We became familiar with Rep. Kasha Kelley last year when she led the House Education Committee and promoted the ALEC agenda (expansion of charter schools, corporate tax credit scholarships, etc.). This year she has missed the majority of the session so far. “Rep. Kasha Kelley has missed most of the legislative session this year, but she told the Traveler recently that she has stayed engaged and made it to Topeka for all substantive issues and controversial votes… The House Journal shows that Kelley was marked absent 32 of the first 53 legislative days.” Read more here: http://www.winfieldcourier.com/news/article_636566b0-de65-11e4-ab50-23af2ae60777.html ...
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Block grant funding uncertain
“The prospect that Shawnee Mission, or any school district, will receive the money anticipated from their block grants is dubious, at best. For one thing, some of the school districts that have been challenging the adequacy of education financing in Kansas have filed legal action to stop the block grant change from taking effect. A court ruling in their favor could throw the situation back into flux. “Also, a budget passed by the Kansas Senate already spends more than $600 million than the state anticipates receiving in revenues. Many legislators and analysts expect that gap to grow even...
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Leave a Comment Budget cuts in Winfield
“The change is the result of an anticipated $1.5 million blow to the district’s budget for the next fiscal year. School leaders says that’s hundreds of thousands of dollars more compared to past years. “‘We’re at that point where it is going to impact students in the classroom and certainly the teachers that are teaching those kids everyday,’ said Superintendent JK Campbell. “Campbell blames the growing cuts in state aid, declining enrollment and increasing special education costs. “In addition to shutting down Winfield Intermediate, he says programs are on the chopping block, some support staff will be laid...
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Leave a Comment 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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