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State Board of Education discusses allowing unlicensed teachers

“Alternative certification programs, such as the Transition to Teaching program in Wichita schools, allow people with degrees in certain content areas to teach for up to two years with a provisional license while they complete education coursework. In the meantime, they are paired with a peer mentor and get help from district mentors and university faculty. “’We have a shortage of physicians in western Kansas, but we don’t tell nurses and EMTs that they can practice medicine,’ [KNEA’s Mark] Desetti said. ‘We do tuition forgiveness programs, recruit people, we pay them more to bring them out there. …...
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KASB analysis of block grant

KASB has provided an analysis of the block grant bill, including tables and charts for individual districts and a fact sheet. This information is helpful for countering “information from some quarters that schools are receiving significant funding increases.” KASB explains, “But remember this important caveat: Even the tight funding envisioned by SB 7 has yet to be approved and is dependent upon the Legislature approving some kind of tax increase when the wrap up session starts April 29. “The new data shows that state operating aid per pupil, adjusted for inflation, will increase less than 2 percent over...
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KCEG reports shows tax cut toll on communities and schools

A report from KCEG, “Tax Cuts Taking A Toll on Kansas Communities”, details impacts of unaffordable and unprecedented tax cuts on Kansas communities. When a recession ends, recovery is supposed to begin – and it is, for all the states in our region, EXCEPT Kansas. Our self-inflicted crisis caused by the 2012 & 2013 tax cuts is leaving Kansans and their communities to bear the burden for this misguided and ill-advised path. See the full report at http://realprosperityks.com/kac/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/tax_cuts3.pdf...
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Eudora Superintendent explains block grant impact

In preparation for a special board meeting, Eudora Superintendent Steve Spichal explains the reality behind the funding numbers and the true impact of the block grant cuts on Eudora schools. Please read it; many districts find themselves in similar positions. In March, Governor Brownback signed a bill passed by the Kansas Legislature that replaces the school finance formula with a “block grant” system of funding for the next two years. (This was done with Senate Bill 7.) The previous formula distributed money to school districts based on the number students in our schools on September 20th each year....
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