Duane Kelly Calls for a Grassroots Approach to Education
Calling for administrative reform, Duane Kelly challenges fellow Kansas City Board members to return to the classroom

KANSAS CITY, MO, May 20, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ --Throughout his 40-plus year career in education, Duane Kelly has been criticized for many things - his sometimes unkempt appearance, his policy of no-holds-barred honesty and a tendency to stray off topic. Yet, as the elected representative of Sub-District Three on the Kansas City, Missouri School District School Board, Kelly has proven to be an invaluable resource. One of the few board members with practical classroom experience, Kelly brings something new to the table (besides, of course, his long, silver beard). He brings the first-hand account of a teacher.

For a pioneer in his field, Kelly adopts a surprisingly simple, grassroots approach to education. Wielding a business card with a quote written in lieu of an E-mail address, he maintains: "The kids come first, teachers are a close second, because if anything happens in education it happens in a classroom between a teacher and the kid." In a school district that has experienced its share of ups, downs and ongoing debate, Kelly has stood firm in his belief that successful school administration is built upon communication and first-hand experience. During an interview with KCTribune, he noted "I keep trying to get the board members to go to the classrooms to see what [they're] like...If you have never been there and you don't know what the problems are, and you don't know how the problems came about, how can you ever hope to solve them? And I get no answer."

At the time of interview with KCTribune, tension in teacher-district relations had peaked with the expiration of the teachers' union contract. Refusing to renew the contract, the district subsequently implemented changes that the union complained silenced teachers and eliminated their independent decision making in the classroom, thereby exacerbating disciplinary problems within some schools. In fact, as recently as January of this year, the Kansas City Federation of Teachers & School-Related Personnel reported the resignation of several district principals due to safety and disciplinary concerns. Kelly understands this dilemma all too well and advocates for the institution of alternative schools for children demonstrating patterns of socio-economically driven, problematic behavior. He has also served as a steadfast supporter of the teachers' contract. "Schools are organized [for the convenience of] administration rather than education...That is why there is a contract. There is a reason for every item in that contract. Every single item," he stated, referring specifically to instances in which principals scolded teachers in front of students and teachers were obligated without respite to a slew of before- and after-school activities at the will of school principals.

Slowly but surely, Kelly is determined to bring about positive change in the way education is administered in Kansas City, Missouri "for the sake of the children." In fact, his promise is backed by decades of demonstrated dedication. After earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education at the University of Missouri and completing over 60 class credits in the field of ecology in 1960, he went on to teach for the Kansas City Missouri School District for 33 years. During this time, he pioneered the field of secondary ecology education, becoming one of the first ever to introduce the science to high school curriculum. In 1994, his efforts were recognized with the Missouri's Conservation Educator of the Year Award. He was also honored by Cambridge Who's Who as the Professional of the Year in Environmental Education in 2008 and in its "Top 101 Industry Experts" in 2009. Each honor is reserved for Cambridge's most esteemed members who demonstrate professional integrity and excellence. Today, Kelly continues to be a proactive environmentalist, supporting such organizations as The Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund, the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society and Redwoods Protection. An avid outdoorsman, he spends his free time studying nature, bird watching and canoeing.

Duane Kelly would like to dedicate this recognition to his family and students.

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