The Department of Education is working on the tax credit “scholarship” program passed as part of HB 2506 at the end of last session. We opposed passage of this ALEC boilerplate bill because it further depletes the state general fund, it requires no accountability on the part of the nonpublic schools receiving the funds and even requires participating students to waive special education services. The scholarship granting organizations which will hand out the scholarships, get to keep up to 10% of the money they handle. http://cjonline.com/news/2014-09-27/controversial-private-school-tuition-program-could-start-january Here’s a link to the legislation (starts on p. 31): http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2506_enrolled.pdf Here is...
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Steve Rose warns of impending education budget cuts
“That plan is built on the notion that somehow, some way, Kansas can become a mini-Texas with dynamic growth. However, Kansas does not have the revenues from oil and gas to offset the elimination of income taxes… “The day of reckoning is coming and coming soon. “Then will follow the inevitable budget slashing… “When the massive deficits hit us, there will be no choice but to cut education. Combined, K-12 and higher education make up two-thirds of the budget. There is little elsewhere to cut.” Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/steve-rose/article2260801.html#storylink=cpy...
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Leave a Comment Game On’s efforts described in Mother Jones
Members of Game On’s leadership group (including parents, teachers and other community members) didn’t set out to be political activists. We just became fed up with policies and perspectives that fail to adequately support our public schools and the children they serve. Case in point Devin Wilson is featured in this article: “WITHIN 12 MINUTES of meeting me, Devin Wilson whipped out his Android phone to proudly show a stopwatch app that keeps track of how long it has been since he became politically active: 519 days, 22 minutes, 4 seconds. Wilson grew up on a farm in...
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Leave a Comment Budget cuts new reality for superintendents
“As Kansans await a final decision in the lawsuit over whether school funding is constitutional, both candidates for governor say they’re champions of K-12 public schools. But what’s a voter to make of the dueling and contradictory campaign claims? It helps to consult superintendents, who report an educational system under stress. “The Kansas Center for Economic Growth recently surveyed districts and analyzed data from the Kansas State Department of Education. Among its findings: Nearly all surveyed districts said base state aid per pupil for 2015 was insufficient to cover increasing costs. Kansas has fewer teachers instructing about 20,000...
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