Ask A Kansan

Ask A Kansan is a podcast where we're amplifying, connecting and uncovering stories across Kansas. Every week, Gus and Sydney sit down with the people who actually make this state run — museum directors and ranchers, founders and historians, zookeepers and woodcarvers. From Kansas City to Kinsley, WaKeeney to Wichita, we go where the story is. You'll leave each episode knowing something you didn't about the state we call home. It's not a history lecture and it's not a business show. It's a real conversation with a Kansan worth knowing. New episodes weekly. askakansan.com

Ask A Kansan is a society podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Ask A Kansan, a society show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #70

  Rebuilding Classrooms: Cathy Hopkins on Policy, Teachers & Change | Kansas Education

  Aug 17, 20261h 9m

  What happens when an entire education system hits a moment of collision — new leadership, new laws, and old habits all colliding at once? On this episode, we sit down with Cathy Hopkins, chair of the Kansas State Board of Education, to find out. From accreditation reform to the fight over cell phones in classrooms, Cathy pulls back the curtain on what's really happening inside Kansas schools right now — and why she believes the state is at a genuine turning point. We talk through the science of reading, why cursive handwriting is making a comeback, how one small district's cell phone policy quietly cut discipline problems in half, and what it actually takes for a rural community to rally around its school. Cathy also opens up about her own path — six kids, a stint away from Kansas that only confirmed it was home, and a run for the local school board she lost by just five votes before landing on the state board altogether. Highlights Cathy represents District 5 — 44 counties across western and northern Kansas — and breaks down how Kansas's 10 board districts are drawn around student population, not geography. Kansas has nearly 500,000 K-12 students, with wildly different district sizes — from under 100 students in some rural four-day-school districts to 45,000+ in Wichita's District 8. The "science of reading" and the shift from balanced literacy to structured literacy, including a new state requirement that elementary teachers and reading specialists be trained in structured literacy by July 2028. What the State Board of Education actually does: accreditation, teacher licensure, curriculum standards, and high school graduation requirements — while emphasizing local control. KESA (Kansas Education System of Accreditation) has shifted from a compliance-driven model to a support-driven school improvement model built around four fundamentals: structured literacy, standards alignment, balanced assessments, and quality instruction. The new "bell to bell" cell phone ban law, and Cathy's on-the-ground findings from talking to districts that banned phones early — including a near 50% drop in behavior issues and a surprise uptick in library book checkouts. A "Blue Ribbon Task Force" on screens met for over a year, gathering input from legislators, teachers, parents, and students before issuing recommendations. Cursive handwriting is officially coming back into Kansas standards, tied to research on how handwriting supports reading comprehension and brain development. Community involvement stories, including the Farm to Plate initiative connecting local farmers/ranchers with school lunch programs, and a district that saw a wave of community support after clips of a board meeting went viral on social media. Cathy's call for a "better narrative" around education amid a wave of upcoming leadership changes: a new state commissioner, a new KBOR director, a new governor, and a new speaker of the house. Chapters 0:00 – 1982 Wichita Time Capsule 4:25 – Meet Cathy Hopkins 5:10 – District 5 Explained 6:27 – Kansas School Sizes 8:37 – Cathy's Kansas Roots 11:42 – Leaving and Returning Home 13:27 – Joining the State Board 16:43 – Science of Reading Shift 23:35 – Board Role and KESA 26:59 – Cell Phone Ban Debate 31:35 – Screens Task Force and Local Control 35:53 – Law Enforcement and Certification 37:21 – Four Improvement Fundamentals 38:45 – Quality Instruction vs Tech 39:15 – Handwriting and Cursive Return 41:07 – Collaboration and Action Plans 44:23 – Community Involvement Examples 49:25 – Parents as First Teachers 51:59 – Host Reflection on Education 53:22 – Kansas History: School Gossip 55:54 – 1939 Classes and Film Reels 58:59 – 1900 Gossip Column Highlights 1:03:42 – 1920 Basketball and Saturday School 1:06:27 – Best Bits and Wrap-Up Resources Mentioned Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) Newspapers.com Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com ! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

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  Episode #69

  Guiding Kansas Kids' Futures with Hanna Mick

  Aug 10, 202659 min

  What does a school counselor actually do all day — and why does it matter more now than ever? Hanna Mick is an elementary school counselor in Topeka and a part-time consultant with the Kansas State Department of Education, and she's proof that the role goes far beyond what you see on TV. From launching a peer conflict-resolution program at recess to using AI for career exploration with kids as young as third grade, Hannah is redefining what it means to support students. She's also the Kansas School Counselor of the Year and a finalist for the national title — not that she got into education for the awards. This conversation will make you wish you'd had a counselor like her growing up. Highlights The difference between a "guidance counselor" and a school counselor — and why it matters Hanna's unexpected path from advertising to education (a soul-searching pivot she's never regretted) The Junior Coaches program: how sixth graders helping second graders at recess reduced office discipline referrals by 71–77% for some students Why by third grade, kids have already begun limiting their career ambitions based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status — and what counselors can do about it Using a school-approved AI tool to help students discover careers they never knew existed (e-sports manager, anyone?) Road Trip Nation: a free AI-informed platform that helps students cut through the "noise" and find their path The "two I's" framework for thinking about AI in schools: intention and impact Why teaching kids what cheating actually is in the age of AI is harder than it sounds Piper the therapy dog, the Paws and Claws project-based learning group, and a Humane Society partnership built by third graders Dartography debuts! Gus introduces a new segment using a dart and a cork-board Kansas map Chapters 0:00 – Stadium Renderings 2:06 – Podcast Intro: Education Month 2:42 – Meet Hanna Mick 4:09 – Kansas Roots and K-State 4:49 – From Advertising to Counseling 8:16 – What School Counselors Do 11:04 – Junior Coaches Recess Program 15:53 – Counselor of the Year Mindset 18:13 – AI in Schools: Basics 21:25 – Teaching AI Literacy and Cheating 28:08 – Therapy Dogs: Piper and Pickles 29:35 – Paws and Claws Project Learning 30:45 – Frontloading Expectations 31:20 – Piper Costume Project 32:00 – Humane Society Partnership 33:35 – Career Bias by Third Grade 36:15 – AI Career Discovery 40:41 – Road Trip Nation Tool 41:58 – Counselor of the Year (National) 46:08 – Post-Interview Reflections 46:58 – Dartography Segment Begins 50:05 – Cimarron County Seat Gunfight 51:33 – Sewell's Folly Canal 53:02 – Ingalls Name Connections & Laura Ingalls Wilder 55:57 – Dart Throw Results 57:53 – Episode Wrap-Up Resources Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) Conscious Discipline – Dr. Becky Bailey's podcast Character Strong Hanna Mick's website Road Trip Nation Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com ! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

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  Episode #68

  Strumming Success with Matt Gerry | Rocking Kansas

  Aug 3, 202643 min

  Do kids even want to learn a skill like playing the guitar? This week we sit down with Matt Gerry, the guitar and music teacher at South Middle School in Salina, whose 24-year journey has taken him everywhere from a Weezer-sponsored trip to Chicago to a Radio Disney commercial — and even a Grammy Music Educator Award nomination. Before we get to Matt, Sydney shares a heartwarming (and a little ironic) story about a Kansan TikToker helping out a fellow Kansan stranded far from home, and Gus reminisces about the Hanks and Joshes of the world who keep our cars running. Then Matt takes us through how he fell in love with guitar via his dad's old Gibson, built a guitar program from scratch against school-system red tape, won contests with Weezer and Mozart-inspired performances, got his students backstage with Collective Soul, and shared the stage with his own wife and daughter in Theatre Salina's School of Rock. Highlights: A Kansan TikToker (Weston, from Winfield) pulls over to help a stranded fellow Kansan in Colorado — without realizing it at first Matt Gerry shares how he fell in love with guitar playing his dad's Gibson from Kalamazoo, Michigan while performing in a school production of Grease The step-by-step story of building South Middle School's guitar program — from a grant-funded classroom set of guitars in 2003 to a dedicated guitar class in 2010, now serving 250 students a year Winning a Weezer video contest that led to a trip to Chicago and new classroom instruments Winning the Midwest region of a Mozart-themed contest, earning $7,500 for new guitars, followed by a Radio Disney Channel visit and commercial shoot Matt's involvement with the Stiefel Theatre's School of Music and getting students backstage with bands like Collective Soul Sharing the stage with his wife and daughter in Theatre Salina's production of School of Rock Being nominated for the Grammy Music Educator Award and making the quarterfinals Why Matt believes learning guitar in a group setting beats learning solo from YouTube Matt's big goal: becoming a clinician who trains other guitar teachers A nostalgic tangent about Salina radio stations, Weird Al Yankovic fan mail, and shared music memories from middle school Chapters: 0:00 – Scrolling TikTok Finds Weston 0:45 – Kansans Helping Kansans 2:32 – Brake Pads and Hank Stories 3:23 – Ask a Kansan Intro 4:52 – Meet Music Teacher Matt 6:04 – How Matt Found Guitar 7:42 – Choosing Music Education 9:04 – First Classroom Memories 11:47 – Building a Guitar Program 14:07 – Why Guitar Hooks Students 18:06 – Weezer Contest Goes Viral 19:30 – Fame and Disney Tease 20:16 – Mozart Contest Win 20:51 – Disney Channel Visit 21:42 – Family Support Grounding 22:18 – Stiefel Music School 24:03 – School of Rock Family 25:01 – Awards and Humility 25:52 – Church Music and Benefits 27:40 – Middle School Mindset 28:47 – Guitar Program Expansion 31:38 – Big Goals and Training 34:01 – Radio Nostalgia Tangent 35:41 – Teaching Dream Job 37:31 – Stories from a Hat Twist 42:22 – Episode Wrap and Merch Resources Mentioned: Salina Education Foundation: https://www.salinaeducationfoundation.com/ Teaching Guitar Workshops: https://teachingguitarworkshops.org/ Stiefel Theatre: https://www.stiefeltheatre.org/ KMEA (Kansas Music Educators Association): https://ksmea.org/ Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com ! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

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  Episode #67

  Banking on Kansas with Jeremy Hill

  Jul 27, 202642 min

  What if the Federal Reserve wasn't just a boring government agency setting monetary policy, but a mission-driven storyteller trying to make sense of your household budget? On this episode, Julie and Sydney sit down with Jeremy Hill, regional executive for the Kansas City Federal Reserve, to unpack what the Fed actually does, why manufacturing is quietly booming across Kansas, and how inflation is hitting some households harder than others. Jeremy breaks down the Fed's three core functions, explains the K-shaped economy squeezing lower and middle-income families, and shares surprising stories from the Kansas City Fed's money museum, the shredded-cash vault, and the fly-fishing origins of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. Plus, stick around for a fun round of Kansas Penny Pinchers, where Sydney and Julie swap money-saving confessions. Highlights The Federal Reserve has three main functions: monetary policy, bank supervision/regulation, and managing how cash physically moves through the economy. The K-shaped economy is splitting households into two groups — some doing better every year, others falling further behind due to inflation eating into fixed costs like rent, insurance, and car payments. Kansas's GDP is currently growing faster than the national average, driven largely by a manufacturing boom (aerospace, machinery, fabricated metals). Agriculture and energy sectors in Kansas are struggling, while manufacturing is picking up steam and creating wage pressure as firms compete for labor. The Kansas City Fed operates a free, public money museum where visitors can see the history of currency and even watch cash being shredded. The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, which draws central bank leaders from around the world, originated because a former Fed chair loved fly-fishing in Wyoming. The Fed is a semi-private organization with a public mission — it doesn't receive funding from Congress and instead earns revenue through banking services and its asset holdings. Jeremy describes economics as more art than math — piecing together abstract, nebulous signals to tell a bigger story about where the economy is heading. Chapters 0:00 – Kids Freezer Obsession 0:39 – Frozen Fruit Cup Logic 1:51 – Do Your Kids Do This 2:47 – Podcast Intro & New Co-Host 3:24 – Meet Jeremy Hill 4:20 – Jeremy's Role at the Fed 5:37 – Why Economics Clicked 6:41 – The Fed Explained Simply 7:36 – How Banks View the Fed 9:07 – Which Businesses He Visits 10:49 – Backbone Industries in Towns 12:08 – K-Shaped Household Strain 14:27 – Where the Data Comes From 16:29 – Money Museum and Cash Vault 18:18 – Why Money Gets Shredded 18:57 – Counterfeits and Secret Service 19:41 – Back to the Third Bucket 19:51 – Fed Mandate Explained 20:15 – Rates: Buyers vs. Savers 21:05 – Kansas Bootstrap Spirit 22:43 – Inside the Fed Culture 23:53 – How the Fed Funds Itself 25:10 – Kansas Roots and Career Path 27:26 – Economics as Art 28:34 – Kansas Economy Snapshot 30:52 – How Manufacturers Adapt 31:33 – Jackson Hole Symposium Story 33:23 – Where to Learn More 34:14 – Post-Interview Takeaways 34:51 – Kansas Penny Pinchers Game 40:25 – Wrap Up and Next Month Resources Mentioned Kansas City Federal Reserve Kansas City Federal Reserve's Money Museum — a free, public museum highlighting the history of currency Fetch app — a receipt-scanning app for earning points/gift cards Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com ! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

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  Episode #66

  Wildlife and Conservation with Ryan VanZant of the Rolling Hills Zoo | Wild Kansas

  Jul 20, 20261h 1m

  Why do the animals you fall in love with sometimes have to leave the zoo? This week we sit down with Ryan VanZant, executive director of Rolling Hills Zoo in Salina, and trace his winding path from a childhood obsessed with parakeets and parrots to falconry, movie animal training, and eventually leading one of the youngest zoos in the country. We get the real story behind the zoo's famous museum, hear about the massive new Tiger Falls habitat on the way, talk through the tough calls zoo staff make about animal welfare, and dig into why Kansas prairie ecosystems deserve just as much attention as the savannas of Africa. Plus, we've got some big personal news of our own, and we close things out with a new round of Stories from the Hat. Highlights Ryan VanZant shares his journey from breeding parakeets and parrots as a kid to training animals for movies to running zoos in Hutchinson and now Salina The real history of the Rolling Hills Zoo museum and its taxidermy collection — plus a rumor finally debunked Details on Tiger Falls, a major new habitat expansion for Amur tigers, snow leopards, and incoming red pandas The story behind Creed the baby rhino, named after Chiefs player Creed Humphrey, and how that story went viral An honest look at how zoos make difficult animal welfare and relocation decisions Why Kansas's native prairie ecosystems are disappearing faster than any other ecosystem type, and why that matters A rundown of upcoming Rolling Hills Zoo events like Zoo Brew, Safari Breakfasts, Silent Sundays, and Taste of Adventure A new round of "Stories from the Hat" with random prompts about hometown landmarks, guilty pleasure gas station snacks, and more Chapters 0:00 — Sydney's Big News 0:48 — Podcast Plans Ahead 1:30 — Meet Rolling Hills Zoo 2:39 — Ryan's Kansas Path 3:41 — Why This Zoo Location 4:39 — Childhood Animal Obsession 5:57 — Parakeets to Parrots 8:12 — Peregrines and DDT 10:24 — Falconry Life Explained 12:48 — Becoming Zoo Director 17:56 — Leading People Like Animals 19:15 — Rolling Hills Origin Story 24:10 — Funding and Conservation Work 26:29 — Inside the Museum 29:26 — Christmas Lights Feedback 30:19 — Holiday Lights Highlights 30:59 — Tiger Falls Expansion 34:37 — Viral Zoo Babies 36:44 — Animal Welfare Decisions 42:15 — Future of Modern Zoos 45:22 — Saving the Prairie 50:36 — Events and Visiting Tips 55:37 — Stories from the Hat 59:56 — Podcast Wrap and Thanks Resources Mentioned Sunflower Summer app - https://sunflowersummer.org/ Rolling Hills Zoo — https://www.rollinghillszoo.org/ H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com ! This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

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