SMSD conditionally supported the block grant funding saying it would provide funding certainty. That certainty is proving elusive. “Citing state budget numbers that simply don’t add up, Shawnee Mission Superintendent Jim Hinson said on Thursday that the school district expects to receive less than its promised allotment under the block grant bill passed in March and that it was making contingency plans in hopes of avoiding employee furloughs or other cost cutting measures in the middle of the school year.” Read more here: http://pvpost.com/2015/07/24/hinson-warns-reduction-in-state-aid-for-shawnee-mission-highly-likely-district-prepared-to-dip-into-reserves-41192...
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Kansas corporate tax credit scholarship program was an ALEC bill
Here’s the boilerplate ALEC corporate tax credit scholarship bill that was modified and became Kansas law in the final hours of the 2014 legislative session, despite not being passed when considered on its own. The program was expanded this spring. Note the lack of academic accountability. http://www.alec.org/model-legislation/the-great-schools-tax-credit-program-act-scholarship-tax-credits/ We submitted testimony against the bill when it was heard (and failed to pass out of committee). Here’s a portion of our testimony. (Footnotes didn’t copy over but we referred to substantial research.) Our concerns regarding this bill are extensive and stem from the explicit preference among some elected officials to turn over...
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Leave a Comment Watch Bill Moyers update on ALEC
Since multiple Kansas legislators are at an ALEC conference in San Diego, we thought this would be a good time to share this again. In this episode, Bill Moyers explains ALEC. Listen to some of the discussion on education at the 11:45 and 23:22 points. Click here: http://billmoyers.com/episode/united-states-of-alec-a-follow-up/...
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Leave a Comment State pays for lawmakers to attend ALEC conference in California
“Fourteen lawmakers had their registration fees paid for by the state at a total cost of $7,300, according to Legislative Administrative Services. More lawmakers probably are attending the conference, which runs July 22 through 24, but registered on their own and paid their own fees. “The lawmakers who had their fee paid for by the state: Reps. Steve Brunk, Dan Hawkins, Dennis Hedke and Gene Suellentrop, all Republicans from Wichita; Rep. Marvin Kleeb, R-Overland Park, the House Tax chairman; Rep. Ron Highland, R-Wamego, the House Education chairman; Rep. John Barker, R-Abilene, the House Judiciary chairman; Reps. James Todd...
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