We’re working on our testimony for the bill that would massively expand the tax credit scholarship program. The documents on the Kansas Department of Education website are quite enlightening. Here’s the 2016 report: http://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/School%20Finance/Action%20Items/Leglislative%20Report%20January%202016%20%20TCLISSP.pdf...
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Superintendent explains future issues with consolidation bill
The school district consolidation bill “sets up future school boards and the State School Board to do the dirty work of closing buildings, eliminating jobs and local school boards because most of educations costs are in personnel meaning the only way to significantly reduce costs are closing buildings and eliminating staff. Lost in this argument is any concern with improving student performance and better preparing them for the future. The proponents of the bill don’t even attempt to give lip service to school improvement, it’s about reducing expenses.” Read more here: http://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/513/supt_blog-_a_faded_old_photograph_.pdf...
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Leave a Comment AFP-organized school choice rally met with grassroots public education rally
“Al Frisby, a member of Move On and a retired Shawnee Mission biology teacher, said the public school rally was organized in response to the school-choice event. He said champions of public education were concerned about state tax dollars flowing to private schools. “’There’s no transparency with these private schools,’ Frisby said. ‘They don’t have oversight by the school board. We give them public money…and then they just go do what they want to do.’ “David Dorsey, a policy analyst with the conservative-leaning Kansas Policy Institute, said expanding options for educating Kansas children was beneficial to all. “’Well,...
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Leave a Comment Concerns about vouchers from Indiana
We should be learning from other states that have more experience with tax credit scholarships/vouchers/etc. Indiana is facing an expansion of their voucher program, though there’s no proof it’s effective. “Instead of approving two voucher expansion bills, lawmakers should instead call for a comprehensive and independent study of Indiana’s five-year-old entitlement program. Do they truly believe support of private schools is an effective use of tax dollars, or do they fear that data on Indiana’s program will reveal the same results as voucher evaluations elsewhere? “’No voucher study anywhere has ever shown academic gains; not in Milwaukee, not...
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