Tag: Wichita and Kansas schools
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In Wichita, public school teacher working conditions are an issue
Larry Landwehr, president of United Teachers of Wichita, the union for Wichita public school teachers, recently addressed the board of USD 259, the Wichita public school district, regarding teacher morale and working conditions. Now that the district and the teachers union have reached an agreement on a contract, Landwehr said it’s time to look at…
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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…
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Wichita school district communications priorities
At a school board meeting in August, USD 259, the Wichita public school district gave itself a big pat on the back for an award it received for its efforts in educating the public about the school bond issue last year. I thought it quite ironical that the district would receive such an award, much…
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Kansas school establishment rejects reform
In Kansas, we’re left to wonder: when our education establishment rejects reforms that even the liberal editorial page of the New York Times embraces, what hope have schoolchildren in Kansas?
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Wichita school expulsions: the numbers
Recently a comment was left on this blog claiming that children in the Catholic school system who are problems are kicked out and end up in the public school systems. The writer didn’t make any claim as to the magnitude of the number of students, but readers are led to conclude that it’s enough to…
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Wichita teachers union sends conflicting message
Wichita public school teachers want to be treated as professionals. Their union, however, sends a different message. The background to the following excerpt from a recent Wichita Eagle story is how teachers portray themselves as heroic public servants, working many hours of overtime each day in order to teach Wichita’s schoolchildren.
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Wichita school district policy is misguided
John Merrow’s education blog has an interesting interview with Eric Hanushek, a leading education researcher. This interview shows just how misguided are the current current path and goals of USD 259, the Wichita public school district.
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Kansas needs education for prosperity
Mark Tallman, assistant executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), seems to be making the case that spending on education is more important to a state than moderate tax rates. He makes this case as reported in a recent Topeka Capital-Journal article Education a key to prosperity. As reported: “Tallman said action…
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Jean Schodorf’s education credentials
Kansas state senator Jean Schodorf, a Republican from northwest Wichita, is testing the waters in the race for the Republican nomination for Kansas’ fourth congressional district. It appears that she’ll use her public education experience and advocacy as a selling point.
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Face to face with the Wichita board of education
Members of the Wichita (USD 259) Board of Education and a handful of district employees attended a “Face to Face” forum luncheon Thursday hosted by the Wichita Independent Business Association. The forums are intended as an informal opportunity for local business owners to meet and interact with government officials. “The purpose is twofold; for them…