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At a surprise ceremony at the Shawnee Mission School District’s Quill & Scroll ceremony April 16, Dr. Ryan Flurry was named that 2025 KSPA Administrator of the Year. Dr. Flurry currently serves at the Shawnee Mission School District’s CTE director and was an assistant principal at both Shawnee Mission West and Shawnee Mission South.

Judges for this award evaluates applicants in the following areas: support of  the Kansas Student Publications Act and the First Amendment, providing financial support for student media, understanding the importance of journalism’s place in a complete secondary school curriculum, encouraging academic and professional growth, both for students and for journalism teachers and providing personal support and encouragement for students and journalism advisers.

Words of nomination: 

Shawnee Mission North adviser Becky Tate praised Dr. Flurry’s continuous support of all the district’s journalism programs:

In his present role, Dr. Flurry’s support for scholastic journalism in Shawnee Mission has gone beyond what we’ve seen from so many building principals we’ve worked with. Ryan helps us secure time and funds to help our students become better journalists.This includes advocating for and securing technology and camera equipment for all five schools. In a district that eschews printers and has removed most of them, Ryan has worked to ensure that the journalism teachers and students have printers in their classrooms. He’s in a regular conversation with us to see what our needs are. He understands the kids deserve the best so they can produce the best.

Shawnee Mission West adviser Amy Morgan appreciated Flurry’s willingness to go above and beyond for the district’s advisers: 

In his role as director of Career and Technical Education, Ryan has leaned into the passion of the district’s advisers. We had been trying for years to do a workshop for middle school students in our district, but always ran into logistical challenges. Ryan gave us the space and resources to make it happen, just like he did for the district-wide journalism showcase night. When summer workshops were shut down in 2020 and 2021, Ryan made it possible for us to use district space to give our students a workshop experience. He is always open to new ideas and suggestions, and encourages innovation. Where most would ask “why?” he responds with “why not?” As a teacher, it is refreshing to feel so supported and validated. Dr. Flurry has provided support and validation for the journalism programs in our district.

Retired Shawnee Mission Northwest Susan Massy sums up Flurry’s influence on her career and classroom: 

Dr. Flurry was the only district administrator who regularly dropped by my classroom just to chat. He contacts each of us regularly to see how things are going and what we need. He is present and visible at the showcase and middle school workshop. He tries to help us work out busing problems to KSPA events and clears the way for us to travel to national conventions. He understands student press law in ways that no other district administrator has taken the time to do. He supports advisers and our students in the production of some of the best publications in the nation and he knows they are gaining marketable skills that they can use both now and in college and in the work world, whether they go into journalism or not.

Having a supportive administrator is key to helping journalism advisers build strong programs. It’s administrators like Dr. Ryan Flurry that make journalism in Kansas strong. We congratulate him on being named the 2025 Administrator of the Year.