Jamie Vollmer provided a riveting diagnosis of ways to improve education at the first Star Partner Awards Luncheon.

Recognition of business leadership that supports education and a message of hope for public schools were highlights of the first annual Star Partner Award Luncheon May 14 at the Hilton Kansas City Airport.

Sponsored by the Northland Education & Business Alliance, the Star Partner Awards honored nine firms for their support of education in metropolitan Kansas City. The honors recognized programs from Briarcliff Development's efforts to help create a Northland campus for the Kansas City Art Institute to Thorton Tomasetti's scholarships and mentoring programs. Other Star Partner Award honorees were Cerner Corporation, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, North Kansas City Hospital, Platte Valley Bank, St. Luke's Northland, Barry Road Campus and the City of North Kansas City. Citizens Bank & Trust was also recognized although they declined to accept their recognition because they had already committed to sponsor the luncheon.

Featured speaker Jamie Vollmer Provided a dramatic roadmap for improving education in America, especially public schools. A former business owner and attorney, Vollmer brushed aside typical advice on “running schools like a business” or mythical golden ages.

“What we need to do is work to develop the schools that we need today,” he said. “But we cannot try to recreate something that never existed.”

Vollmer noted that while appropriate business models should be used, public education is especially different because educators cannot select their “raw ingredients.” Likewise, eras cited as educational highpoints are often anything but: in the 1950s, Missouri saw dropout rates average 50 percent, while the Midwest average in the 1920s was greater than 80 percent.

Formerly The Northland Education & Business Alliance, NEBA this year created the Star Partner Awards to recognize companies and community organizations whose involvement with students and schools expands educational opportunities and enhances the development of our future workforce. NEBA operates as part of the Clay County Economic Development Council.