And by the way, you'll have to buy your own paperclips

So I got on Facebook today, and I found a post from one of my former students. I've omitted her name as I don't have permission to post this here, but reading it made me angry (all over again) about the lack of commitment to education Kansas' elected officials have shown in recent months. Here it is:

is off to spend a bajillion dollars on things like glue and paper for the kiddos. Really sad. It makes me not want to also spend the money so they can make chocolate crisp bars tomorrow or the money to buy the things I need for Oobleck and an art project but I guess that's the way it goes. Oh teacher friends....Office ...Depot is having a buy 2 get one 1 free sale on things like paper clips, paper, manilla folders, etc.

It breaks my heart to see a new teacher (in her first semester of teaching) coming to the realization that today in Kansas if your students need materials (which many of them cannot possibly afford to buy themselves) you'd better be ready to head out to Wal-mart or Staples and open your wallet. Why ask every Kansan to pay an extra penny of sales tax when teachers will shoulder the burden left behind by lawmakers too spineless to invest public education? How many years can young, bright, energetic people be expected to stay in an occupation that values them so little as to ask them to buy their own paperclips?

Education: What's Right, Not What's Left

Fighting Misinformation about Public Education Funding

Mark Twain said there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. You may have recently heard some lobbyists, legislators, or television commercials offering statistics claiming that spending on Kansas public schools has actually gone up over the past few years and school districts have $700 million in reserves to deal with budget cuts. The statistics they cite are, at best, partial truths.

For example, in 2005, the state legislature mandated that, instead of sending school KPERS money directly to KPERS, it would first be wired to school districts and then immediately be re-wired to KPERS. That’s about $250 million that shows up on school district budgets. At the time, the majority in the legislature said they wanted to show what the actual expenses of education were. The fact that schools can’t actually educate children with the money apparently makes no difference. Increases to KPERS are counted as increases to education and, since the legislature has been borrowing from KPERS and must soon pay it back, this statistical red herring will undoubtedly continue.

Also, funding statistics include state-wide funding for new school buildings, which is called Bond and Interest. While it’s true that the state is spending more money on recent bond issues in some school districts, it is funding for operating costs like salaries, utilities, fuel, food, and insurance that is being cut.

It would be more honest to cite statistics that relate to the General fund, which is the primary fund for operating expenses. That fund decreased 6.9% from last year to this year. According to KSDE, even when you include funding increases from KPERS, Bond and Interest, Local Option Budget, and federal funds the amount of funding to Kansas schools still decreased 3.2% from last year to this year. Meanwhile, schools have more students, more at-risk students, and higher student achievement requirements than ever before.

The other thing we hear a lot about is how school districts have $700 million sitting around in reserves. Various funds must have cash balances because, even in good economic times, money often goes out faster than it comes in. The Special Education Fund in particular must have a healthy balance (about $225 million this year) because school districts don’t receive a penny of special education funding until three and a half months after the fiscal year starts.

Lately, many school districts have needed cash balances just to make payroll due to state cash-flow problems and late funding payments. Saying that these cash balances can take care of funding cuts is like saying you can absorb a pay cut from your job right after you’ve been paid because your mortgage and car loan haven’t been deducted from your checking account yet.

The Contingency Fund (a.k.a. the rainy day fund) is the primary reserve fund but that money can only be used once. For the past two years, school funding has been cut during the school year after the vast majority of school funding is contractually committed. That’s why it’s important to have contingency money available. For school districts, keeping no reserve and, when bad times hit, telling parents we’re sorry but there isn’t any money to suitably educate their children isn’t an option.

Last year, the legislature passed a law raising the limit of how much money school districts can put into their Contingency Fund to encourage school districts to cut spending and transfer savings there. They knew more mid-year cuts were likely to come. Now, some legislators and others are pointing to that money as a reason why school districts can handle more cuts. Wow.

Are Kansans really naïve enough to believe that school districts are closing schools and laying off thousands of teachers and other employees even though we have more money than ever and just want to hoard our huge reserves? Some politicians and some people paying for television commercials are hoping so. Instead of political spin, we need an honest discussion about what’s going on so we can reach informed solutions.

Education is the best—perhaps only—solution to ignorance, intolerance, and poverty. It’s also the only way to ensure the continued success of democracy. Without public education, the quality of a child’s education would be based on the wealth of his or her parents. That’s why the state’s Founding Fathers made public education a required state expenditure in the Kansas Constitution. If we’re going to imperil their vision and our children’s education we should do so while understanding the whole truth.

Dr. Darrel Stufflebeam
Superintendent of Schools
Rock Creek USD 323

Yes, Kansas, There is an Alternative to Brownback

State Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat, not only threw his hat into the ring for the governor’s position Wednesday, he came out swinging against Sam Brownback, a Republican favored to win the seat.

“I’m standing here today to let Kansas know they do have a choice for governor,” said Holland, on the steps of Lowman Elementary School in Topeka to draw attention to the plight of public education with the state’s troubled economy and continued budget cuts.

“Behind me is Lowman Hills Elementary School,” he said, surrounded by his wife and family. “It’s just like hundreds of other neighborhood schools across Kansas, where dedicated men and women are teaching our children and looking to the future.”

He said it’s like the many schools across Kansas where parents, principals, teachers and students are worried what will happen if school funding is cut more.

“Because when we talk about the budget — we are talking about our schools,” said Holland. “When we talk about the budget — we are talking about providing services to those who are most vulnerable.

“When we talk about budget — we are talking about protecting public safety,” he said. “When we talk about budget — we are talking about real people, in real communities, in every corner of the state. The next Kansas governor must find solutions to these difficult problems, not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

That’s when Holland, who first won a seat in the state house of representatives in 2002 and then won his senate seat in 2008, went on the attack on Brownback, a senator for the past 16 years.

“And for the past 16 years, Sam Brownback has been part of the problem,” said Holland. “While in Washington, Brownback presided over a $5 trillion increase in our federal debt, voting against fiscal responsibility and in support of laws that created the recession we’re currently facing.

“Brownback had a front row seat in Washington while his failed policies made life worse for our families,” he said. “Now, Sam Brownback wants to put his failed Washington politics and divisive agenda to work in our state.”

Holland and his wife, Barbara, moved to rural Baldwin City in 1991. They have three sons and a daughter. He is owner and president of Holland Technologies, Inc., an information technology consulting and professional services firm.

Holland knows he faces an uphill battle against Brownback, but he’s fought those fights before. He defeated incumbent State Rep. Ralph Tanner in 2002 and incumbent State Sen. Roger Pine in 2008, both Republicans. He first ran to use his business experience to battle the ever-shrinking funding of education. That battle hasn’t stopped.

“I knew how to solve problems for businesses, and when I saw the problems facing my kids’ schools, I decided to lead,” said Holland. “I set out to share my vision with other Kansans. The critics said I had no chance. But I went on to beat the established candidate, a four-term incumbent and the chair of the House Education Committee.

“In 2008, I again answered the call and ran for the State Senate,” he said. “Again, the critics doubted me. Again, I beat an incumbent. Now our state faces an unprecedented budget crisis. Our businesses, schools, social services and public safety programs are in trouble.”

With that, he acknowledged the tough battle ahead against Brownback, but also promised to take it on.

“The people of Kansas deserve a leader who knows how to create jobs and rebuild our economy,” said Holland. “Not dig us deeper in debt, gridlock and partisanship we’ve seen in Washington. I have a proven track record in running a successful business — doing more with less, meeting a payroll and delivering solutions on time and under budget. I have a proven track record representing my district; I lead through listening and I am the only candidate who can put politics aside and bring all people together, Republican, Democrats and proud Independents.

“Now I know Sam Brownback has out-of-state money and Washington insiders supporting him,” he said. “I know the road ahead will be long. But I care so deeply about Kansans and our future that I gladly accept the challenge.”

State Rep. Tony Brown, who served as Holland’s campaign manager before winning his position when Holland ran for Senate, knows Holland is up to that challenge and more.

“I believe Tom will be a great governor for the people of Kansas,” said Brown. “His business, legislative and family experiences reflect the real-world issues that people across the state deal with every day.

“His greatest strength is that he lives among us — he is a neighbor who understands the challenges Kansans are facing during these difficult times,” he said.

Health insurers take heat for rise in profits

Health insurers take heat for rise in profits

Republicans Continue Quest in Kansas to Become as Counterproductive as Possible

It’s official: The hard right in Kansas has sacrificed common sense on the altar of political ideology. By refusing to consider any form of revenue generation that might be seen as a tax increase, the members majority party in Topeka have willfully chosen to turn a blind eye to the consequences of their own inability to act outside of an self-inflicted set of principles so rigid that not even facts can permeate them.
This is particularly true in terms of Kansas public education where state spending has the greatest positive economic effect. It’s no secret that quality public education raises personal income and increases local employment. The choice of the Republicans in Topeka, however, runs exactly counter to this logic.
Their plan, perhaps owing its genesis to fear of a backlash from organizations like the “Kansas Club for Growth,” is to resist any effort (other than deeper cuts) to balance the budget—a stance that, in effect, forces public schools to shed hundreds of teachers, custodians, secretaries, cooks, and bus drivers. This, of course, is compounded by school consolidations, which have increased due to cuts made to public education funding.
It seems absurd, but the idea from the Right seems to be that increased unemployment, fewer economically viable small Kansas communities, and a generation of students who are less academically well-prepared is good for the state. Without swift and direct opposition to such an absurd agenda, Kansas risks—according to the Kansas Association of School Boards—a future population who are much likely “to live in poverty” and “require public assistance.” The choice is simple: a few extra cents on purchases now or thousands spent in the future to fix problems that we all saw coming.