We post this article because Kansas is part of this trend, and any discussion on education spending and outcomes in Kansas needs to include the increasing numbers of Kansas students in poverty. Instead of the story line told my some that Kansas scores have been stagnant, the story should be that despite dramatic increases in students in need of additional help, scores have held steady. We want our schools to improve, but we need to acknowledge the demands they are facing.
“[S]pending on education has not kept pace with the rise in child poverty. While poverty grew by 40% in the Midwest and 33% in the South from 2001 to 2011, educational spending per pupil grew by only 12% in these regions over the same 10-year period.”http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/12/10/education-poverty-international-student-assessment-column/3964529/