Commission recommends full-day kindergarten
A package to phase in full-day kindergarten and raise teacher pay would cost nearly $49 million. Enlarge video
School funding
- Board urges more money for teachers, kindergarten (10-11-07)
- Chat with Lawrence Schools Facilities and Operations Director Tom Bracciano (10-10-07)
- Analysis: State spending more than it collects (10-08-07)
- Competition increasing in online education options (09-23-07)
- School board to ponder raise for superintendent (09-22-07)
- Lawrence schools report official headcount up from last year (09-20-07)
Topeka — A school finance panel plans to recommend increases for full-day kindergarten and teacher salaries, the chairwoman said Tuesday.
"It's the two areas where we could make the most difference," said Rochelle Chronister, head of the 2010 Commission.
The package would cost nearly $49 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Chronister said higher-than-expected state tax revenue probably could fund the increase, which the commission will recommend to the 2008 Legislature.
The recommendation would be in addition to a $122.7 million increase for schools that was part of a legislative response to a Kansas Supreme Court order.
The 2010 Commission is the second major panel to recommend more education spending as schools deal with recruiting and retaining teachers. The State Board of Education also has endorsed more funds for full-day kindergarten and teacher salaries.
Statewide, about two-thirds of kindergarten students are in full-day programs. In Lawrence, eight of 15 public elementary schools offer full-day kindergarten.
Officials have estimated it will take $75 million to establish full-day kindergarten in all districts. The 2010 Commission, State Board of Education and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius have endorsed a five-year phase-in, or $15 million a year.
On teacher pay, Kansas ranks 38th nationally at $39,351 a year. The national average is $47,602. The commission has endorsed $5,000 annual bonuses to math, science or special education teachers who delay retirement.
The panel also is investigating how school funding increases have been used. Under pressure from the Kansas Supreme Court, the 2006 Legislature approved a three-year plan that increased school funding by $466 million. On Tuesday, the 2010 Commission ordered audits to gauge districts' efficiency and effectiveness of programs for at-risk students.
"A lot of kids in Kansas are doing well, but there are significant areas where kids are not doing well," said Ray Daniels, a commission member and former superintendent of the Kansas City, Kan., district.
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SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
This is a sick joke, right? They want more money?
hilary (anonymous) says…
Topeka, not Lawrence.
Read the article before you respond.
On teacher pay, Kansas ranks 38th nationally at $39,351 a year. The national average is $47,602. The commission has endorsed $5,000 annual bonuses to math, science or special education teachers who delay retirement.
Interesting.
commuter (anonymous) says…
It is too bad the commission doesn't index the pay based on cost of living. It is more expensive to live in California and the teachers are paid more due to the increase cost of living.
Is the commission also taking a look at how much the administration for each school district is paid? If not, why not? Maybe they can shed some light on our admin pay and number of admins and compare it to the nation.
salad (anonymous) says…
No kidding commuter! Administrator (sorry, "Edu-crat") pay is ridiculous. In Lawrence as well as Johnson county, the average administrator makes over $80,000/yr. Depending on the district, 20-30 of these parasites never see any children as part of their jobs. In shawnee mission, the superintendant makes more than the effing Govenor!!! Additionally, their contracts are individually negotiated, their "benefits" are not disclosed to the public, and they are all but impervious to removal. All you need to do to get an administration certificate is teach for 3 years and pass a pathetically easy test: that's it. You don't need a PhD in education (not like that really means anything either), and you certainly don't have to be competent at your job. Heck just read the interview with Weseman from a couple days ago; an exercise in belligerancy and how not to answer the publics questions.
If all the administrators disappeared tomorrow, no teacher or kid in any class would notice.
deskboy04 (anonymous) says…
Isn't the education of kids important?
BH (anonymous) says…
To become an administrator in Kansas you must possess a master's degree in school leadership or building level administration, pass the state exam, which is a 6 hour long essay exam that is difficult, and then after a probationary period you will be granted a full license. I love listening to all of the people in Lawrence complain. Your administrators make less than their counterparts at schools of comparable size. I am not for overspending on education, but like everything else the cost to educate kids goes up every year and if you want to attract and retain exceptional teachers and administrators than you will have to pay them at least as well as neighboring districts such as Olathe, Shawnee Mission, and Blue Valley.
salad (anonymous) says…
Untrue. You do not need a masters degree*, and the exam, be it 6 hours or 8 hours is EASY!!! I know people who couldn't think their way out of a wet paper bag, and as far as leadership, couldn't be trusted to lead the way to the bathroom who passed this exam easily.
Saying that we "need" administrators at all is the problem. It's a culture that exists to self-sustain and create more administrators if possible, and then pay them exhorbitantly.
*I personally know people who have gotten their admin. cert. without a masters degree. But hey, lets assume you're right BH (probably an administrator), you can get a masters degree from many online degree mills in which you never have to do any real work. It's a degree that's not even worth the paper it's printed on, and a subject area with no body of knowledge to be learned. Sorta like having a degree in common sense.
frankwiles (anonymous) says…
I agree that many people, in many government jobs not just education, aren't worth what they are paid. We as a people should be more open to firing people who are not performing. But in today's environment of wrongful termination suits and "cover your ass" office politics I don't see that happening. But, if we don't pay *our* teachers and administrators a competitive salary, then we'll often get the 38th best candidate out of the available talent pool. However weak that pool may be.
It's a chicken and the egg problem. Without better pay you won't attact a better class of teacher and without a better class of teacher education won't improve. When I was growing up I never even *considered* teaching as a career. Not because I don't feel I would enjoy or be good at it, simply because of the salary.
How many kids in high school and early college right now are honestly thinking, "Geez I think I'll major in basically the least paid profession that requires a college education!". Not many and certainly not the intellectual cream of the crop that everyone wishes would be the next generation of teachers, but doesn't want to pony up the money for it.
Education as a whole is responsible for everything about civilization. Every technological advance and convenience we now enjoy. It's very sad that so many of us don't want to invest in the one thing that can really make a difference in the world.