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New revenue estimates alarming

Cuts to education, whether they are called policy changes, efficiencies or reforms are on the horizon. “The new revenue estimates released Monday revealed that Kansas would burn through about $380 million in reserves and still need to cut $280 million to balance its current budget for fiscal year 2015, which ends next June 30. “The problem continues in 2016 when revenues are projected to run $436 million short of expenditures, the estimates show.” Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article3729756.html#storylink=cpy...
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Educators concerned about new rounds of cuts

This article shows how too many of our legislators think-that schools have plenty of funding and the ALEC agenda reforms are what we need, while Goddard Superintendent Justin Henry says, “Four years ago, we took some steps across our district to respond to the recession.”…Like many districts, Goddard cut programs, increased class sizes, shortened the school year, pulled down cash reserves, continued charging for full-day kindergarten and raised fees, some significantly. Goddard’s technology fee for seventh- through 12th-graders in 2011, for example, was $25 a year; in 2012, it went up to $95 a year. “‘Now we’re probably...
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PA education advocates oust governor

Pennsylvania just ousted their anti-public education governor. Here’s how an education activist explains their success. “[W]hat really dogged Corbett was – us! Ordinary parents, students, teachers, and community members refused to let this issue go. We wrote letters to the editor, op-eds, and blog pieces; we staged rallies and demonstrations; we held mock-bake sales; we wrote petitions and got on buses to Harrisburg to deliver thousands of signatures; we hosted public debates, lectures, and national authors. With ‘dogged’ determination, we took every opportunity to counter Corbett’s attempts to minimize the damage he was inflicting on our schools: we...
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