Push-back on Common Core not unique to Kansas

Mr. Trabert, If your info on Common Core is as accurate as the bogus numbers you and your people put forth on K-12 cost numbers, I can understand why Hancock is arguing with you.

As far as our NAEP scores are concerned, Kansas consistently scores above most states in NAEP testing. Very few states paying less money for K12 education have higher average NAEP scores than Kansas. Kansas also scores higher than most in ACT testing than most states.

May 21, 2013 at 5:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

FreedomWorks urges Legislature to reject Common Core reading and math standards

While I agree that most education should not have much regional difference, The Kansas Department of Education retained the right to add some local additions to Common Core if needed to make the standards more relevant to Kansas.

May 21, 2013 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Budget provision would block state funding for Common Core standards

Of almost as much interest as the debate above is the way some far right legislators have proposed the statutory language prohibiting implementation of College and Career Ready Standards (Is anybody calling it Common Core anymore?): They couldn't get the language through the Education Committee so they try to sneak it in through the conference committee on budget. That way 2 R Senators and 2 R House members can add it to the budget and the rest of the legislature will have to vote thumbs up or thumbs down on the whole thing. There is no way that I know of that the legislature can amend something out of a change coming from a conference committee.

So this thing can now pass without full review and debate by the legislative committees tasked with oversight of education. This isn't the first time this maneuver has ever happened, but it smelled badly EVERY time it happened.

May 18, 2013 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"Why I Left the Republican Party" -- 03/16/13 at Lawrence Arts Center

Scholdorf, like many of the deposed R legislators, would have and could have won the general election but they could not win the primary where only R's voted. And they could have beat the candidates who won Republican primaries if they had run head to head in an election where all voters could cast ballots. I guess this is one of my problems with the two party system. Neither the R nor D party necessarily puts out the candidates the people really want.

This is one reason the legislature should leave the politics out of school board and city commission elections!

April 8, 2013 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Lawhorn's Lawrence: Three decades of defending and judging those in Lawrence's justice system

Darwin is rolling over in his grave.

March 18, 2013 at 1:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sound Off: School money

If they pay out the $6 M by making an extra payment on a debt how will the school district pay its bills the next time the State is late with its payments to school districts? Some savings is also necessary because some school expenses must be paid before the feds send the money to the school districts.

February 28, 2013 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Conservatives changing state government

Sen. Tom Arpke from Salina certainly has the capacity to help create massive change to our State Government. His credentials include being a part time substitute teacher and being favored by the Koch Brothers. Do we need to know anything else?

February 27, 2013 at 6:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Kansas Senate committee OK's plan to exclude courts from school finance

Currently cooking in the Kansas Legislature:
1. Change the Constitutional mandate to suitably fund education.
2. Eliminate checks and balances between the Courts and Legislature so the Court's can't rule on whether the Legislature is properly doing its job.
3. Change how we select judges so we can stack the deck with tea party judges who would not support schools in future lawsuits.
4. Change how we select justices so when the school finance lawsuits go up on appeal only Brownback followers will be making decisions on the appeals.
5. Eliminate the ability of your local school board members, superintendents and others to lobby the legislature through the use of and public funds. After all, school board members are compensated SO WELL in Kansas (for those of you who don't know, school board members are NOT paid).
6. Change how we elect school board members, making it a much more partisan vote--because it is so important to know whether your school board member has an R or D next to their name as opposed to knowing who they are, what their qualifications are and what they might do for students in their school districts.
7. Tell schools how to teach about climate change.
8. Tell schools they can't teach about sustainable environmental and economic policy.

Let's see, any more great ideas coming from our "less government is good" R dominated legislature?

February 20, 2013 at 2:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Kansas Senate committee OK's plan to exclude courts from school finance

What? Justice Nuss' law firm didn't participate in the lawsuit over funding of schools.

February 20, 2013 at 2:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Statehouse Live: Budget subcommittee cuts KU Med Center proposal, recommends audit of KU

Arpe from Salina is just who we want making decisions about KU and the Medical Center. After all, he has held the prestigious position of substitute teacher in Salina for several years. He is firmly in the pockets of the Koch brothers and their political influence groups.

February 12, 2013 at 2:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )