Double Standards?

The Senate Tax Committee has been hearing testimony regarding SB516 which would increase the cigarette and sales tax.   This morning I was reading an article in the Topeka Capitol Journal about the committee hearing and Senator Julia Lynn, Olathe was quoted as follows: “I hope the committee won’t lose sight of the fact that these are legal products, that we are picking something out, we are singling an industry out,” Lynn said. “The other side is going to be the loss of revenue for business and possible job loss. It’s curious to impose a tax against certain industries to fill a budget hole which we actually created ourselves.”

Someone might want to remind Senator Lynn that the Kansas Legislature singles out special interest groups all the time and grants them tax exemptions.  Why is she not curious about targeted exemptions?

She states she is worried about the loss of jobs which could be caused by an increase in the cigarette tax.  Was Senator Lynn worried about the hundreds of lost jobs in our schools when she voted for special interest tax exemptions targeted to specific products and industries?  Does Senator Lynn value the jobs in the tobacco, cancer causing industry more than the jobs of teachers molding the young minds of our future leaders?

Perhaps that is question the constituents in her district need to ask.

We do agree with Senator Lynn on one thing, the gaping budget hole was created by the Kansas Legislature.  It was created by giving certain special interest groups and their wealthy proponents targeted tax exemptions.

And we don’t disagree, either, if what she is suggesting is a need for a broader revenue increase; we’d welcome an income tax increase and a repeal of all of those special interest tax exemptions that have helped to dig the state into such a hole.

Why School Districts Should Sue

Yesterday Governor Parkinson slashed school spending by another $206 per student, or $83 million statewide.  We have essentially rolled school funding back five years.  I was there when he addressed the press, and I can honestly say that it brought him great pain to deliver the news.  He has always been a staunch supporter of our public schools.   He admitted that these cuts would decrease the quality of education our students receive.  

However, we adamantly disagree with him when he said that school districts should wait on a lawsuit.

If we knew Governor Parkinson was going to be occupying that office for another four years, I might heed that recommendation, but he won’t, and the uncertainty that faces our schools is too great to gamble with the future of 455,000 students.

Here is our case for school districts proceeding with a lawsuit now.

1.  Many currently serving in the legislature fought tooth and nail against the court ruling and increased spending   for schools. They are thrilled with the reductions. They will NOT be looking to reinstate the cuts when the economy improves.
2.  The record of the legislature for increasing school funding is far from stellar. In fact the only substantial increases have come as a result of a court case.
3. Court cases are long and drawn out, the last taking nearly seven years to come to a resolution. If we delay the start of a lawsuit that only increases the number of years our students are deprived of a quality education.
4. The protection afforded Kansans for a quality public education comes from the state constitution. Our forefathers drafted Article 6 because they knew that the courts might have to intervene on behalf of students.
5. The cost of a lawsuit, while expensive, is cheaper than a generation of workers who have not been adequately prepared to compete in the 21st century global economy.

So over the next few months as school districts begin to announce their cuts, and parents rush to board meetings in opposition, we suggest this message for your local school board: “We understand the position you are in, and we want to work with you to insure the cuts you must make have the least impact on our students. But it is your responsibility to fight for our kids. We have entrusted our children to you at the local level and we want our board to join with other districts and stand together to stand up to a legislature that is flouting constitutional law. If that means filing a lawsuit, we will stand with you.”

INSULT UPON INJURY

I have thick skin.  You can’t be a grassroots advocate without it.  But, I have to say that as a supporter of public schools I have never been more insulted than I was today to see that Bob Corkins has been invited to speak to the House Appropriations Committee about school finance.  Seriously, I about fell out of my chair. 

Corkins, you may remember, was the long-time lobbyist for the Kansas Chamber of Commerce who had a brief tenure as the state’s commissioner of education. Corkins’ entire career has been spent as an ultra-conservative political activist, not an educator, and was appointed to the education commissioner’s post by the same clique of right-wing state board of education members who tried once again to take evolution out of the state’s science standards.

You may also remember that the appointment of Corkins to the commissioner’s job was so galling to so many Kansans that the state board majority that hired him was turned out of office in the next election. Corkins soon resigned to avoid the stigma of being summarily fired.

So what is Corkins doing back in Topeka talking about school finance? And why would anyone listen?

I’m sure conservative lawmakers demanded it after former commissioner Andy Tompkins testified last month. But the key player in setting the Appropriations Committee agenda and selecting “expert” witnesses is the committee chair: Rep. Kevin Yoder of Overland Park, who originally ran for office representing a Shawnee Mission Schools-based district as a supposed “moderate.”

Yes, the “moderate” Kevin Yoder is inviting to his committee, and giving a high-profile platform, to the same Bob Corkins whose right-wing anti-school agenda was so intense and ill-mannered that longtime Republican state Rep. Audrey Langworthy – a true champion of public education and the Shawnee Mission district – banned Corkins from entering her office.

According to an article in the Lawrence Journal-World, “Langworthy said Corkins was argumentative and under-handed. ‘Bob was definitely working with the ultraconservatives in the House,’ Langworthy said.”

So what has Bob Corkins been doing since he left the education department?  He’s been working for the Flint Hills Policy Center; the conservative think tank funded by what we suspect is Koch Industries.  We’ll never know for sure because their not-for-profit status does not require them to list their contributors. 

So now the House Appropriations Committee will hear from yet another Flint Hills Policy Center employee, this will make number three!  Do they care what parents think? Do they care what teachers think? Obviously NO!  Folks, it is time to start thinking about who is running this committee, an elected representative or the Flint Hills Policy Center.  To my knowledge the people of Kansas did not elect FHPC to represent them. 

It is also time for Rep. Kevin Yoder to remember that FHPC and Koch Industries are not part of his district, but every homeowner in his district depends on the Shawnee Mission School District as the foundation of their property values.

Monday the Lawrence Journal World published an article on teacher negotiations in their district. I have no quarrel with the LJWorld, they did a good job representing the facts and balancing both sides of the issue. What I do take issue with is the comments made by readers who show their ignorance in their statements.

I want to take a minute to tell you what I observe in our schools. The majority of the teachers I have encountered in my son’s educational journey and in my advocacy work are some of the hardest working individuals I have ever met. The majority of our teachers go way beyond the work day to make a difference in the lives of our youth.

The school year has only been in session a little over eight weeks and let me tell you what I have seen outside the duty day in that short period of time.

• Teachers attending PTA meetings to make sure there is a coordinated effort between parents and teachers to boost student achievement.

 • Teachers attending back to school night, sometimes at the expense of missing their own children’s events, again to keep that line of communication open.

• Teachers spending countless hours after teaching to grade papers, plan their assignments, sponsoring after school clubs.

• Teachers meeting with parents during evening and early morning hours for conferences, again to form that partnership with parents that are crucial for student achievement.

• Teachers who are in their classrooms long before and long after the bell rings to offer additional assistance to students that might need extra help.

• E-mails from many of my son’s teachers offering an update on what is taking place in the classroom.

• A debate teacher/coach who I am sure never sleeps and works every night and weekend to make sure our kids have an excellent opportunity to advance their self confidence and learn life-long skills.

 In the summer, these same teachers are using their own dollars to further their education and increase their effectiveness in the classroom. Many of them work part-time summer jobs to make ends meet.

Teachers in this state and in this country are woefully underpaid for the level of education they possess and the duties they are charged with executing. They are shaping the future of our country every single day and every one of us should be grateful for their service.

Yes, most teachers stay in this profession because they see it as their calling, but that does not excuse us from paying them a fair wage. Think for just a moment where you would be in your life were it not for the teachers who guided you and gave you the skills needed to be the person you are today.

I am challenging those of you reading this, to stand up and rebut the ignorance of those that continue to rail against and degrade our teachers. We cannot sit idly by and allow the right-wing ideologues to attack our children’s teachers.

Take a moment and write a letter to the editor about our great teachers, send an e-mail to your student’s teacher and thank them for their efforts, and most importantly the next time someone whines about our teachers, stand up and set them straight!  Enough is enough already!

Where is the respect for the office?

The President of the United States is set to address school children across this nation on September 8th and it has set off quite a debate.  What is the big deal?  President Reagan addressed students in this country and took questions.

I have looked over the materials on the U.S. Dept. of Education website and can’t see anything wrong with rallying our kids to set goals, dream big and achieve at the highest level possible to meet their aspirations.

Our kids should always be encouraged to respect the presidency regardless of party affiliation.   I would want any President to encourage my child to do well in school, and to do their part to make America the greatest nation in the world. 

 I’ll be listening on September 8th and encourage others to do the same!

Tweets and blogs and ‘friends’, oh my!

So, as you have likely noticed, Kansas Families for Education has been active lately in and among the technologies collectively known as ‘social media’–Facebook, this WordPress blog, and, especially in the months to come, Twitter. We’re still trying to figure all of this out (and we welcome suggestions, technical advice, and any helpful hints!), but we’re excited about the progress we’re making and the new relationships we’re building.

Because, really, that’s what all of this is about–forging deeper relationships with all of our supporters and reaching out to connect in a meaningful way with new allies. These strategies make particular sense for KFE as a grassroots organization; we’re never going to have the money to do expensive traditional media outreach or hire enough staff to cover the state in a more traditional organizing strategy, so what we need to do is turn all of the parents and students and teachers and elected officials who share our mission of excellent, equitable education for every single Kansas child into our ambassadors–carrying our advocacy and fundraising and candidate recruitment and community education forward until our state is living up to its constitutional obligations every year, in every classroom, all the time.

We’re excited about the new fans on our Facebook page and about our ability to use that application to share important content with all of you: Kathy’s insights on education-related news, upcoming events, candidate information. We’re even more excited, though, about using Facebook to HEAR from all of you–your comments on what’s happening in classrooms around the state, your ideas about how KFE can enhance our work on behalf of Kansas’ kids, your reasons for being a committed KFE supporter.

We are continuing to build the content on this blog and, along with that, its readership. We hope that you’re enjoying the rotation of posts from KFE Board members and our allies–elected officials, teachers, students–and we look forward to continuing to use it as a platform for more in-depth discussion about our shared struggle.

We’re still figuring out some of our Twitter strategy (@Fundourschools, if you want to start following!), but we plan to use that micro-blogging application to share real-time legislative updates, communicate with supporters during the crazy days immediately preceding elections, and build connections with other education advocates around the country who share our commitment to high-quality, well-funded, equitably-resourced public schools in their states.

Please, we’re learning as we go here, and we would LOVE to hear from those of you who are actively using social media for work or pleasure–what can we do to best succeed with these technologies? What works for you, and how can we build on our strengths in these new media? And, from those of you who aren’t as comfortable with Facebook or Twitter or other platforms, how can we continue to show you that we value you, very much, as a KFE supporter? What kinds of communications do you want to make sure we don’t abandon as we pursue these new strategies?

A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words

The hidden tax increase on families brought to you by the Kansas Legislature, all while providing tax giveaways to their special interest friends. 

 

We want to hear from you – participate in our poll

Many school districts have been forced to raise their fees as the legislature fails to adequately fund our public schools.   We believe it is time for the public to take a look at some of the hidden tax increases that Topeka is placing on our families all while providing tax giveaways to special interest groups.   If you don’t have kids in schools, then ask a neighbor or family member who does.

We would also like to know what types of fees increased – please leave specifics in the comment section!

 

What does the Secretary of State have to do with Kansas schools?

On first glance, I’m sure the answer to that question seems like, “nothing.” Who even knows what the Secretary of State’s office does, right? We care about who the Governor is, who’s on the State Board of Education, who our own legislator is…but why in the world would/should we care about who is Secretary of State?

Well, precisely because the Secretary of State’s office plays a large role in determining who will hold all of those other elected offices, by either running clean, fair elections that encourage democratic participation by a wide swath of the electorate, or…not.

Through our Political Action Committee, Kansas Families for Education works very hard, not just every two years but really around-the-clock, to recruit pro-education candidates, contribute the money they need to run great campaigns, and share their message with voters. Through our other organizational arms, we register voters, raise awareness about the key issues in upcoming elections, and do voter turnout work. This work is, obviously, absolutely crucial to shaping our subsequent legislative agendas, since it surely matters a lot who is voting when it comes time to make decisions about our public schools.

As a backdrop to this work for the past several years, KFE and all voters in Kansas have enjoyed the fruits of a well-run, transparent, professional, and quite assuredly pro-democratic (that’s with a small ‘d’, obviously) Secretary of State’s office.   Current Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh has consistently been a supporter of fair election policies and practices, including expressing support, for example, for voter identification policies that allowed options besides photo ID. He strongly resisted allegations that voter fraud by undocumented immigrants and other ineligible voters was a problem in the state, and he rejected very harsh measures designed to address that supposed ‘problem’. While he is not directly responsible for the activities of the county election offices, most of them, around Kansas, are quite supportive of efforts to encourage civic participation.  Compared to the election debacles that advocates have faced in other parts of the country, we can feel almost smug about our comparatively smooth process. While, surely, voter participation is not what KFE would like, we have a level playing field on which to increase our efforts every cycle, and we can confidently tell new voters (our high school seniors voting for the first time, parents who are now realizing how their vote can impact their kids’ schools, people new to the state, recently-naturalized citizens) that our elections are ones in which every vote is counted, every time.

While there are likely many political issues on which KFE would disagree with Secretary Thornburgh, as Secretary of State, he did a very decent job at safeguarding the integrity of our elections, no small task in today’s highly polarized political environment.

And now KFE and others whose work depends on an electoral framework have reason to be very, very concerned. Kris Kobach has announced that he is running for Kansas Secretary of State. Perhaps even more disturbing than this announcement  is the response of many: “Why would he want that job?” It is an unfortunate fact that many people, including many advocates for our public schools, underestimate the importance of the Secretary of State. It is NOT just a stepping stone to the governorship. It is, in fact, the guardian of our democratic process, and you have to believe us that Kris Kobach is smart enough to know this too.

Actually, you don’t have to take our word for it. Below is a link to his guest editorial, where he talks about supposed voter fraud, rails against the senatorial election in Minnesota, and claims that the Secretary of State election will have “unprecedented consequences”. Um, no kidding.

KFE knows from experience, as do many of you, that it is hard enough to register U.S.-born citizens to vote; there is no clamoring among undocumented people to put their name on a voter registration roll where they will face lifelong banishment from the U.S. and a felony conviction if discovered. As volunteers encouraging civic participation, we have been cursed at for trying to convince people that voting is their responsibility as citizens. Yes, Kris, we have a real problem with voting in this country, but it’s not the problem you’re so intent on ‘fixing’. If we’re going to emerge from the 2010 elections without the deck completely stacked against us, we need to not only keep our eye on the Governor’s race, work hard to support our targeted local legislators, and strategize about the State BOE; we also have to make sure that we don’t have the foundation for all of this work pulled out from under us by electing a Secretary of State who has vowed to pursue policies that would make it less likely that low-income, young, marginalized citizens across our state can and will vote. Such policies would result in an electorate decidedly more hostile to KFE’s mission and erode our democratic process. The consequences for our schools would not be felt immediately, but they would be massive, and they would last a long time.

Please, pay attention to the 2010 Secretary of State’s race. Don’t believe the allegations of widespread voter fraud; President Bush’s own Department of Justice investigators could find only a couple of cases in the whole country, in the previous eight years, of non-citizens registering to vote. And they were looking hard. Pay attention and, of course, vote!

<a href=”http://blog.stayredkansas.com/2009/02/16/kris-kobach-for-secretary-of-state.aspx”>Kobach for Secretary of State</a>

What does a Governor Sam Brownback mean to public schools?

With U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback already being all but anointed as the next Governor of Kansas (Steve Kraske column Kansas City Star), more than a year before the 2010 election, it is vital to consider what a Brownback Administration in Topeka would mean for our schools and our children’s’ future.

The record shows we have a lot to worry about.

Before we analyze the Brownback education record, let’s stipulate a few important facts.

The first is that Kansas public schools absolutely do need more money.

Following the July 2006 state Supreme Court ruling in the Montoy case, the legislature boosted school funding by $755 million for the 2005-06 through 2008-09 school years. As a result, the percentage of the state’s public schools meeting the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standard rose from 84 percent in 2005-06 to 89 percent in 2006-07 to 90 percent in 2007-08. The achievement gap for targeted populations — students with disabilities, bilingual, and the very poor – narrowed significantly.

An official study of the impact by the legislature’s professional auditors, the Legislative Post Audit Division, found that “A 1.0% increase in district performance was associated with a 0.83% increase in spending – almost a one-to-one relationship. This means that all other things being equal, districts that spend more had better student performance…. we can be more than 99% confident there is a relationship between spending and outcomes.”

The record is clear and irrefutable. Education investments do generate better student achievement, producing the well-trained workforce Kansas needs to compete effectively in the global economy.

But in response to the recession, the legislature started hacking away at school funding, leaving it far below the 2008-09 levels that sparked the achievement gains. Kansas public schools need more than just to be protected from further cuts; school funding must be restored to the levels that produced good outcomes and were found by the state Supreme Court to be constitutionally adequate.

The second stipulation is that the public education system benefits not just students and parents, but the entire population of Kansas by serving as the foundation of good citizenship and a strong economy.

Strong public schools, for example, play a vital role in economic development because they factor significantly in business decisions to expand or relocate.

Certainly, people are free to opt out of the public system and choose private schools that better fit their religious or social beliefs. But they still benefit from the existence of the public system, and therefore should not be able to opt out of paying their fair share to support that system. Thus, voucher schemes and other programs designed to divert public tax funds from the public schools to support private schools serve to undermine the public education system by diverting precious resources our public schools cannot afford to lose. With those stipulations as a foundation, let’s examine the Brownback record.

Sam Brownback has been a consistent opponent of adequate school funding

• On Mar 17, 2005, he voted NO on a bill that would have shifted $11 billion from corporate tax loopholes to education while still reducing the deficit by $5.4 billion. (vote number 2005-68)

• On Oct 27, 2005, he voted NO on a bill that would have increased funding by $51.9 million for after school programs run by the 21st century community learning centers. (vote number 2005-279)

• On Oct 26, 2005, he voted NO on a bill that would have increased local education grants and incentives by $5 billion. (vote number 2005-269)

• On Apr 4, 2001, he voted NO on a bill that would have reduced the size of that year’s $1.6 trillion tax cut by $448 billion, while increasing education spending by $250 billion and using the rest of the funds to reduce the national debt. (vote number 2001-69)

Sam Brownback has been a consistent supporter of vouchers and other schemes to divert public money from public to private schools.

• He has voted twice to implement voucher programs for private schools in Washington, D.C.; on Sep 30, 1997 (vote number 1997-260) and again on June 12, 2001 (Roll Call #179)

• On Mar 2, 2000, he voted in favor of a bill that would have allowed money spent on private school tuition to be deducted from taxable income. (vote number 2000-33)

• In 1995, he joined other Republican freshmen in calling for the elimination of the Department of Education and three other cabinet-level federal agencies: the Departments of Commerce, Energy and Housing and Urban Development. (U.S. News and World Report)

Sam Brownback has shown a lack of respect for the teaching profession, and has even stated publicly that he does not believe a college degree is a necessity to become a professional teacher. (Brownback speaks on education)

His record is such that education and children’s advocacy organizations have given him dismal ratings over the years. Some examples:

• For 2007, the Association For Supervision and Curriculum Development gave Senator Brownback a rating of 0 percent.

• Senator Brownback supported the interests of the National Association of Elementary School Principals 0 percent in 2007.

• In 2007 the American Association of University Women gave Senator Brownback a grade of 33 on a 100-point scale.

• Senator Brownback supported the interests of the Children’s Defense Fund 0 percent in 2006.

• Senator Brownback supported the interests of the National Association for College Admission Counseling 0 percent in 2006.

• Senator Brownback supported the interests of the National Parent Teacher Association 0 percent in 2003-2004.

• Senator Brownback supported the interests of the National School Boards Association 33 percent in 2003-2004.

Summing Up

Ever since the Montoy decision in 2006, the right-wing leadership of the Kansas legislature has sought to slash school funding; it was only Gov. Kathleen Sebelius who stood in their path and protected our schools. Sam Brownback’s attitudes toward our schools are the polar opposite of Gov. Sebelius’. Should he become governor, as all the pundits predict, our schools will be at grave risk.

Our schools need a champion to run for Governor and give them the protection they need; who will step up and take on this vital task?