[00:00:00] **Announcer:**
It’s time to get in the loop with LPS, the official podcast of Liberty Public Schools. From the latest school and district news updates on various district hot topics and opportunities to meet all of those that help make LPS great, *In the Loop with LPS* is here to provide yet another opportunity for us to stay connected with you.

[00:00:22] **Announcer:**
So let’s get started and send you to the longtime Director of Communications with Liberty Public Schools and your host of *In the Loop with LPS*, Dallas Ackerman.

[00:00:34] **Dallas Ackerman:**
We welcome everyone back. This is *In the Loop with LPS*. I’m your host, Dallas Ackerman, and we are so glad to be joined this month by our Board of Education president. Her name is Angie Reed, and it’s only fitting to have her with us as it is Board of Education Appreciation Month. Ms. Reed, so glad to have you come in and spend a few minutes with me.

[00:01:08] **Angie Reed:**
Thanks, Dallas, for having me. It is nice that it’s Board Appreciation Month. It’s nice to be appreciated.

[00:01:15] **Dallas Ackerman:**
We absolutely appreciate you and your six teammates on the Board of Education. I have to tell you, there are some interviews where I jot down questions because I’m worried we may run out of content. I have a pretty strong feeling we’re going to cover 25 or 30 minutes with ease without even needing a script.

[00:01:48] **Angie Reed:**
Well, I taught in the district from 2006 to 2013, but we moved to Liberty specifically for the school district back in 1994.

[00:02:03] **Dallas Ackerman:**
I want to take us back a little bit. We’ve been celebrating our recognition luncheons, including Support Employee of the Year. We sent questionnaires out to nominees, and we learned so much about their journeys. We did something similar with the board, and I’d like to do that with you. Take us back to where Angie Reed grew up.

[00:03:13] **Angie Reed:**
I grew up in a little town called Ludlow, Kentucky. My grandfather was a railroad engineer for the Southern Railroad, which had a big depot there. I lived there for the first 17 years of my life, then went to college, got married, and married a military guy.

[00:03:37] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Your husband Randy.

[00:03:38] **Angie Reed:**
My husband Randy.

[00:03:39] **Dallas Ackerman:**
And not *that* Randy Reed — the auto guy.

[00:03:45] **Angie Reed:**
No cars coming my way. We were stationed in Colorado Springs, Nuremberg, Germany, and Fort Leonard Wood. That’s how we ended up in Missouri. We had two children — Danielle, a 2004 Liberty High School graduate who now lives in Phoenix as a college professor in speech and language pathology, and Kelli, who was born in Waynesville and is now an architect living in North Kansas City.

[00:04:48] **Angie Reed:**
When Randy left the military, we chose Kansas City. I have a special education degree, so finding work was easier for me. We looked in Liberty because of the school district. I started teaching at Fort Osage before coming to Liberty.

[00:05:13] **Dallas Ackerman:**
When did you know you wanted to get into education?

[00:05:16] **Angie Reed:**
Probably in grade school. I worked with children with cognitive impairments at a camp and decided I wanted to be a special education teacher. Special education wasn’t required in the 60s and 70s, but I chose Eastern Kentucky University because of its strong program.

[00:06:03] **Dallas Ackerman:**
You taught almost three decades and have now been retired for over a decade. How has education changed?

[00:06:43] **Angie Reed:**
It’s crazy different. When I was a student, classrooms were small, sometimes multi-grade, and students were expected to be quiet. We’ve moved to student-centered learning where kids explain their thinking. I learned so much from my students — even simple things like multiplication tricks. Seeing today’s classrooms with collaboration and movement is amazing.

[00:10:04] **Dallas Ackerman:**
You eventually came to Liberty Public Schools. Talk about that journey.

[00:10:29] **Angie Reed:**
I started at Fort Osage teaching high school special education, which terrified me at first. But relationships mattered just as much as in elementary school. I later became a process coordinator and eventually came to Liberty in 2006. I taught eighth-grade math at the junior high, which was a great place to teach.

[00:12:27] **Dallas Ackerman:**
How difficult was the decision to retire?

[00:12:43] **Angie Reed:**
I knew it was time. With middle school reconfiguration and changes in special education paperwork, I felt at peace with the decision. I never regretted it, though I still substitute taught because I loved teaching.

[00:14:46] **Dallas Ackerman:**
There wasn’t much time between retirement and your decision to run for the board.

[00:15:07] **Angie Reed:**
I always believed school boards need educators. I retired in 2013 and ran in 2014. I enjoy bringing that perspective.

[00:16:20] **Angie Reed:**
Our board has a great balance — attorneys, engineers, marketing professionals, and educators. Different perspectives help us make better decisions for students.

[00:18:57] **Dallas Ackerman:**
What surprised you most about serving on the board?

[00:18:57] **Angie Reed:**
Learning to take off my teacher hat and put on my board hat. It’s a volunteer role, and decisions are made collectively. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy it.

[00:20:12] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Did you expect to serve this long?

[00:20:12] **Angie Reed:**
I didn’t, but I approach it the same way I did teaching — I’ll do it as long as I’m passionate about it.

[00:21:28] **Dallas Ackerman:**
What accomplishments stand out to you?

[00:21:28] **Angie Reed:**
The evolution of innovative programs like EPiC, graduate profiles, and preparing students for careers that don’t even exist yet. It’s about lifelong learning starting in kindergarten.

[00:23:32] **Dallas Ackerman:**
We’re nearing our time, but let’s talk about board elections and service.

[00:24:28] **Angie Reed:**
Time commitment is the biggest factor. Meetings, walkthroughs, and community involvement take time, but it’s worth it. The fact that some elections are uncontested shows satisfaction and engagement in other ways.

[00:27:55] **Dallas Ackerman:**
During Board Appreciation Month, what does recognition mean to you?

[00:27:55] **Angie Reed:**
It means a lot. I keep the cards and notes. We don’t do it for praise, but it’s nice to know people appreciate the work.

[00:28:39] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Time for three random questions. Lunch with anyone, past or present?

[00:28:55] **Angie Reed:**
Pete Rose.

[00:29:34] **Dallas Ackerman:**
If you could travel anywhere?

[00:29:34] **Angie Reed:**
A train ride across Canada or the Rockies.

[00:30:08] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Who do you credit most for your success?

[00:30:19] **Angie Reed:**
My mom. She was kind, patient, and an incredible role model.

[00:31:36] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Angie Reed, our Board of Education president — thank you for all you do for Liberty Public Schools.

[00:31:41] **Dallas Ackerman:**
Thanks for listening, and we’ll look forward to talking with you again next time.

[00:31:54] **Announcer:**
Thanks for choosing to spend a few minutes with us and getting in the loop with LPS. This has been a production of the Liberty Public Schools Communications Office.

[00:32:21] **Announcer:**
For more about this podcast and all you need to know about LPS, visit lps53.org.