Here’s the media release: “Earlier this year, Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson and Deputy Commissioner Brad Neuenswander held community conversations across the state to find out from the citizens of Kansas what they want from their education system. More than 1,800 Kansas residents, teachers, parents, students, higher education representatives and members of the business community participated in these events and their responses have been gathered and analyzed. Now, it’s time to report back on what Kansans told us. “Commissioner Watson will present what Kansans say are the qualities, characteristics and skills of a successful 24-year old...
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Teacher flight not as bad as reported, but issues remain
“Yes, most Kansas teachers you talk to are mad. “They’re tired. Politics and financial wars are wearing them thin, and some are leaving. “But the notion — fueled by dubious state numbers — that teachers are stampeding by the thousands for the border or out of teaching altogether is highly overblown. “New numbers broken down by school district, obtained by The Star, show a much more resilient teacher workforce. “Teachers, The Star found through interviews and in new data, are more deeply rooted against what they describe as increasingly harsh winds. “’I knew I would not get rich,...
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Leave a Comment Flat funding isn’t flat
“However, until that time, expect more and more questions about things like tech ed. Expect more questions about what districts can, or can not, live without. As fixed costs — especially utilities and health insurance premiums — continue to rise, districts will get more and more squeezed. “Despite every attempt to put a sunshine spin on school funding, the reality is many schools are struggling with these kinds of issues.” Read more here: http://www.thekansan.com/article/20150918/NEWS/150919349...
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Leave a Comment Brownback feud with schools bad for Kansas
“A truce in the education wars isn’t likely any time soon. Kansas is still cash-strapped, a number of lawmakers are innately hostile toward public education, and legal arguments in the long-running school funding case are scheduled for November. “But Brownback does his state no service by picking fights with school districts, as he did when he accused the Garden City School District of a big spending increase that hadn’t occurred. “In fact, the governor’s office frequently puts out incorrect and misleading information regarding schools and funding, stoking the tensions. “It would help if Brownback would acknowledge that schools...
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