“’It’s a mess. We’re in a perpetual budget crisis. It’s not a rosy picture long term,’ [USD 372 Superintendent Tim] Hallacy said. ‘There are no secrets. Revenues continue to decline and we’re spending into our reserves.’ “With cuts to the budget that have been made over the past several years because of state funding issues, Hallacy said all the easy decisions have been made. “’Most expenses are tied up in personnel, but those are your instructional assets,’ he said. ‘How do you squeeze costs without affecting classrooms? We’re going to have to make some tough decisions going forward.’...
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Why public education will prevail
Sharing from our friends at Educate Lawrence quoting Diane Ravitch. Why Public Education Will Survive and Prevail by Diane Ravitch Do not be discouraged as you struggle to restore common sense and rationality to education policy. The corporate reformers have money and the political power that money buys, but it has no popular support. It misleads the public by calling its program “reform,” when its true program is privatization. It uses catchy and misleading names like “students first,” “children first,” “education reform now,” “Democrats for education reform.” But the truth will eventually prevail. They want to divert public...
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Leave a Comment Rep. Becker objects to assault on judiciary
We’re sharing the content of a Facebook post by Republican Representative and former judge Steven Becker. HUH? Apparently our Governor had a difficult week in the wake of a few court rulings. He was upset to the point of issuing a public statement Friday evening in his continual assault on the Judiciary. This latest offensive targeted state district court judges serving on the front lines and SCOTUS. His statement reveals his complete misunderstanding of the role of the Judiciary. The Governor is like some parents I know who blame the referees and umpires when their child loses the...
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Leave a Comment Courts protect rights not political desires
“Thankfully, judges rule not by popular opinion but by the law. The fact that they are insulated from popular opinion — the will of the people — helps them to arrive at decisions based on the law, not the political desires of politicians. “Our laws aren’t written to ensure that Gov. Brownback or anyone else gets what they want. They’re there to protect the freedom and rights of everyone. It’s something to remember over this holiday weekend, and every time you hear a politician try to score points by railing against activist judges, or see them try to...
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