KNEA Archives - Page 9 of 11 Voice For Liberty

May

Kansas Governor, Wichita Eagle: why ‘pigs’ at the trough?

When the Kansas Chamber of Commerce recently referred to the need to control Kansas government spending and taxes, a few politicians and newspaper editorial writers embellished what the Chamber actually said in order to make their own political points. Here's what the Kansas Chamber said in its press release dated May 8: "As of today, the legislature has failed to address the needs and wishes of the business community. It has instead catered to the needs of those at the government trough. The Kansas legislature has turned a deaf ear to the hard-working businessmen and women who have made the…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Andover schools label opponents ‘anti-education’

Are those who question or oppose the need for additional spending on Kansas schools opposed to education? Melinda Fritze, who is chair of the Andover Parent Legislative Council, says so. A recent email from her started like this: Friends of Andover Schools, The Legislature went back into session yesterday and the outcome of the state budget and school finance is still very much an unknown. The anti-education voices are strong and extremely well funded. These anti-education groups focus on the increases to school spending in Kansas since 2005. In three sentences she manages to use the term "anti-education" twice. One…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

American education in 2030: teacher pay

The Hoover Institution's K–12 Education Task Force has produced a series of thirteen lectures on the subject American Education in 2030. These lectures take a look at what American education might look like in 20 years. In one lecture, Caroline Hoxby, a Stanford University economics professor who studies the economics of education, looks at the future of teacher pay and teaching. While her vision of what might happen is positive for both teachers and schoolchildren, substantial change will need to take place for this vision to be realized. Specifically, the nation will have to overcome the harmful effects of our…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Wichita schools, despite claims, find cost savings

Despite claims that school spending has been "cut to the bone," USD 259, the Wichita public school district, found a way to save $2.5 million per year by adjusting school starting times, thereby saving on transportation costs. School spending advocates have claimed that it is not possible to cut spending without affecting students. It starts at the top with Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson's repeated claims that spending has been "cut to the bone." He says it's not possible to make more cuts. Other school spending advocates repeat this theme of having cut as much as possible, repeating the "bone" theme.…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Tax cuts are a cost, says Kansas teachers union

For those who believe in the principle of self-ownership, taxes are a violation of that principle. But to those who depend on government for their funding, taxes are viewed differently. To them, any move to reduce taxes is viewed as a cost to government. People who value economic freedom, however, view tax cuts as the government allowing citizens to keep more of what is rightfully theirs. The Kansas National Education Association (or KNEA, the teachers union) is one such organization that believes that cutting taxes is a cost to Kansas state government instead of a benefit to citizens. Yesterday's issue…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansans, including governor, rally for school spending, taxes

Today in Topeka supporters of more taxes for Kansas public school spending marched from the headquarters of Kansas National Education Association (or KNEA, the teachers union), to the Kansas Capitol, where they heard from speakers including Governor Parkinson. The crowd, braving the windy and cold weather, was estimated at 1,000 by the Topeka Capital-Journal. The theme of the rally -- besides more taxes and more spending -- was the chant "We want what's right, not what's left!" I don't think the participants detected the irony. Kansas Senator Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat and a schoolteacher, said that keeping class sizes…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

As Kansas teachers union rallies, schools stagnate under its rules

Today in Topeka about one thousand supporters of higher taxes for more Kansas public school spending rallied at the Kansas Capitol. Their march on the statehouse started at the headquarters of the Kansas National Education Association (or KNEA, the teachers union), and KNEA president Blake West spoke at the rally. It's quite ironic that the teachers union would be so involved in a rally for the improvement of Kansas schools, for as the following letter from the March 12 Wall Street Journal tells us, the teachers union has been a primary factor in the destruction of public education, in this…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas school district consolidation, reorganization testimony heard

Last week the Kansas House Education Budget Committee heard testimony on HB 2728. The key provision of this bill is that Kansas school districts would be required to have a minimum of 10,000 students. It also requires conforming to a common chart of accounts, and that school finance information be placed on the internet. Kansas Senator Chris Steineger, a Democrat from Kansas City, testified as neutral on the bill. He said that Kansas is "bottom-heavy" in terms of the number of governmental units, and school districts are part of these. He said that in the business world, mergers and consolidations…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas schools fail to make cut for grants

Last year Secretary of Education Arne Duncan created a program named "Race to the Top" which would make grants to states that are willing to make certain reforms. Two such reforms prominently mentioned by Duncan and President Barack Obama are charter schools and merit pay for teachers. We now know that Kansas was not selected to receive a grant, at least not in the first round. Kansas had applied for $166 million. Kansas is falling behind the rest of the states in the types of innovation that Race to the Top was designed to promote. Specifically, the Kansas charter school…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Kansas advocates for disabled face well-funded challenger

Friday's press event held by ACT (Advocates in Communities Team) of South Central Kansas provided an opportunity to learn about disabled Kansans and their families, and the challenges they face from reduced spending by the state. The stories told at the event and in supplementary materials are compelling. If there is a role for government-provided services to those who can't help themselves, these are the people. But a problem that advocates for the disabled face is that the major recipient of Kansas general fund spending -- that's the K through 12 public school spending lobby -- has enormous resources at…