“Under Merrick’s proposal, the interim committee will study the Rose Standards, which focus on preparing students for life outside of school — from personal and civic life to careers and mental and physical well-being. The panel will also study the ‘best funding mechanism by formula or other criteria to ensure adequate Kansas taxpayer dollars are invested in the classroom.’ “The definition of what comprises a suitable education also will be studied, as well as outcomes to ensure students are well-prepared for future endeavors and uniform accounting across all districts to allow best practices to be replicated.” Read more...
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All budget dollars support classroom
Well said, Emporia Superintendent Theresa Davidson. We, too, share the goal of efficient and effective school spending but we are tired of the misuse of the terms “classroom” and “administrative” spending which are loosely defined, exclude/include many types of spending people think of as “classroom” spending and fail to acknowledge the important functions of the different types of spending. “Indeed, the heart of our work in education is all about students and teachers in the classroom. Who can argue the challenge from state policymakers and politicians to ‘put more money into the classroom’? Nothing is more important than...
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Leave a Comment KS taxpayers pay for ALEC attendance
We agree. “In an Aug. 28 blog post, Dave Trabert of the Kansas Policy Institute noted the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ‘does not charge dues to taxpayers; only individual members pay dues.’ Trabert’s comments would lead readers to believe ALEC is not taxpayer funded. That, of course, is incorrect. “News reports from 2014 and 2015 show Kansas taxpayers paid for legislators to travel to and attend ALEC meetings. At these meetings, which are off-limits to the public and press, legislators and corporate lobbyists sit behind closed doors to draft and approve ‘model’ bills that impact everything from...
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Leave a Comment Emails link Koch funding for Center for Applied Economics at KU and testimony by the center’s director
We thank KU student Schuyler Kraus for pushing to get the emails linking Koch funding for the Center for Applied Economics at KU and testimony by the center’s director, Art Hall, against the renewable energy standards in Kansas. We note that the Kochs and their funded entities also oppose public school funding and support school privatization. The center’s reports include Charter Schools: An Introduction and Discussion for the Case of Kansas and Surrounding States Profile and Comparison of Kansas K-12 Employment Levels (published by KPI) The Relationship Between School Funding and Student Achievement in Kansas Public Schools. Read...
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