Contact Information
Steve Joonas
Director of Special Education
Stuart Adminstrative Center
PO Box 97
807 Dexter
Clay Center,
KS
67432-2636
Ph: (785) 632-3176
Fax: (785) 632-5020
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Hello, my name is Steve Joonas and I have taken over as the Director of Special Education for the USD #379 school district and the Twin Lakes Educational Cooperative. I began this journey on July 1st and am looking forward to working with the special education staff members to provide the best services we can for the children and young adults across the cooperative.
The past nine years I was the superintendent of schools for USD#223 Barnes/Hanover/Linn. My family lives in Linn and my wife is the Parents as Teachers Coordinator for Washington County. I have three boys: Bryce is a junior and the twins, Bailey and Blaine, are freshmen. We enjoy spending time following them in their activities. As with most families of high school students, there is not much time for anything else.
I look forward to new and exciting challenges as I embark upon this endeavor. I have met many of the staff members and am impressed with their dedication and determination to provide your children with their very best. I have heard many good things about the staffs and have seen firsthand their caring attitudes. I am a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child and we have a strong village to help in that regard.
As we prepare for the start of yet another school year, I encourage each of you to become involved in your child’s education. They need your wisdom and experience to help guide them through these most important times. We can work together as a team to provide them the support they will need to succeed in their educational progress.
Please view our website to keep updated on items occurring throughout the cooperative. We are excited about the steps being made to continually progress as an organization and I will challenge our staff members to get better every day to help our young people succeed in today’s society. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns.
In closing, I will leave you with this short story from Zig Ziglar. Mr. Ziglar tells of a visit to the Washington monument. As he and his party approached the monument, he heard a guide announcing loudly that there would be a two-hour wait to ride the elevator to the top of the monument. However, with a smile on his face the guide then said, “There is no one waiting to go to the top if you are willing to take the stairs.” We must all be willing to take the stairs at times in order to achieve our goals.
Steve Joonas
TLEC Special Education Director