Dave Trabert and KPI are claiming they want to help Kansas public school families in various “let them play” and “let them learn” groups. They are NOT public school extracurricular advocates. They are taking advantage of groups with a lot of passion and trying to redirect that passion to KPI’s agenda. Between 2013 and 2016, Dave Trabert and KPI actively pushed for the defunding of extracurricular activities.
For those unfamiliar with Dave Trabert and KPI, here are some examples of work they’ve done to eliminate the funding of sports and other extracurriculars in our schools.
In 2013, Dave Trabert authored a KPI policy piece that argued Kansas should only fund “essential” school activities. If students could be banned from participating by refusing to take a drug test, Dave argued, the activity must be non-essential and should NOT be funded by the state. Activities that he specifically listed as not worthy of state funding include ALL sports, bands, school dances, and graduation ceremonies.
In 2015, he participated in the Special Committee on K-12 Student Success and supported the committee’s recommendation that “All extracurricular and co-curricular activities in Kansas public schools ought to be investigated on the ‘basis of efficiency and efficacy to deliver education to the students.’” (1) In other words, if an activity wasn’t deemed efficient or couldn’t prove direct academic benefits then our kids didn’t need them and the state shouldn’t fund them.
In 2016, while the block grant was in effect, Dave and KPI advocated for the passage of a new school funding formula which would entirely prohibit state funding for ALL extracurriculars, “from football, to debate, to band.”(2) The bill’s language said: “No school district shall expend, use or transfer any moneys received by such school district as part of the general state aid disbursement to such school district for any expenditures for extracurricular activities or expenditures related to such activities.” (3) At the time, the Kansas City Star explained it this way: “A proposed new Kansas school funding formula would allow parents to use tax funds for private schools, and it would prohibit school districts from spending state aid money on extracurricular activities…Those are two of the potentially volatile features in a school financing bill filed just before lawmakers left the Capitol for a month-long recess.” (4)
KPI stated in another policy piece that extracurriculars and coaching salaries were too expensive and should not be funded by the state.
Finally, we see that Dave is advocating in these groups for reducing funding for public schools and getting Kansas to follow the Florida “reform model.” For those who have not been following education policy for the past decade, Florida is no model for Kansas. It does not outscore Kansas on the NAEP in most categories, it has an unregulated charter and voucher sector that has had numerous problems, and its teacher pay ranks 47th in the country. Dave’s proposals are not real solutions for Kansas school children during the pandemic or after.
We share the disappointment that school and extracurriculars aren’t currently like they’ve always been for our students. As grassroots advocates, we applaud families who get in the game and advocate for their students and schools, but we have also learned that there are groups, like KPI, who intentionally misdirect even the best of intentions in order to further an anti-public education agenda. Given that Dave and KPI have a long history of arguing for less funding for public schools and more support for vouchers, neo-vouchers, and the defunding of extracurriculars we find their participation in the “let them play” groups particularly ironic. We urge parents to ask questions about their new “ally” and his information although apparently, that can get you kicked out of those groups even if, unlike Dave, you are an actual parent of school-aged kids supporting in-person learning or sports for your own children. #hiddenagenda
(1) Topeka Capital-Journal, https://www.cjonline.com/article/20160104/NEWS/301049763
(2) KCUR, https://www.kcur.org/…/new-kansas-school-funding…
(3) Kansas Legislature, House Bill 2741, Section 19, http://www.kslegislature.org/…/docum…/hb2741_00_0000.pdf.
(4) Kansas City Star, https://www.kansascity.com/article69938197.html
Originally posted to Facebook 10/15/2020