KU News Release

KU School of Education honors more than 880 Kansas teachers

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LAWRENCE — The School of Education at the University of Kansas has recognized more than 880 Kansas teachers with certificates honoring them for 25 years or more of service in education.

Two teachers honored this year each have more than 40 years of service in education in Kansas.

Jerry Amos, a secondary school teacher from Kiowa, was recognized for 45 years of service in Kansas. He teaches in the South Barber County District 255. Robert Runnebaum, secondary school principal from Kansas City, Kan., was honored for a total of 42 years of service in Kansas. He is a principal in the Piper school district 203.

“Teaching is such a vitally important career, that it is our privilege to recognize these individuals who have dedicated their lives to working with students,” said Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education. “As an educator and parent, I know how significant teachers are in the lives of our children. It is an honor for the School of Education to offer this small gesture of appreciation to the fine teachers across the state of Kansas who have devoted their professional careers to the field.”

Leavenworth’s Richard L. Karnosky, who teaches middle school, was honored for 40 years of teaching service, and three more teachers were honored for 39 years of teaching: Jerry Arthurs of Frontenac, who teaches secondary school in Pittsburg; Harry A. Elder of St. Joseph, Mo., who teaches and serves as an administrative assistant for the Elwood, Kan., district 486l; and Jo Tharp of Liberal, who teaches elementary school.

KU’s School of Education annually asks Kansas school district officials to recommend educators who should receive recognition. Certificates are issued based on responses from individual districts statewide; some school districts do not participate in the recognition program.

Teachers who received certificates are listed below by USD or interlocal number, district home county, USD or interlocal number, the district name, their names, total years of service and years of service in Kansas, the teacher’s home city, position and area of teaching or administration.

The school districts represent 83 of the 105 counties in Kansas: Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Ellsworth, Finney, Franklin, Geary, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harvey, Haskell, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson and Wyandotte.

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