Senate President Susan Wagle and House Speaker Ron Ryckman have attacked Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis over an issue regarding a longstanding practice of calculating transportation funding for large districts. We have heard from several legislators that this practice was not a secret, and we believe that Sen. Wagle and Rep. Ryckman’s letter to the Chairman of the State Board of Education demanding he be placed on administrative leave while they investigate whether he violated state law is dirty politics. We have seen Mr. Dennis in hearings and are among many who are grateful for his years of...
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KSDE Survey of Kansas School Districts Results
A blog post by Mark Tallman of KASB “If provided an additional $600 million in funding over three years, school district leaders say they would spend $255 million to enhance programs for at-risk students, increase the graduation rate and help students better prepare to succeed after high school – all of which would address the Kansas Supreme Court’s concern about underperforming students. There would also be $90 million available to increase teacher salaries that have fallen behind several neighboring states. It is important to realize that it will cost the remainder — or $255 million over three years...
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Leave a Comment School Choice Explained
The article below by the People for the American Way is a helpful explanation of the issues with school choice week. The Agenda of National School Choice Week: Don’t Be Blinded by the Bright Yellow Scarves Originally posted to Facebook on 1/21/18....
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Leave a Comment Duane Gossen opinion: Legislator’s Step 2 is to properly fund public education
Below is an opinion piece in the Wichita Eagle by Duane Goossen, Former Kansas budget director. “But therein lies the challenge of Step 2. Legislators must both add money and balance the budget. Brownback is correct in part. New school money has to be budgeted. But to do that realistically and responsibly requires more revenue, if not during this session, then definitely in the next. Brownback skipped over the hard part, and kept mum about his own culpability in creating revenue problems for the state in the first place. “So, just as in the last legislative session, when...
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