A Short History of K.A.M.S.A

by Chuck Golladay and John Sanborn

The   Kansas Association of Middle School Administrators, or K.A.M.S.A., was founded in 1987 by a group of middle school principals who felt the need to have some camaraderie with administrators who work with 5th through 9th graders. The person who is given credit for starting the "grassroot" organization is Mike Hall, principal of Atwood Middle School, Atwood, Kansas. In September of 1987, Mike sent out a letter to all middle school principals inquiring if there was any interest in a state organization. The first annual meething and constitutional convention was held at Salina South Junior Hight School in Salina, Kansas, on December 11 and 12, 1987. It was at this meeting that the organizational structure was drafted and a Board of Directors was established. At that time the organization was called K.A.M.S.P., or Kansas Association of Middle School Principals. The first Board of Directors met on January 27, 1988, during the U.S.A. Convention in Wichita, Kansas.

 

Among the early K.A.M.S.A. pioneers who helped Mike Hall establish this organization were Bob Overstreet, Jeff West Middle School, Ozawakie; Monica Davenport, Atchison County-Effingham; Steve Wycoff, Rose Hill Middle School; Francis Karlin, Colby Middle School; Bill Swendson, Herington Middle School and Terry Duntz, Sabetha Middle School.

In the first couple of years, the infant organization had to fight an uphill battle to be recognized by the other well established organizations in the state, such as the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals (K.A.S.S.P.), the Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals (K.A.E.S.P.) and the Kansas Association of Middle Level Educators (K.A.M.L.E.). Understandably this new organization did raise some well founded concerns among the established organizations. There were concerns that K.A.M.S.A., would steal members from their membership rolls, thus weakening their organizations. Others voiced the opinion that middle level administrators' needs were already being met in the K.A.S.S.P., K.A.E.S.P., and K.A.M.L.E.

In May, 1990, U.S.A. (United School Administrators of Kansas) welcomed K.A.M.S.A., as the ninth association to join the umbrella organization. A lot of credit should go to Monica Davenport for her tireless work to help bring about the recognition of K.A.M.S.A. by U.S.A. Since then the organization is continuing to grow as a viable fraternity of school administrators who share a unique set of challenges. At present, K. A. M.S.A. has over 144 members.

In the fall of 1992, K.A.M.S.A. instituted the K.A.M.S.A. Principal of the Year Award. The purpose of the award is to recognize a middle school principal who exemplifies the standards of excellence expected in a Middle School Principal. Candidates for the award are nominated by their middle school peers. A committee, appointed by the President, select the winner. In January, 1994, at the United School Administrators Convention at Wichita, Kansas, Terry Duntz, Sabetha Middle School, became the first recipient of the K.A.M.S.A. Principal of the Year Award. In 1998, K.A.M.S.A. began recognizing Middle School Assistant Principals. The first recipient of the K.A.M.S.A. Assistant Principal of the Year Award was Don Krouse, Paola Middle School.

Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year the position of Executive Director was added. This
eliminated the position of Secretary/Treasurer. John Sanborn was selected as the first KAMSA
Executive Director. Also during that school year, the District Representative positions were expanded to
include a second representative from each district. The First Annual KAMSA Spring Conference was
held that year in Salina with approximately 80 attendees.

In 2005 KAMSA installed a display case in Visser Hall at Emporia State University. They now are
represented the same way as KAESP and KASSP at the Teachers College. In 2009 the position of Vice
President was added. That person will then move to President-Elect and then KAMSA President.


PAST  K.A.M.S.A. PRESIDENTS
1988-89 Monica Davenport                       1996-97 Robb Ross                     2004-05 Sue Givens
1989-90 Monica Davenport                       1997-98 Marietta Gray                 2005-06 Jim Krone
1990-91 Francis Karlin                             1998-99 Rick Shaffer                    2006-07 Mike Maurer
1991-92 Sue Thompson                            1999-00 John Sanborn                 2007-08 Steve Woolf
1992-93 Charlie Bray                                2000-01 Don Krouse                   2008-09 Doug Baber
1993-94 Bob McVicker                             2001-02 Rick Riffel                    2009-10 George Leary
1994-95 Jerry Pittman                                2002-03 Tod Gordon                  2010-11 Bruce Krase
1995-96 Chuck Golladay                          2003-04 Dave Novack                 2011-12 Jill Dickerson

 

 


K.A.M.S.A. PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

1993-94 Terry Duntz                                     2001-02 John Sanborn
Sabetha Middle School                                 Chapman Middle School

1994-95 Steve Woolf                                     2002-03 Barbara Albright
Ottawa Middle School                                   Ft. Scott Middle School

1995-96 Bill Scott                                          2003-04 Chuck Golladay
Burlington Middle School                             Louisburg Middle School

1996-97 Dick McCall                                    2004-05 Robb Ross
Pratt-Liberty Middle School                          Colby Middle School

& Bob Wilson                                                 2005-06 Kathleen Sooter
Pittsburg Middle School                                 Seaman-Logan Jr. High School

1997-98 Curtis Beer                                        2006-07 Ferrell Miller
Liberal-South Middle School                         Junction City Middle School

1998-99 Lola Lowen                                      2007-08 Bruce Krase
Ell-Saline Jr/Sr. High School                         Remington Middle School

1999-00 Steve Fleer                                         2008-09 Jim Krone
Spring Hill Middle School                              Atchison Middle School

2000-01 Ray Tucker
Salina-South Middle School

 

K.A.M.S.A. Assistant Principal of the Year

1998-99 Don Krouse                                                2004-05 Annie Diederich
Paola Middle School                                                Seaman-Logan Jr. High School

1999-00 Sid Tanner                                              2005-06 Ernest Sweat
Liberal-South Middle School                                  Wichita-Hadley Middle School

2000-01 Tim Kuhn                                                2006-07 Todd Fredrickson
Pratt-Liberty Middle School                                    Buhler-Prairie Hills Middle School

2001-02 Kenny Kellstad                                       2007-08 Mary Wright
Anderson County Jr. High School                           Junction City Middle School

2002-03 Dan Welch                                              2008-09 Carmen Schaefer
Osawatomie Middle School                                     Ottawa Middle School

2003-04 Steve Johnson
Holcomb Middle School