Education First Shawnee Mission Introduces New Chair, Prepares for 2018 Legislative Races

Posted on February 5, 2018

February 5, 2018 (Overland Park, Kan.) – Education First Shawnee Mission (EFSM), a Political Action Committee (PAC) and parent advocacy group for the Shawnee Mission School District, has announced Megan Peters has been appointed its new Chair.

“I am privileged to serve the Shawnee Mission community as Chair of Education First Shawnee Mission,” said Peters. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the work we have done in the past year to get more pro-public education candidates elected to the Shawnee Mission School Board, and I look forward to a busy year doing the same for the 2018 state legislative races.”

Peters is a founding member of EFSM and will bring her background as a marketing professional and small business owner to the Chair position. She is the owner of August Light Studio, a photography studio in Kansas City, and mother to two children enrolled in the Shawnee Mission Schools. Peters has also served as member of her elementary school’s PTA Board. EFSM, which is comprised of parents, alumni, and community members in the Shawnee Mission School District, was formed in early 2017. After a successful year, where all three candidates endorsed by EFSM were successfully elected to the Shawnee Mission Board of Education, the group is looking forward to the Kansas 2018 legislative races, where 13 Shawnee Mission area seats in the State House of Representatives will be up for election.

“Our legislature made progress in the 2017 session when it comes to school funding, but there is still much to do,” said Peters. “We must continue to invest in our state by fully funding our public schools and giving every child the education they are promised by the Kansas Constitution.”

EFSM will be endorsing candidates in the 2018 legislative races after the June 2018 filing deadline. Concern regarding outside interest groups, school funding, tax policy, privatization and transparency will all be weighted in the selection of endorsements. EFSM’s positions on these issues can be found at educationfirstshawneemission.org/issues/legislative_issues/.