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Independence, MO —
They have known each other for more than 20 years, first as teacher and student, then as colleagues. Chris Adams and Kim Lenger coach one of the most successful speech and debate teams in Eastern Jackson County.
“Kim was on the squad when I was teaching at Oak Park,” said Adams, who has been at Truman High School since 1998. “When it came time to expand our program here at Truman, she was one of the candidates that came in. I, of course, knew her background in high school, so I think that made her stand out. We work well together, which is great for the program and, of course, for us.”
Similar Paths
Both Adams and Lenger have followed similar roads when it comes to their career in education. Both were highly involved in their high school speech and debate teams, with Adams on the debate side at Lee’s Summit High School and Lenger in forensics at Oak Park. They both were national qualifiers. Adams, a 1980 graduate of Lee’s Summit High School qualified in extemporaneous and policy debate. She was also the 1980 state champion in extemporaneous speaking. Lenger, a 1994 graduate of Oak Park, qualified in humorous interpretation.
Both went to college with the intention of returning to the high school level to teach and coach. Adams was encouraged by a teacher to become a teacher. She attended the University of Kansas on a debate scholarship and received her master’s from Webster University.
Lenger attended Drury University in Springfield, Mo., receiving her master’s degree from St. Mary’s University in Leavenworth, Kan. She then went on to receive her specialist degree from William Woods College.
“I think we know each other better than most,” said Lenger about her relationship with Adams. “Our relationship is not like a lot of debate and forensics coaches. We are lucky to have two capable people on both sides of the program. We might not agree all the time, but that’s OK. What we can do is really anticipate each other’s thoughts.”
Coming Home to Truman
After graduating from college, Adams starting coaching at Center High School. In 1991, she left Center for Oak Park, where she taught and coached debate for three years. Then she decided to leave education for a while, working for a college publisher and then for the Kaufman Foundation for one year. Through a fateful meeting with a former Truman debate coach, she decided she wanted to get back into education.
“I started working with kids again as part of the foundation’s citizen initiative,” she said. “Then I ran into Mike Jeffers, who was a vice-principal at Truman at the time, and they had an opening for a debate coach. It really was fate, and I was happy as a clam.”
Adams said when she started at Truman, the previous coach was “very much a drama and theater person,” leaving that side of the program in great shape. However, she said, she felt the debate side had slightly suffered. There was not that depth of knowledge that is needed when competing.
“They were hungry for success, but they needed the tools,” she said. “In that first year, I only qualified students in dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation and one duo team. Nothing in public speaking. To this day, I wish I had had those seniors just a little bit longer. They were continuing to grow and just didn’t have enough time.”
In only 18 months, the speech and debate program had grown so much that the district was ready to split debate and forensics. That is where Lenger entered the picture.
Lenger said it was her mother who encouraged her to teach, continuing with forensics beyond high school. Once that decision was made, she said, she never wavered.
“When I was in high school, trying to decide what I wanted to be, I asked my mother what she thought,” she said. “My mother said, ‘you like forensics and theater. Just do that.’ It was that simple.”
Both Adams and Lenger got a taste of teaching in high school when their own coaches had them help middle school students. Adams was a debate coach for a middle school club, while Lenger was a teacher’s aide during her senior year in high school. Now as coaches themselves, they send students to Bridger and Bingham middle schools during the week, so that their students have that same experience.
“I think what is great for us is the middle school speech program,” Adams said. “We are really starting to pick up some quality students and the interest level is good. Both of the schools have teams that compete, so kids come to us with a little bit of knowledge about what goes on at tournaments.”
Sarah Corkins, the speech teacher at Bridger Middle School, said the goal of the middle school program is to give students the opportunity to become more comfortable speaking and performing in front of people. Although it serves as a recruiting tool, she believes Adams and Lenger had great programs before the middle school program came along.
“I would consider myself blessed if my children had teachers that were as dedicated, talented and caring as Chris and Kim,” she said. “Many of their students have expressed how much they have not only enjoyed their teachers, but how they knew if they needed help not only in school, but with any problem they had, Chris and Kim would be there for them.”
Adams said those experiences that both she and Lenger had in high school have given them unique insight into preparing their students for the national level.
“Both of us know what it takes to reach that level of excellence (because both were national qualifiers),” she said. “We have an idea of how the judges will judge at that level, so we have a better idea of what it takes to prepare students.”
They have known each other for more than 20 years, first as teacher and student, then as colleagues. Chris Adams and Kim Lenger coach one of the most successful speech and debate teams in Eastern Jackson County.
“Kim was on the squad when I was teaching at Oak Park,” said Adams, who has been at Truman High School since 1998. “When it came time to expand our program here at Truman, she was one of the candidates that came in. I, of course, knew her background in high school, so I think that made her stand out. We work well together, which is great for the program and, of course, for us.”
Similar Paths
Both Adams and Lenger have followed similar roads when it comes to their career in education. Both were highly involved in their high school speech and debate teams, with Adams on the debate side at Lee’s Summit High School and Lenger in forensics at Oak Park. They both were national qualifiers. Adams, a 1980 graduate of Lee’s Summit High School qualified in extemporaneous and policy debate. She was also the 1980 state champion in extemporaneous speaking. Lenger, a 1994 graduate of Oak Park, qualified in humorous interpretation.
Both went to college with the intention of returning to the high school level to teach and coach. Adams was encouraged by a teacher to become a teacher. She attended the University of Kansas on a debate scholarship and received her master’s from Webster University.
Lenger attended Drury University in Springfield, Mo., receiving her master’s degree from St. Mary’s University in Leavenworth, Kan. She then went on to receive her specialist degree from William Woods College.
“I think we know each other better than most,” said Lenger about her relationship with Adams. “Our relationship is not like a lot of debate and forensics coaches. We are lucky to have two capable people on both sides of the program. We might not agree all the time, but that’s OK. What we can do is really anticipate each other’s thoughts.”
Coming Home to Truman
After graduating from college, Adams starting coaching at Center High School. In 1991, she left Center for Oak Park, where she taught and coached debate for three years. Then she decided to leave education for a while, working for a college publisher and then for the Kaufman Foundation for one year. Through a fateful meeting with a former Truman debate coach, she decided she wanted to get back into education.
“I started working with kids again as part of the foundation’s citizen initiative,” she said. “Then I ran into Mike Jeffers, who was a vice-principal at Truman at the time, and they had an opening for a debate coach. It really was fate, and I was happy as a clam.”
Adams said when she started at Truman, the previous coach was “very much a drama and theater person,” leaving that side of the program in great shape. However, she said, she felt the debate side had slightly suffered. There was not that depth of knowledge that is needed when competing.
“They were hungry for success, but they needed the tools,” she said. “In that first year, I only qualified students in dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation and one duo team. Nothing in public speaking. To this day, I wish I had had those seniors just a little bit longer. They were continuing to grow and just didn’t have enough time.”
In only 18 months, the speech and debate program had grown so much that the district was ready to split debate and forensics. That is where Lenger entered the picture.
Lenger said it was her mother who encouraged her to teach, continuing with forensics beyond high school. Once that decision was made, she said, she never wavered.
“When I was in high school, trying to decide what I wanted to be, I asked my mother what she thought,” she said. “My mother said, ‘you like forensics and theater. Just do that.’ It was that simple.”
Both Adams and Lenger got a taste of teaching in high school when their own coaches had them help middle school students. Adams was a debate coach for a middle school club, while Lenger was a teacher’s aide during her senior year in high school. Now as coaches themselves, they send students to Bridger and Bingham middle schools during the week, so that their students have that same experience.
“I think what is great for us is the middle school speech program,” Adams said. “We are really starting to pick up some quality students and the interest level is good. Both of the schools have teams that compete, so kids come to us with a little bit of knowledge about what goes on at tournaments.”
Sarah Corkins, the speech teacher at Bridger Middle School, said the goal of the middle school program is to give students the opportunity to become more comfortable speaking and performing in front of people. Although it serves as a recruiting tool, she believes Adams and Lenger had great programs before the middle school program came along.
“I would consider myself blessed if my children had teachers that were as dedicated, talented and caring as Chris and Kim,” she said. “Many of their students have expressed how much they have not only enjoyed their teachers, but how they knew if they needed help not only in school, but with any problem they had, Chris and Kim would be there for them.”
Adams said those experiences that both she and Lenger had in high school have given them unique insight into preparing their students for the national level.
“Both of us know what it takes to reach that level of excellence (because both were national qualifiers),” she said. “We have an idea of how the judges will judge at that level, so we have a better idea of what it takes to prepare students.”
Becoming More Competitive
Since Adams and Lenger came to Truman, they have had more than 100 students qualify for the National Speech and Debate Tournament. In 2012, they will have two returning qualifiers, thanks to the National Forensics League’s new automatic qualifier rule – Deon Cummings and Michael Coen.
Both agree that their competitiveness at the national level has increased the past couple of years because of a change in state rules, allowing squads in Missouri to compete at national tournaments beyond the regular competition season.
“The rule change (from the Missouri State High School Activities Association) has allowed us to go to one tournament before the end of the official season and when school ends in May,” Adams said. “That has given students more national exposure and has deepened our level of competitiveness.”
Lenger said the rule change made by MSHSAA has been “huge.” She said she believes it was made because so many people statewide lobbied for this opportunity for years.
“We are very lucky that we have a lot of support from not only administrators at Central Office, but here at the school,” she said. “They know how important this program is for kids and that the money is being well invested. Having that kind of support is crucial.”
Adams and Lenger admit the travel is expensive. The varsity squad goes to several competitions out of state including one in Washington, D.C. The squads are giving a certain budget every year, and it is their job to spend it to their program’s best advantage. Lenger said that is not the case with many squads.
“We know some squads that can only go to one tournament a month or are already done for the year because they have been restricted,” she said. “We budget wisely throughout the year to give our students the best experiences.”
It’s All a Balance
With 150 students between the two squads, Adams and Lenger are kept busy during the year. The season starts in October and continues through March, with nationals in June. Adams is also the coach for the Mock Trial team, which practices and/or competes two days each week for five months during the year. Both said it can be a challenge to balance life at Truman and at home.
“I just started bringing my kids with me on trips,” said Lenger, who has three children – Clarissa, Kage and Kayley. “I have really blended work with family. They come with me, and they form friendships with the students. Sometimes they take it harder when someone graduates than I do.”
Adams’ husband, Michael Bushnell, is also a frequent face at the tournaments. He often volunteers his time as a judge.
“I have no children of my own, but I am lucky to have married an incredible, supportive and proud husband,” Adams said. “He has really become a part of the debate community. My mom even asks how my kids did every weekend.”
Adams said the number one thing she hopes her students learn is resiliency. She said she believes they will learn far more from failing than by winning all the time.
“I want them to be independent learners,” she said. “All I can do is equip them with what they need to know. I am not like a basketball coach standing on the sidelines shouting their next move. They have to be the ones to carry it out when they get into the rounds.”
Lenger said she wants to prepare students for the criticism they will endure from the judges. She said it is not easy to interpret every comment from a judge and some can be harsh.
“If they can take that with them, the ability to take criticism and talk to adults, then I am happy,” she said. “Those are important skills to take into the real world.”
At the end of the day, though, it comes down to the students and helping them be successful.
Lenger said she believes that the relationship she has with her counterpart has helped to make Truman a team to contend with at every tournament.
“I think we complete each other. We know each other so well,” she said. “Somethings I do well, somethings she does well. We don’t always agree, but the end result is always the same. It is all about the kids.”
