“The Hays High School government teacher turned lawmaker [Sue Boldra] notes one of the biggest issues within this battle is education. As local school bond issues fail and some rural populations continue to shrink, Boldra said school consolidations aren’t necessarily the answer and some urban legislators just don’t understand the associated hardships. She also said she would like legislators to revisit the idea of implementing all-day kindergarten. “’We can’t ask our children to stay on the bus for long amounts of time just to go to school each day,’ Boldra said. ‘They don’t understand the concept of driving...
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NE JOCO loses seats on Senate and House education committees
“When the Kansas Senate and House Education Committees convene for the first time of the new session next month, they will do so without a Republican representative from northeast Johnson County — a fact that has local public education advocates worried. “Senate President Susan Wagle and House Speaker Ray Merrick this week unveiled committee assignments for the 2015 session, and both Sen. Kay Wolf and Rep. Melissa Rooker were excluded from the Education Committees on which they had served the past two years… “Rooker made clear that serving on the Education Committee was her first choice’ and that...
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Leave a Comment Legislative leaders want school finance overhaul
Changes to the school funding formula that result in less funding for schools should be recognized as cuts regardless of what they’re called. “‘Changes in these programs could threaten equal educational opportunities across Kansas school districts and threaten the ability of local voters to enhance their local schools,’ KASB said. ‘A major reason for growth in these aid programs has been the limited funding for base state aid for Kansas classrooms.’” http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/dec/23/legislative-leaders-want-school-finance-overhaul/...
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Leave a Comment Are we ready to write off those kids?
Here’s some food for thought. We have concluded that some of the pro-charter, pro-voucher, pro-privatization, anti-funding voices in Kansas agree with The Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Mike Petrilli as he expressed in a recent NY Times column. (Here’s his original column: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/12/10/are-charter-schools-cherry-picking-students/charters-can-do-whats-best-for-students-who-care.) Blogger parent Sarah Blaine expresses the same concerns we have. Do you agree? “Is it really okay to imply that public schools truly are the schools of last resort, that their highest and best purpose is to serve as dumping grounds for those students who are not good enough (or malleable enough, or terrified enough, or...
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