“‘The Kansas assessment has persistently been an outlier for all of the three children in my own family and for thousands of students across the state, as data has shown,’ Deedy, a public education advocate, said at a Tuesday meeting of the Kansas State Board of Education… “Beryl New, a board member from Topeka, said she has heard from constituents who are concerned the state education department is lowering standards. Fultz responded that the change is more of a realignment of expectations for student performance. “’I do believe we are not reducing the rigor on this assessment,’ Fultz...
Read more
Leave a Comment Blog
New Cut Scores Approved
The cut scores of the Kansas Assessment have been an issue since they were last set about a decade ago. Today the State Board of Education voted to approve new cut scores 7-3 (Hopkins, Zeck, Haas, New, Hershberger, Arnold, and Porter voting for the change, and Dombrosky, O’Brien and Potter voting against the change though Dombrosky sounded generally supportive). Game On Executive Director Judith Deedy sent an email to Board members and spoke at public comment this morning. Here is the content of her email: I am emailing today as a parent and a public education advocate. As...
Read more
Leave a Comment U.S. Sen. Committee Protects Dept. of Ed. in Proposed Budget; Impoundments and Rescissions Still a Worry
We are still carefully watching the federal education budget and are glad to see public outcry seems to be having some effect. Please continue to urge our Congressional delegation to fight cuts. Here’s some additional information. “Lieberman summarizes the result: ‘Key U.S. senators from both parties on Thursday decisively rejected virtually all the Trump administration’s proposals to slash K-12 investments—and pushed back against its efforts to shrink the Department of Education and move its functions to other agencies.” “However, nothing should be taken for granted when it comes to the federal budget negotiations that will take place between...
Read more
Leave a Comment Public schools are closing as Arizona’s school voucher program soars
When discussing bringing vouchers to Kansas, some legislators and lobbyists like to falsely claim vouchers don’t hurt public schools. Here’s the latest report. “Now, as the new school year begins, the Roosevelt Elementary School District opens with just 13 schools. That’s almost a third fewer than it had last spring, a response to enrollment declines as the state offers unprecedented taxpayer funding for alternatives to public school…Critics complain that vouchers eat up state funding, benefit families who can afford private school on their own, disrupt communities and send tax dollars to schools that face little accountability. Unlike public...
Read more
Leave a Comment