About Beryl

Dr. Beryl New has a decades long career in Kansas public education as an educator, a counselor,
and an administrator. She believes that every child deserves a free and high-quality education
where they can learn and grow in a nurturing environment. We invest in public schools not only
for the benefit of students, but also to support a mature, responsible, and civic-minded
community. Dr. New is confident that she has the experience needed at the State Board of
Education to support Kansas public education in this important time.

Before becoming a teacher, Dr. New was a student herself in Kansas schools. Born in Junction
City, New graduated from Topeka High School. She earned her bachelor’s in secondary English
education and master’s degree in school leadership at Washburn University, before going to
the University of Kansas in Lawrence to earn her Doctorate in educational administration. Dr.
New returned to Topeka High as an English teacher in 1988 before working briefly as both a
teacher and a counselor. In 2000, she began her career as a school administrator.

Dr. New recently retired from the Topeka Public Schools as the Director of Certified Personnel
and Equity. Before that, she served as assistant principal at Highland Park High School and then
as associate principal and assistant principal at Lawrence High School. She later returned to
Highland Park as principal to lead the school through an improvement plan that spanned over
multiple years. As principal at Highland Park, she administered a $7 million federal grant and is
proud to see Highland Park students achieving a decades high graduation rate.
Now, she is running for the Kansas State Board of Education. She is running to represent District
6 which includes the urban areas of Topeka, Lawrence, Emporia, and Junction City, and rural
Morris and Wabaunsee counties.

Dr. New is a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Kansas
Advisory Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency. She is on the board of directors for
Midland Care Hospice and SENT, a member of the NAACP, a co-chair on the Topeka Public
Schools Equity Council. She has been active in Momentum 2022, the American Association of
School Personnel Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the
School Superintendents Association, and is active at her home church.