We’ve become aware that Dave Trabert of the Kansas Policy Institute has been participating in several Johnson County-based “let them play” and “let them learn” type groups and their Facebook pages. We would like to remind our team members that Dave and KPI have been on the opposite side of almost every issue we have addressed including funding for schools, vouchers, tax credit “scholarships,” tax policy (as in bringing in enough taxes to fund schools and other essential services), and even most ironically, funding extracurricular activities (we supported it, he did not). KPI is a Koch-funded group that opposes adequate taxation, public education and other public services. Dave’s now-adult children grew up in Andover, and he has no children in SMSD, Blue Valley or Olathe schools. We also note that the solutions Dave has been proposing include cutting funding for our schools if their students aren’t in in-person class full-time, and giving vouchers to families who want to move to private school during the pandemic. How is that going to help our students, our teachers and our school districts? We are going to be sharing some information, and if you are your friends are in these groups, please share. This morning we’re posting a video, “Bikini Statistics and the Kansas Policy Institute.” In education and other contexts, KPI and Dave share data that is in some form pulled from accurate sources, but is then recategorized, relabeled and otherwise manipulated. When you see data from them, you should note whether the data is in the original form from the original source or “repackaged” and you should be skeptical. We shared this video back in 2012 when it was created. The specific information is dated, but the game remains the same. “Statistics are like a bikini; what they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.” – Aaron Levenstein https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSiMtOq2rY#hiddenagenda