Call to Action: The ALEC charter bill from last year is being heard in the Senate Education Committee Friday at 1:30 in Room 112-N. Please contact committee members and urge them to vote NO on Senate Bill 196. Here is the committee email list:
Steve.Abrams@senate.ks.gov, Tom.Arpke@senate.ks.gov, Anthony.Hensley@senate.ks.gov,Dan.Kerschen@senate.ks.gov, Jeff.Melcher@senate.ks.gov, Ralph.Ostmeyer@senate.ks.gov, Pat.Pettey@senate.ks.gov, Dennis.Pyle@senate.ks.gov, Vicki.Schmidt@senate.ks.gov, Caryn.Tyson@senate.ks.gov, Kay.Wolf@senate.ks.gov. Here is the Kansas bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/sb196_00_0000.pdf. Kansas already allows charter schools. This bill represents an attempt to create a new system for a rapid expansion of charter schools in Kansas, which has been attempted in other states. We have seen the results from those states, and we prefer that our legislature support the schools we already have rather than diverting funding to charter schools which will not serve all students.