By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
November 23 ,2011

Kansas City Public Schools gained a new board of education member Nov. 16.

Carl Evans, who was sworn in Nov. 16, will fill the Sub-District 6 seat, formerly held by Marilyn Simmons who resigned in June due to health reasons.

“I ran because I wanted to do something to support the community – not just Sub-District 6, but the community at large,” Evans told Northeast News. “I was excited because a lot of times we sit back and we hope things will get better, and that’s one thing. But, it’s another thing to hope things will get better by participating in making that happen.”

Evans has lived in the Kansas City area since 1962 and graduated from Lincoln High School, now Lincoln College Preparatory Academy.

Following graduation, Evans served in the military in Vietnam and Europe and later earned a bachelor’s degree in American history and education, and also earned a master’s degree in counseling and a Specialist in Secondary Education Administration.

Evans isn’t new to the school district. From 1973 to 1979, he worked as a math and social studies teacher at Chester Anderson, an alternative school.

He also has ties to Northeast High School, where he served as Student Adjustment Center coordinator, counselor, vice principal and program administrator.

Other past positions in the district include principal and interim principal.

Twenty-seven years ago, Evans founded his own T-shirt business, the T-Shirt King located at 12th and Brooklyn.

His son, Chris Evans and his wife, currently operate the business.

Asked to describe his goals for the school board, Evans said he’d like to see the board collaborate with parents, the community, stakeholders and the state “for the betterment of our children.”

“I also want to see the board become more involved in community activities and develop a policy that actually works for the benefit of not just our children, but for the community,” he said.

Evans wants to continue building partnerships and relationships within the community and its neighborhoods.

KCPS’ students must also be prepared to compete in a global economy, he said.

In terms of KCPS’ loss of accreditation, effective Jan. 1., Evans said he’s not “disillusioned” and remains optimistic.

However, he pointed out the school board has sometimes become too concerned about the happenings at school headquarters instead of focusing on “what’s happening to our teachers and staff out in the field.”

State Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro is expected to lay out a plan for KCPS Dec. 1.

“I know that there will be a decision for the district coming up on the first of December and you’re going to have some people that are going to be hurt and some people that are going to be disappointed. That’s expected,” he said. “We all can’t win in a situation like this.

“We’ll have to rise to the occasion, form partnerships and we have to dry our eyes and lick our wounds and move forward in continuing the partnership process to make this decision that the state is going to hand us work.”