Shawnee Mission Superintendent Jim Hinson was one of four panelists who joined host Brian Ellison of KCUR at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village Tuesday for an American Public Square panel discussion on how the changing face of neighborhoods in Kansas City has affected the education landscape here.
Among the topics Hinson covered was how the changing makeup of American society has influenced what issues he must focus on most in his role as superintendent. Noting that he had held the job of superintendent for 20 years — first in Granby, Mo., and then in Greenfield, Mo., and Independence, Mo., before coming to Shawnee Mission in 2013 — Hinson said in recent years the job has demanded more attention to issues outside the classroom.
“My role as a superintendent has changed to become far less of an educator, and far more of an individual that deals with community issues, legal issues, political issues and certainly fiscal issues,” Hinson said.
Full video of Hinson’s comments on the issue is embedded below:
Tuesday’s other panelists were Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James; Kristin Droege, Founding Executive Director, Citizens of the World Kansas City; and Mark Bedell, Superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools.
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