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ALEC for-profit education agenda threatens public schools in Georgia

In Kansas we’ve most recently had the ALEC corporate tax credit scholarship bill, in Georgia, it’s the Opportunity School District. While we wait to see which ALEC education bill will come next to Kansas, we’re watching what’s happening in other states with heavy ALEC influence. Here’s a report from a conservative legislator in Georgia. “First, we have learned about ALEC, a hideous national legislative-steering organization where lobbyists, private interests, and legislators craft legislation behind closed doors. There is no sunlight on this entity. There is no accountability. Participants are back-room puppet masters controlling the local and national political...
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Charter ills in Ohio

Is this kind of charter fiasco coming to Kansas? Not if we can help it. The charter school model has undergone a huge transformation from its original form, and we are carefully watching states that have made it too easy to open and to hard to close charters while destabilizing public schools.  There are Kansas legislators and lobbyists pushing for this for Kansas. Here’s a recap of what’s going on in Ohio. As students throughout Ohio head back to the classroom, it’s time to take the first test of the new school year. Q: What’s significant about 117,730?...
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Teacher TED talk inspires

Game On has been called a front group for the teachers unions. We’re not. We are proud to have many teachers on the Game On team, but the majority of our leadership group and many of our greater community team members are parents and not teachers. We just understand that our teachers are an absolutely essential part of making Kansas schools great and helping Kansas children reach their potentials, and we’ve been extremely disappointed by the rhetoric and policy in Topeka that seem to be doing much more harm than good when it comes to Kansas student and...
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Legislators ask districts seeking aid for efficiency data

“The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter shortly after the state Department of Education distributed it. The letter was signed by House Speaker Ray Merrick, of Stilwell; Senate President Susan Wagle, of Wichita, and the chairmen of the Legislature’s two budget committees, Sen. Ty Masterson, of Andover, and Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr., of Olathe. “‘Specifically, please provide five ways that your school district has increased efficiencies especially those that have led to better outcomes in the classroom over the past three years,’ the letter said.” Read more here: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/aug/19/kansas-schools-seeking-more-aid-asked-data/...
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