Article 6, Section 2(a) of Kansas’ State Constitution provides for a State Board of Education which has general supervision of public schools, educational institutions and all the educational interests of the state, but for those delegated to the state board of regents. The Constitution requires that the State Board of Education consists of ten Members elected in partisan elections, each representing a State Board of Education district consisting of four State Senate districts. Presently there are four Democratic Members and six GOP Members.
District 6 is an “open,” newly reapportioned district, where Dr. Beryl New is the Democratic candidate. Dr. New has a decades long career in Kansas public education as an educator, a counselor, and an administrator. She believes that every child deserves a free and high-quality education where they can learn and grow in a nurturing environment. We invest in public schools not only
for the benefit of students, but also to support a mature, responsible, and civic-minded community.
Dr. New is confident that she will bring the experience needed at the State Board of
Education to support Kansas public education in this important time.
Before becoming a teacher, Dr. New was a student herself in Kansas schools. Born in Junction City, New graduated from Topeka High School. She earned her bachelor’s in secondary English
education and her master’s degree in school leadership at Washburn University, before going to
the University of Kansas in Lawrence to earn her Doctorate in educational administration. Dr.
New returned to Topeka High as an English teacher in 1988 before working briefly as both a
teacher and a counselor. In 2000, she began her career as a school administrator.
Dr. New recently retired from the Topeka Public Schools as the Director of Certified Personnel
and Equity. Before that, she served as assistant principal at Highland Park High School and then
as associate principal and assistant principal at Lawrence High School. She later returned to
Highland Park as principal to lead the school through an improvement plan that spanned over
multiple years. As principal at Highland Park, she administered a $7 million federal grant and is proud to see Highland Park students achieving a decades high graduation rate.
Now, Dr. New is running for the Kansas State Board of Education. She is running to represent District 6 is Democratic-leaning. It includes the urban areas of Topeka, Lawrence, Emporia, and Junction City, and rural Morris and Wabaunsee counties.
Dr. New is a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Kansas Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency. She is on the board of directors for Midland Care Hospice and SENT, a member of the NAACP, a co-chair on the Topeka Public Schools Equity Council. She has been active in Momentum 2022, the American Association of
School Personnel Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the
School Superintendents Association, and is active at her home church.
Please lend Dr. Beryl New a hand.
Donate now.
