Darcy Kraus

Darcy Kraus, MA, is an independent educational consultant specializing in building and district-level leadership with over 37 years of experience. She serves as an adjunct professor for graduate leadership studies at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and as an undergraduate lecturer at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. Ms. Kraus also serves on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA) team for two districts within the state.

Ms. Kraus retired in 2021 as the Elementary Director for Lawrence Public Schools in Lawrence, KS. There she led a team of 14 principals focused on becoming stewards of instructional and engaging leadership. Prior to that, Ms. Kraus served as an elementary principal in Lawrence, KS. In both capacities, Ms.Kraus engaged in and provided professional development for topics related to building culture, curriculum coordination, instructional strategies, behavior management, tiered intervention, and leadership development. Ms. Kraus served on the Kansas State Department of Education Task Force and as a STEAM consultant at Copernic Kindergarten in Shanghai, China. She has presented at the National PBIS Leadership Forum and  Learning Forward Kansas.

Before joining Lawrence Public Schools in 2013, Ms.Kraus served 25 years in various roles and capacities in both Kansas and Illinois. As an Elementary Language Arts Consulting teacher, Title I Reading Liaison, and Instructional Coach, Ms.Kraus served in myriad educational settings ranging from inner-city urban to rural communities. She began her career in Olathe, KS as a second-grade teacher and served students in multiple grade levels throughout her tenure.  Kraus earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Kansas State University, her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and building licensure from Emporia State University, and district licensure from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.