KNEA Archives - Page 10 of 11 Voice For Liberty

Feb

Kansas school spending advocates exaggerate employment losses

Yesterday I reported how Kansas school spending advocates lie about facts in order to score political points with their constituencies. Today we again see how the school spending lobby distorts facts, this time in a very substantial way concerning an important matter. The Kansas Watchdog piece Debunking Education Employment Claims uncovers a significant gap between numbers self-reported by Kansas schools and numbers gathered by a different source. The Kansas State Department of Education asked school districts how many employees they will cut for the current school year. The answer -- 3,701 employees to be cut across the state -- is…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

To Kansas school spending advocates, criticism comes fast and loose

As the debate over the funding of Kansas public schools goes on, sometimes facts get lost in the shuffle, and school spending advocates sometimes invent "facts" in order to score political points by criticizing those working to bring inconvenient facts to light. Besides spending advocates, journalists can get caught up in this. In a recent news story in the Hays Daily News, the paper reported a claim made by Linda Kenne, Victoria USD 432 superintendent. Here it is: One particular corporation seems to drive the efforts. Kenne said, "Koch Industries' address is the same as the Kansas Policy Institute." "Do…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Kansas teachers union makes it easy to ask for money

Thanks for Kansas Liberty for uncovering an effort of the Kansas National Education Association (or KNEA, the teachers union) to make it easy for school spending advocates to ask for more tax money. This is part of the effort by the Kansas school spending lobby to pass tax increases on Kansans so that schools won't have to face the same tough choices that businesses and families have to make. The KNEA effort makes it easy to solicit legislators with just a few clicks of the mouse. There is a list of talking points with red arrows. By clicking on the…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

For Kansas teachers union, fund balances are an illusion, not a solution

Today's edition of Under the Dome Today -- that's the house organ of the Kansas National Education Association (or KNEA, the teachers union) -- contains a story with the headline "Anti-Government Group launches another attack on public education." A more accurate headline might read "School spending advocacy group refuses to acknowledge budget solution that Kansas Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis says could be used." But that's a tad wordy. The headline is over a story reporting on Kansas Policy Institute president Dave Trabert's testimony to the Kansas House Appropriations Committee. In this testimony, according to the writer for the teachers…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Kansas news digest

News from alternative media around Kansas for December 21, 2009. KNEA uses incomplete funding data to argue for tax hikes (Kansas Liberty) "Kansas State Department of Education Deputy Commissioner says a common practice of legislators and school advocates is only citing the base state aid K-12 receives for gauging funding levels." Democrat drops out of governor's race (Kansas Liberty) "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wiggans announced yesterday that he was dropping out of the race amid allegations that he had acted in an ethically questionable manner at a previous job." Economist calls for scrapping state income tax (Kansas Reporter) "Kansas’ economy…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Kansas news digest

News from around Kansas for October 12, 2009 Professors, university officials flunk ethics homework assignment (Kansas Watchdog) Many State of Kansas officials, including university professors, are required by law to file conflict of interest statements, called "statements of substantial interest (SSIs)," with their institutions and the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. But 33 university employees are simply ignoring their legal requirements. Star Parker in Wichita (Kansas Watchdog) Star Parker, founder and president of the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), told the Wichita Rotary Club during a Monday luncheon that freedom and personal responsibility, though under attack from Washington, are…

Oct

By Bob Weeks

KPERS report sparks backlash from Wichita SEIU

Recently Kansas University professor Art Hall, along with a co-author, published a study explaining the funding crisis in KPERS, the Kansas Public Employee Retirement system. In summary, the report states: "The key finding of the study is that the KPERS system will not be in actuarial balance over the thirty year amortization period set in GASB standards. This means that KPERS will continue to accumulate unfunded liabilities for the foreseeable future. It is highly likely that KPERS will continue to impose a heavy tax burden on future generations." This finding has raised quite a protest from those who expect to…

Aug

By Bob Weeks

Kansas needs education for prosperity

Mark Tallman, assistant executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), is arguing that spending on education is more important to a state than moderate tax rates. He makes this case in a recent Topeka Capital-Journal article Education a key to prosperity. As reported: "Tallman said action next year by Kansas lawmakers to cut spending rather than increase investment in education through tax hikes would weaken student instruction and damage prospects of long term growth in the economy." There are several problems with Tallman's reasoning. First, high-tax states are suffering compared to low-tax states. A recent report by…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Kansas Action for Children calls for tax increase

Reporting by Paul Soutar of the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy shows Kansas Action for Children (KAC) calling for higher taxes on Kansans. Soutar cites a KAC report: "The long-term solution to avoid increasing budget gaps is to update and modernize the Kansas tax system in a way that accurately reflects the current economy and generates sufficient revenues for state funding needs." This guarded language is similar to that issued by the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA, the teachers union). A recent communique to its members contained this: "You see, the Kansas revenue system has something that tax folks…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Kansas NEA questions legislative candidates, reveals agenda

In Kansas, as across the nation, the teachers union is an important political force. Using a powerful message that no one can oppose -- the welfare of schoolchildren -- teachers unions press their real agenda. In Kansas, the agenda of the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA, the teachers union) includes these items: Increasing taxes to support more spending on schools. Opposing any form of school choice, including charter schools. Opposing the Kansas legislature's ability to set school spending levels, as the Kansas Supreme Court has shown it is willing to spend more than the legislature will. Increasing teacher salaries. Opposing…