ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
As someone who grew up in Liberal, Ashley Kappelmann has spent a lot of time at Liberal High School, not only as a student (and later graduate), but also as a teacher and later administrator.
“In my time with USD 480, I've only been at Liberal High School, and I've been here 25 years. I started in 2000 as a teacher, right after I graduated from Kansas State University, and I taught English and journalism and also did some team leadership,” Kappelmann said. “I later became an instructional coach and did that for four years, then I was an assistant principal for few years, and then I just finished my eighth year as the LHS principal. I also graduated from LHS, so I've spent A LOT of time in this building.”
Soon, Kappelmann will be moving from an office at LHS to an office at the USD 480 Central Office as the district’s new Director of Recruitment and Education. As Kappelmann tells it, discussions about creating such a position have been going on for a little while.
“There had been a retention and recruitment team of several people from around the district, and I was on that team, and there were also some different focus groups. Throughout those discussions, creating such a position came up several times and the question was 'Wouldn't it be great if there was someone who could be devoted to just this?' because we knew what the challenges were and knew there was a teaching shortage basically everywhere, especially in rural areas like ours,” Kappelmann said. “I've always been intrigued by that work, and I love Liberal and our schools and have always been passionate about helping other people see that. I always thought having such a position for USD 480 would be really cool and would really help, but I also loved being at LHS and being around the students and our staff and everyone else. Then, Mr. Richardson took the position to the board, which was approved, and then I visited with him shortly after that, and after that visit, I became really excited about the opportunity to serve in a different way and take on the challenge of not only growing our own staff in town but also bringing new people in. I feel like now was just the right time when everything came together. There had been past discussions a few years ago, but then it fell by the wayside because of other things that were going on throughout the district. I have to give credit to Mr. Richardson for seeing the importance of building a good culture and bringing in good staff, and he was able to make it happen.”
Admittedly, Kappelmann said the choice to apply for the position was not entirely easy.
“Even just putting my application in, that was kind of hard because again, I really love LHS and seeing everyone every day, and I've been here for 25 years, so it was kind of hard to think about leaving. But the team at LHS is in a really good place, the staff is in a good place, and the students are in a good place to really start building on what we've already been doing,” Kappelmann said. “I was also really excited and intrigued about the position and how it could help the district and the community, that's what made me really excited to accept the offer. I love Liberal, it has a great story, and I want to bring more people into it.”
And she has already started diving into the work, Kappelmann said.
“I'm really fortunate because everyone at the Central Office has been working on different ways and initiatives in terms of recruiting not just students for education but also for related fields and Career and Technical Education (CTE) fields,” Kappelmann said. “We're going to be talking to graduates who have an expertise in certain areas we know we could help get into an alternative teaching program to get their licensure. We also have several former office staff members who are now teachers and paraeducators, so we're also identifying people who would be good and telling them about certain programs and guiding them down that pathway to becoming a teacher. I get to build on that work and find even more innovative strategies to help with that, and I'm excited. The recruitment part of everything, and finding more effective ways to make Liberal unique, is definitely one thing, because there are teacher shortages in this area, so we have to make ourselves really stand out and also figure out some areas we could be targeting. Another part of the job I'm really looking forward to is the education part, and that involves not only growing from within, but also looking at staff and faculty we currently have and helping them see their own potential leadership skills. And not to say everyone has to be an administrator or in a titled leadership position, but we want everyone to see themselves as leaders in their own right, and I love that opportunity to bring out that potential in people and help them thrive so they know they're being valued and appreciated.”
Kappelmann added she definitely expects some challenges to come her way.
“Every school district is facing the same problems we are, especially in the more rural areas, but that really allows us to tell our story and what makes us so unique out here. We need to tap into that question of what will make people want to come and make them want to be in the profession,” Kappelmann said. “Another challenge is the education profession itself – teaching is a profession not spoken of as positively as it should be, and I feel like sometimes, we scare away people from our own profession. It's definitely a hard job, and it's definitely more of a calling, but I think we really have to shift the focus to why it's so rewarding and why it's worth it to become a teacher. It's definitely a community-wide effort, and everyone needs to support everyone, and we always emphasize to potential teachers how they will be supported if they come to USD 480. And Liberal is a great community, so that's also great.”
While she is excited for her new role, Kappelmann also admitted she will miss being at LHS.
“Every time I've thought about that, I see faces of staff and former students and everyone in between. In the 13 years I've been in the more administrative side of everything, I've played a part in hiring so many of the people here and then watching them grow and become such great leaders. I will miss seeing that on an everyday basis,” Kappelmann said. “I'll still get to visit all the buildings and see everyone, but not like I have been. The students are also amazing, and my favorite school holiday is Homecoming because I get to see the students lead the effort in so many aspects of that, and they all have such a great and memorable time with everything that happens, and I love being able to watch that. I'm still going to be part of all of that, but just in a different way.”
Overall, Kappelmann said, she is ready to get to work.
“I'm really excited for the opportunity to serve other buildings and principals and staffs in a different way. I'll definitely be at a ground level to serve and help them bring new teachers to their buildings and recognize the staff members who are already doing a great job,” Kappelmann said. “That's really exciting to think about, and again, I'm just really passionate about telling Liberal's story and telling people why they should come here and why it's a great community. I can't say enough how much I love Liberal and how much I love the schools, and I can't wait for other people to see it as I do. I can't wait to do that because USD 480 is so special – the students are special, the staff is special, and everyone just works so hard to make Liberal amazing. I'm so excited to be able to share that story.”
