhance local leadership capacity by merging theory and practice within the context of the mission, goals, priorities and challenges of the school districts where the educators – now graduate students at K-State – work, said Jerry Johnson, professor and chair of the college’s educational leadership department.

Currently, six academies and one cohort are in operation and are headed by faculty from the educational leadership department. Among them is the Geary USD 475 academy and the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383-Wamego USD 320 academy are led by Mary Devin, professor. Devin is a former superintendent of schools in USD 475.