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We are deeply troubled by Brownback’s assertions that the income tax plan has nothing to do with the current struggle over higher ed funding. He claims extending the sales tax that is set to expire will solve the higher ed funding problems. We know that some legislators have agreed to support the sales tax extension but only if it is part of a deal to further cut income taxes, which will wipe out any budget gains from the sales tax increase. When the governor signed this massive tax bill last year, we knew that cuts to education would...

Research shows vouchers, corporate tax credit scholarships and other market based “reforms” that are being pushed in Kansas and multiple other states don’t actually work.  http://www.ncjustice.org/sites/default/files/Public%20Money%20for%20Private%20Schools%20-%20Neovouchers.pdf...

Here’s a piece about how charters are working in Ohio. There are similar articles from multiple other states that have gone down this road, and parent groups are springing up around the country to push back against the forces pushing this agenda. We’re already leading the tax cut experiment. Let’s learn from others and skip the great charter misadventure. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2013/04/06/charters-dont-deserve-state-windfall.html Charters don’t deserve state windfall www.dispatch.com  ...

 Sen. Wagle refers to the Gannon case as a “dark cloud” hanging over the legislature and says after the court case is resolved they’ll move forward with their education “reforms” and particularly push for expanding charter schools. She alleges charters can educate kids at lower cost. This is another example of sticking to the ALEC plan/Florida Reform model despite abundant evidence that charters generally do no better than public schools and do not offer cost savings (especially if you control for their not offering special ed, transportation and free and reduced lunch). Kansas already has charter schools. The...