So far, this can’t happen in Kansas because we have stricter rules on charters. Kansas’ ALEC legislators and their supporters would like to change that. And now we have corporate tax credit scholarships that will also funnel money to private schools that would otherwise go to the state general fund with absolutely no requirements for fiscal or academic accountability. Is this what we want for Kansas school children? “‘It clicked for me. Aha! This is self-dealing. That’s why we are massively overpaying for the lease,’ says Sinoff, who resigned with the other board members this summer. He adds,...
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Separation of powers threatened by attacks on courts
“Despite the Legislature’s coercive tactics, Hendricks ruled on Wednesday that taking away the Supreme Court’s power to appoint chief judges violated the separation of powers doctrine, as well as the Kansas Constitution, which says, ‘The supreme court shall have general administrative authority over all courts in the state.’ “As noted at the outset, the governor and Legislature probably were not surprised by this outcome. The highly unusual act of tying the outcome of this case to the judicial budget was intended to challenge the powers of the state court… “Separation of powers is a core principle of democratic...
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Leave a Comment Parties file briefs with Supreme Court in school funding case
“’Kansas students deserve more than a few years’ worth of a constitutionally-appropriate education nestled in between court cases and cost studies,’ the plaintiffs write. ‘The Constitution demands more.'” Read more here: http://m.cjonline.com/news/2015-09-03/state-says-latest-school-finance-ruling-violates-separation-powers#gsc.tab=0...
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Leave a Comment Retiring Topeka superintendent speaks out
“I have prided myself in being an effective administrator, but the current political environment in Kansas makes it nearly impossible to lead a school district. The challenges are unlike any challenges I have experienced in my 35 year career. Never before have I experienced educators in Kansas reduced to so little and so undervalued by legislators and the governor. “It is my sincere hope for the children and their families of Topeka Public Schools, including my grandchildren, and the local community will continue to support Topeka Public Schools teachers and staff as they work hard for our students...
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