ACTION ALERT: Yesterday in the House Education Committee, Chair Clay Aurand indicated he would not “work” the bill to restore teacher due process (which was originally removed in 2014, during late night hours, at the end of the session, tacked onto the initial bill to fund the original Gannon equity decision). This new bill to restore due process has bipartisan support in the committee. According to the story we’re linking, Rep. Aurand indicated the issue was divisive and passing the bill could “jeopardize support for a yet-to-be-written bill overhauling the state’s system of financing K-12 public schools.”

Game On for Kansas Schools opposed the removal of due process in 2014 and supports restoring teacher due process for a number of reasons. Due process rights protect the integrity of classroom instruction from local political or social pressures, and strengthen teacher recruitment and retention, particularly given the attacks teachers endured during previous legislative sessions, as well as increasing demands on the profession and largely stagnant pay (and sometimes functionally reduced pay as some teachers face rising shares of their health insurance premiums).

Game On for Kansas Schools also believes that the top priorities for this session are tax, budget and a new school finance formula. We also support good legislative process which includes working bills and passing them out of committee when the votes are present to do so.

We urge you to contact Rep. Aurand to ask that he follow the legislative process and work the due process bill in the House Education Committee. His email address is clay.aurand@house.ks.gov, and his phone number is 785-296-7637.

This article provides a good recap of what happened yesterday. http://cjonline.com/local/state-government/2017-02-14/kansas-house-committee-tangles-teacher-due-process-legislation

UPDATE: Rep. Aurand posted the following on his Facebook:

Yesterday in Education committee, we had a hearing on HB 2179, which would restore due process for teachers in Kansas. This is a very controversial bill. I went into the committee intending to hear the concerns of all sides involved. A representative on the committee attempted to force a vote on the bill, but his motion to do so was not within the parameters of the committee rules. He wanted to send the bill to the House floor, which I believe was hasty. Instead of ruling his motion as out of order as I should have done, I adjourned the meeting. I did not want to vote on the bill without the opportunity for the other members to offer amendments and have time to research the bill.
I believe a new school funding formula should take priority over due process.
I want the people of the 106th District to know that I am working with the two organizations on different sides of the debate, the Kansas Association of School Boards and the Kansas National Educators Association, to find a compromise by Monday. I will attempt to keep you all updated on this bill.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Clay

Originally posted on Facebook 2/15/17.