Kearney School District Superintendent Dr. Emily Miller was recently honored by the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) for her outstanding performance as an Emerging Superintendent.
Miller was nominated for the award by colleagues in MASA’s Greater Kansas City region. She accepted the honor during the Annual Awards Banquet at the MASA Spring Conference in Lake Ozark, Missouri in March.
The award is presented annually to individuals who are in their second or third year of employment as superintendent and have contributed to the school district that they serve, according to MASA Executive Director David Luther. Only eight superintendents in the entire state received the award this year.
“I know that everyone on the school board is very pleased that Miller is being recognized by her peers with this award,” Board of Education President Darlene Bailey said. “We see her outstanding leadership, thoughtful approach and careful planning every day. This honor is well deserved.”
Miller has served as KSD’s superintendent since July 1, 2022. Highlights of her term so far include leading the district’s long-term strategic planning process, overseeing the completion of the Proposition B zero-tax-rate-increase capital improvement bond projects, expanding and deepening Kearney’s Project Based Learning and Real World Learning opportunities for students, and focusing teaching and learning on authentic literacy.
Before joining Kearney School District, Miller was the assistant superintendent of operational services for Lee’s Summit R-7 School District (LSR7), a position she first started in 2018. She was the interim superintendent for the 2019-2020 academic year. She served as LSR7’s assistant superintendent of special services for six years, following terms as director of special education at Santa Ynez Valley Special Education Consortium and Harrisonville Cass R-IX School District. She began her career in education as a special education teacher at Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia.
Miller has a Bachelor of Arts in History from George Mason University, a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development from George Washington University and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University.