Voice For Liberty

Tag: Wichita and Kansas schools

  • Again, citizens are uninformed on school spending

    As has been shown in the past in Kansas and across the country, citizens are grossly uninformed about the amount of money public schools spend.

    The August issue of East Wichita News features a story about John Allison, superintendent of USD 259, the Wichita public school district.

    As part of the article, a reporter asked Wichitans how much they though the district spent per student per year. The numbers that the school district supplied are calculated differently from what is commonly seen, but in round numbers, the amount spent per student per year is $12,000.

    Judging from the citizen responses printed in the story, many people had no idea that schools spent that much.

    Those who have been paying attention will not be surprised at this result. Earlier this year the Kansas Policy Institute commissioned a survey that showed just how uninformed Kansans are about school funding.

    In that poll, most people underestimated school spending by a huge margin. A large majority also thought that school funding had been decreasing over the last five years, even though it had increased.

    Surprisingly, that study found that those with children in the public school system are even more likely to be uninformed regarding accurate figures. More details are at Kansas citizens lack knowledge about school spending.

    At the national level, Is the Price Right? Probing American’s knowledge of school spending, a 2007 survey project produced by EducationNext, a project of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, found similar results. In its conclusion, it stated:

    In sum, Americans think that far less is being spent on the nation’s public schools than is actually the case. The vast majority of the public thinks we spend amounts that can only be described as minuscule, and almost 96 percent of the public underestimate either per-pupil spending in their districts or teacher salaries in their states. … At this point, though, one matter seems certain: whatever motivates people’s concerns about school finance, it is not sound information about what is actually being spent.

    Most people realize the importance of education and want schools and schoolchildren to succeed. They’re even willing to spend a lot of money, as indicated by some of the responses East Wichita News recorded:

    “That is fine if we get a good education for our children.”

    “I’m not sure, but if it takes $12,000 per student it is worth the money. If you think education is expensive, try estimating the cost of stupidity.”

    “Possibly that’s not enough considering all the talk I hear about having to cut programs and teachers.”

    The problem, however, is that schools in Wichita, in Kansas, and across the country are doing poorly. Anecdotally, people know this. I had the experience last week where three employees of a grocery store — including the shift supervisor — could not make change for a purchase without using a calculator. Employers tell us that many applicants for jobs can’t read well enough to follow simple instructions.

    But at the same time, school systems and newspapers tell us that all is well: We have rapidly rising scores on tests developed and administered by the state.

    The problem, however, is these test scores are almost certainly fraudulent.

    Looking at the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a test which Kansas school officials don’t control, we see that scores for Kansas are largely flat. Sometimes they rise slowly and sometimes they fall. But they don’t show the trend that Kansas school spending advocates trumpet as evidence of the greatness of Kansas schools, and as proof that the increased spending ordered by the Kansas Supreme Court has paid off.

    The ACT college entrance exam provides another look at the performance of Kansas schools. A recent report shows that for the period 2005 to 2009, Kansas ACT scores are up a small amount. For the most recent years, scores are down very slightly. Kansas scores are slightly higher than scores for the nation, and mirror the national trend.

    The most shocking part of the report, however, is how few Kansas students graduate from high school ready for college. While Kansas high school students perform slightly better than the nation, only 26 percent of Kansas students that take the ACT test are ready for college-level coursework in all four areas that ACT considers.

    The NAEP score trends and the ACT college readiness results are evidence that the Kansas school bureaucracy is unwilling to confront the reality of the performance of public schools.

  • School bailout about unions, not kids

    The U.S. Congress is rushing to approve a spending bill to retain teacher jobs that are not in actual jeopardy, according to the Center for Education Reform.

    A press release gives more details:

    Referring to the bailout as a response to a “manufactured crisis,” CER President Jeanne Allen today called on lawmakers to recognize that excessive hiring and over-spending by school districts when funds were plentiful — despite declining student enrollment in more than half of US states — has created the illusion that classroom teachers are in danger of losing their jobs.

    “Most of the positions and programs that would be secured by this new bailout with taxpayer dollars are not classroom teachers or proven instructional programs and thus have no impact on student learning,” said Jeanne Allen. “This is a jobs bill that has no place in our schools, where how we educate students should always be the most important consideration.”

    The program is described as a “gift to the unions.”

    Recently in Kansas, schools have exaggerated the effect of proposed budget cuts on teacher employment. Last year the Kansas State Department of Education asked school districts how many employees they will cut for the current school year. Schools reported they would 3,701 positions. This number was widely reported and discussed.

    But when the Kansas Legislative Research Department surveyed the actual numbers, they found that Kansas schools eliminated only 875 jobs — far fewer than school officials said they would eliminate.

  • Chappell, Kansas school board member, to address Pachyderms

    This Friday’s meeting (July 9) of the Wichita Pachyderm Club will feature Kansas State Board of Education member Walt Chappell addressing members and guests. Chappell is an authority on Kansas school finance matters, and has from time to time butted heads with the Kansas education establishment.

    All are welcome to attend Wichita Pachyderm Club meetings. The program costs $10, which includes a delicious buffet lunch including salad, soup, two main dishes, and ice tea and coffee. The meeting starts at noon, although it’s recommended to arrive fifteen minutes early to get your lunch before the program starts.

    The Wichita Petroleum Club is on the ninth floor of the Bank of America Building at 100 N. Broadway (north side of Douglas between Topeka and Broadway) in Wichita, Kansas (click for a map and directions). You may park in the garage (enter west side of Broadway between Douglas and First Streets) and use the sky walk to enter the Bank of America building. The Petroleum Club will stamp your parking ticket and the fee will be only $1.00. Or, there is usually some metered and free street parking nearby.

  • Kansas ‘pigs at the trough’ award goes to …

    Last week the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB) made a presentation on Kansas school finance in Wichita. KASB is making similar presentations around the state. Mark Tallman, Assistant Executive Director/Advocacy for KASB, made the Wichita presentation.

    At the end of the presentation, Wichita school board member Connie Dietz stepped forward and addressed Tallman. She asked Diane Gjerstad, the Wichita school district’s lobbyist to join them at the front.

    Dietz said that earlier this year, an organization had labeled schools as “pigs at the trough.” Saying she is speaking for herself only and not on behalf of any organization, Dietz noted that “Mark is our lead lobbyist for K-12 education, and Diane represents Wichita Public Schools.” She presented both with a memento that had something to do with pigs and oinking.

    While most in the audience were amused — it consisted mostly of school spending advocates — Dietz may want to remember that it was Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson who first used the word “pig.” It’s explained in my article Kansas Governor, Wichita Eagle: why ‘pigs’ at the trough? A short version of it appeared in the Wichita Eagle.

    Schoolchildren, of course, aren’t pigs at the trough, no matter what the governor, the Wichita Eagle, and Connie Dietz say. For one, children don’t make the decision to attend public (government) schools, as their parents make that decision for them. It is the schools themselves, specifically school spending advocates in the form of Kansas National Education Association (KNEA, the teachers union), the Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB), and school board members like Dietz that are feeding at the through.

    Tallman, as Dietz noted, is the chief school spending advocate. (Let’s stop throwing insults like the governor did with the moniker “pig.”) It is his job to obtain as much money as possible for Kansas schools.

    If we need any more evidence of the never-ending appetite of schools for money and what spending advocates like Tallman consider this mission, consider a story told by Kansas House Speaker Pro Tem Arlen Siegfreid (R-Olathe) of a conversation he had with Tallman: “During our discussion I asked Mr. Tallman if we (the State) had the ability to give the schools everything he asked for would he still ask for even more money for schools. His answer was, ‘Of course, that’s my job.’”

    While presenting a humorous award made for a light ending to the meeting, the subject of public schools in Kansas is a serious matter. Tallman’s presentation — as does much of the school spending lobby — makes use of the rapidly rising scores on student achievement tests developed and administered by the State of Kansas. This allows him to present slides titled “Results of Increased Funding,” with one result being “Overall proficiency growth equaled or exceed the real increase in funding.” He cites a Kansas Legislative Post Audit study as authority.

    The problem is that these Kansas state achievement tests, as is the case in many states, are almost certainly fraudulent. The rapid rise in scores is not duplicated on tests the state has no control over. Studies like the LPA study that use these misleading test scores are not reliable and should not be believed.

    Looking at the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), we see a different story that’s in seeming conflict with Tallman’s assessment. On this test, which Kansas school officials can’t control, Kansas scores are largely flat. Sometimes they rise slowly and sometimes they fall.

    The ACT college entrance exam provides another look at the performance of Kansas schools. A recent report shows that for the period 2005 to 2009, Kansas ACT scores are up a small amount. For the most recent years, scores are down very slightly. The Kansas scores are slightly higher than the scores for the entire nation, and have mirrored the national trend.

    The most shocking part of the report, however, is how few Kansas students graduate from high school ready for college. While Kansas high school students perform slightly better than the nation, only 26 percent of Kansas students that take the ACT test are ready for college-level coursework in all four areas that ACT considers.

    For school spending advocates like Tallman and Dietz — to the extent they care to read and believe these figures — this is evidence that schools need even more money. We ought to realize, however, that the system itself is broken. Reforms promoted over the generations by education bureaucrats have failed. We need to look to freedom, competition, entrepreneurship, and choice — rather than a government monopoly — to provide a suitable education for Kansas schoolchildren.

  • Kansas news digest

    News from alternative media around Kansas for June 25, 2010.

    Public sector grows along with KPERS dependency

    (Kansas Liberty) “Between April 2008 and April 2010, the private sector in Kansas has experienced an overall loss in jobs of approximately 5.89 percent, while the public sector has experienced an overall gain in employment of approximately .83 percent. … As the public sector and its salaries continue to grow, so does the dependence on the state’s pension plan, KPERS.”

    Kansas working toward implementing aspect of Obamacare

    (Kansas Liberty) “The Kansas Department of Insurance is working with the federal government to create a temporary high-risk insurance pool, in accordance with regulations set forth by the new federal health-care law. High-risk insurance pools are designed to provide coverage for residents with pre-existing conditions who are unable to find coverage elsewhere. The temporary high-risk pool will operate until 2014, when the law prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions.”

    Budget cuts hit small towns harder, KC Fed reports

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas government’s continuing financial jam may threaten the economic recovery of the state’s small town and rural communities, according to a new analysis published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.”

    Researchers debate number of student dropouts

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – By one count, slightly more than one in 100 students drop out of school; by another count, only 75 students out of 100 actually receive diplomas. Trying to figure out the number of students in Kansas who have graduated high school, versus the number that have dropped out before graduation is tricky and confusing business.”

    Info about Ethics Commission meeting not found by attending

    (Kansas Watchdog) “On Tuesday the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission held their monthly meeting in Topeka. The agenda for the meeting was a bit curious: The plan was for a 15-minute session that started at 11:45, followed by a 30-minute session 90 minutes later.”

    Business Owners Ask Kansas Courts to Stop Smoking Ban

    (Kansas Watchdog) “Owners of private clubs and bingo operations have asked the courts to stop the statewide smoking ban (HB2221) from taking effect July 1. Attorney Tuck Duncan Friday filed a motion to intervene in a temporary injunction sought by Michael Merriam to stop implementation of the ban while courts hear claims that the ban violates various U.S Constitutional rights.”

    Tiahrt and Moran Trade Shots Over Support for Federal Bailouts

    (State of the State KS) “The Tiahrt (R) and Moran (R) campaigns traded shots Wednesday over the issue of government bailouts with Tiahrt firing the first shot saying Moran was misleading voters when Moran said claimed he never voted for a bailout.”

    Opinion by Senate President Stephen Morris – The 2010 Legislative Session: Keeping Our Promises to Kansans

    (State of the State KS) “The 2010 Legislative Session is now officially history. When this chapter of the Kansas story is written, it will go down as perhaps the most significant since the Great Depression. In fact, the challenges facing lawmakers this year were unprecedented. As we enter the election season, you may hear a lot of misinformation about what actually happened in Topeka this year; I would like to set the record straight.”

    Response by Americans For Prosperity to Opinion Article by Senate President Steve Morris

    (State of the State KS) “The recent letter to the editor submitted by Senate President Stephen Morris caught my attention. He claims passing the largest sales tax increase in Kansas history was the ‘only responsible way’ to address the budget shortfall. A shortfall he blames on an ‘economic crisis.’”

  • Kansas news digest

    News from alternative media around Kansas for June 7, 2010.

    Bond Savings to Be Spent, Not Used to Pay Down Debt

    (Kansas Watchdog) “Wichita school district officials will spend surplus bond funds rather than cut taxes. Contractors are bidding below district projections for construction projects funded by the 2008 USD259 bond only 51 percent of voters approved. It authorized the district to spend ‘an amount not to exceed $370 million’ on a broad range or projects. So far, contracts for the first phase of bond construction are as much as 23 percent below projections. The district could save tens of millions of dollars if the Wichita Board of Education chose to return the savings to taxpayers.”

    Fed finance bill hurts Kansas consumers and economy

    (Kansas Liberty) “The federal finance bill that passed the Senate May 20 is in conference, where a select group of senators and representatives is working to reconcile two versions of the legislation. The Restoring American Financial Stability Act was crafted by Democrats to stabilize Wall Street and diminish the potential of a future fiscal crisis comparable to the 2008 catastrophe that resulted in billions worth of taxpayer dollars being used to bail out big business. While the bill was touted as being aimed at Wall Street, its influence will be felt here in Kansas within community banks, businesses and by consumers, according to local leaders in the business sector.”

    Sebelius health-care propaganda reaching Kansas seniors

    (Kansas Liberty) Last week Sen. Pat Roberts sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services Department Kathleen Sebelius questioning her about ‘misinformation’ provided to senior citizens via a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid mailer. … Tiahrt refers to mailer as an ‘incomplete piece of literature that is trying to sell a product.’”

    Number of jobs in government balloons while private sector stagnant

    (Kansas Liberty) “Kansas Republicans are not impressed with today’s United States Bureau of Labor Statistics report that said the national May unemployment rate is at 9.7 percent, which is a decrease from last month. Out of the total 431,000 nonfarm positions added in May, 411,000 of the positions are temporary government jobs created for Census 2010 workers.”

    Keeping a close eye on the $131 million

    (Kansas Health Institute News Service) “TOPEKA – Kansas is among the more than 30 states that built budgets assuming Congress this year would approve additional federal matching dollars for Medicaid and child welfare programs. And it is among a dozen or so states that have no contingency plan should that assumption prove wrong.”

    Kansas, U.S. tax burdens vary widely, researchers find

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas’ lowest income taxpayers pay slightly more than a national average share of federal income taxes collected in the state, and its wealthiest taxpayers pay slightly less, tax researchers calculate.”

    Two states: Two different decisions about competing for federal dollars

    (Kansas Reporter) “TOPEKA, Kan. – Despite the similarities Kansas shares with its neighbor Oklahoma, the two states made very different decisions about competing for federal dollars for education.”

    State General Fund out of balance as fiscal year winds down

    (Kansas Reporter) TOPEKA, Kan. – Entering the last month of the fiscal year, the State General Fund is about $89 million out of balance. Unless June brings in much more than anticipated revenue amounts, the state will have to resort to maneuvering cash and delaying payments, said J.G. Scott, the chief fiscal officer for the Legislative Research Department. ‘If June comes in higher than anticipated everything will be fine,’ Scott said. ‘If it comes in where we expect it, we’ll still have an issue.’”

    O’Neal and Davis On The Last Day of Session

    (State of the State KS) “Friday marked the last official day of the legislative session, called Sine Die, and legislators gathered at the capitol one last time before heading home until next January. Governor Parkinson and a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans worked together this session to pass a one cent sales tax increase that filled a budget shortfall, leaving programs for education, social services and public safety in place.”

    Attorney General Steve Six Announces Run For Top Legal Office in Kansas

    (State of the State KS) “Kansas Attorney General Steve Six (D) kicked off a five city tour Thursday to announce his run for for the top legal office in the state. He said that after years of personal and political scandal, he brought a new culture to the AG’s office.”

    KAKE-TV and WIBW-TV Launch New Sunday Morning Political Show

    (State of the State KS) “Starting, Sunday June 6 at 9:00 AM, KAKE TV in Wichita and will begin a new public affairs program called ‘This Week in Kansas’. Hosted by well-known local journalist Tim Brown, this half-hour program will review the major political events and issues in our state every week. Frequent guests throughout the year will include newsmakers, legislators, politicians and journalists.”

  • Wichita teachers union uses meeting for advocacy, campaigning

    Two weeks ago, while the Kansas Legislature was working on budget and tax issues, Larry Landwehr, president of United Teachers of Wichita, the union for Wichita public school teachers, addressed the board of USD 259, the Wichita public school district.

    Landwehr referred to “difficult decisions” the board had to make in the past few months, presumably due to budget cuts the district believed it needed to make. His remarks were based on a false premise, however. Many of these cuts were not necessary, as school districts have money to spend, if they want.

    During the present school year, according to figures released at the end of April, schools in Kansas were able to increase spending by an estimated $320 million. This was in spite of the fact that revenue to Kansas school districts declined by about $50 million. $370 million in fund balances were used to boost total spending by $320 million.

    These are the fund balances that school districts and school officials have said cannot be used. But districts have used them, and there’s more that can be used. There is no need to make cuts to teachers and programs.

    In his remarks, Landwehr also issued a threat to legislators who “chose re-election over providing a quality education for our students.” He added “I hope they [voters] respond accordingly in the summer and spring elections.”

    There’s a few issues here that deserve discussion. First, while the teachers union may believe that public schools in Kansas are producing a quality product, the rest of us need to dismiss this illusion. While Kansas reports rising test scores on state-administered assessments, these test scores are certainly fraudulent, as scores on tests the state does not control do not match this trend.

    Furthermore, only 26 percent of Kansas students that take the ACT test are ready for college-level coursework in all four areas that ACT considers.

    This is not a record of achievement that Wichita and Kansas school districts and teachers unions should be proud of.

    There’s also the issue as to whether Wichita school board meetings should be used for political campaigning. While Wichita public schools hate to be called “government schools,” the fact that this behavior is permitted at school board meetings show us that public schools are, in fact, creations of, and expressions of, government.

  • For Kansas school spending lobby, truth is frustrating

    Today’s lead Wichita Eagle editorial complains that a Kansas public policy group’s position on school fund balances is frustrating.

    It would be one thing if the findings made by the Kansas Policy Institute were false. But it has been found that these findings are true: Kansas schools have been spending down the funds in the way that KPI has said they could do.

    The problem is that these facts are inconvenient to the school spending lobby and its request for ever-increasing funding for schools at the expense of taxpayers and other competing budget interests. It should be noted that this lobby is a special interest group itself, as is the teachers union, school employees, unions like SEIU that represent school employees, and school superintendents. The Kansas Policy Institute, according to its website and also my observation of its activities, advocates for “free enterprise solutions and the protection of personal freedom.” These are things that everyone benefits from. It is incorrect and wrong for the Wichita Eagle to refer to KPI as a special interest group.

    For more background on this issue, see:

  • Kansas budget, taxes, still being worked on

    At the Kansas statehouse yesterday, some progress was made on the budget, but much work remains. With the session about to end, large decisions about taxation and spending have yet to be made.

    Talking to one lobbyist who has been observing statehouse politics for many years, I said “This is a heck of a way to make public policy.” He replied we’re way past considerations of public policy — we’re talking politics now. I remembered my political science professor in college, who said the definition of politics is “who gets what, when, and how.”

    A matter that is still on the calendar is the transportation bill, HB 2650 (fiscal note). This bill was passed by the House earlier in the session and is on the Senate’s calendar. Yesterday many supporters of the bill were in the statehouse, some wearing blue buttons reading “Highway investment means jobs.” Another button read “Safe roads save lives.”

    The halls were also packed with advocates for the disabled, including many people in wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Patrick Terick, Governmental Affairs director for Cerebral Palsy Research Center in Wichita, said that some programs such as one that creates custom wheelchair cushions have been cut by large amounts.

    In the afternoon session of the Senate, an amendment offered to its budget bill provided evidence of the diversity of Kansas and the difference between wealthy and poor areas of the state. The amendment, offered by Senator Karin Brownlee, a Republican from Olathe, would route KPERS contributions in a way that lets these payments be used in calculating a district’s local option budget. (The LOB allows school districts to levy property taxes. There is a limit as to how much tax can be levied, that being a percentage of the district’s budget.) By routing KPERS contributions in a different way, those payments could be used to increase the LOB limit. This would not change the amount paid to KPERS, or change the amount that districts would report they spent.

    During debate, some senators pointed out that poorer school districts would not have the ability to increase their LOB. Senator Anthony Hensley, a Republican from Topeka and Senate Minority Leader, said that many school districts cannot afford to raise local property taxes.

    Senator Janis Lee, who represents a geographically large district in northwest Kansas, said this amendment is “disequalizing,” referring to the Kansas school equalization process, which sends money from wealthy districts to those with less assessed property value per student.

    Senator John Vratil, a Republican from Leawood in Johnson County and Senate Vice President, said that Johnson County contributes 28 percent of the tax revenue the state collects, while receiving only 11 percent back in return. He also mentioned that Johnson County school districts are in the lowest ten percent of districts in operating costs per student. Given that, he asked “Is it too much that we have the authority to tax ourselves to provide a quality education?” Brownlee repeated this sentiment in her closing.

    On a roll call vote, the amendment failed by 16 to 22 votes.

    Later Senator Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, offered an amendment that would raise $300 million in revenue through a variety of methods, most importantly the sale of some Kansas state-owned assets. The amendment would set a timeline for the identification, evaluation, and sale of assets, with some sold in time to be used in fiscal year 2011, the budget year that starts on July 1, 2010.

    Preliminary reports indicate that the state owns some $12 billion to $16 billion in assets. The Masterson amendment called for selling $175 million in fiscal year 2011. This figure is somewhere between one percent and two percent of the state-owned assets.

    In debate, some senators opposed this plan as being unrealistic. In a roll call vote, the amendment failed with 12 yea votes and 28 nays.

    A related amendment by Senator Mark Taddiken passed in a later session. It calls for the creation of an inventory of state assets and a prioritized list of assets that could be sold, but does not require the sale.

    Senator Tim Huelskamp, a Republican from Fowler, offered an amendment that would limit the growth of state government spending to the rate of population growth plus the rate of inflation. Some states have limitations like this, and they can be useful in restraining the growth of government.

    Remarks during debate included the concern that with an aging population and the state’s entitlement structure, state spending may need to increase rapidly to meet the needs of the elderly. Senator Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat, said that we are not funding the state’s need for services adequately now, and we should try to be in a position to fund more agencies and programs.

    This amendment failed by a vote of 15 to 25.

    In the House, it was a waiting game all day as the alternative budget bill — “Feuerborn Amendment” — was being prepared. The new budget amendment was to be available at 8:00 am this morning, but it was not, and the house recessed with plans to resume at 11:00 am. But those plans were revised, with the House now planning to meet at 1:30 pm.