Tag: Wichita and Kansas schools
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Flunked’s Steven Maggi Interview
On October 8, 2008, Citizens for Better Education, the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy, and Americans For Prosperity — Kansas sponsored a screening of Flunked the Movie. I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Steven Maggi, the film’s executive producer. Following are some excerpts from our conversation.
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Is the Wichita School District Hoping For Recession?
A recent Wichita Eagle article (Economy now is right to support the school bond) USD 259 written by Wichita school district Interim Superintendent Martin Libhart makes me wonder if the school district isn’t hoping for a recession. Here’s why I wonder: right now long-term interest rates for the types of bonds the district will be…
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Another Wichita School Bond Issue Cartoon
Helen Cochran of Citizens for Better Education has released another political cartoon whose topic is the Wichita school bond issue. Click here to go to CBE’s website and see this cartoon. The others are there, too.
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Wichita School Bond: Time Is Not Right
In a Wichita Eagle article Economy now is right to support the school bond, USD 259, the Wichita school district, Interim Superintendent Martin Libhart reminds us of the study prepared by Wichita State University that touts the economic benefit of the previous bond issue. My analysis of this report can be read at Wichita School…
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Wichita School District’s Claims Must be Questioned
At a Wichita school bond issue debate on October 14, 2008, I challenged USD 259, the Wichita school district, to give evidence of their claim that smaller class sizes lead to better student achievement. That’s because I’ve been waiting a week for both USD 259 and the “Yes for Kids” group to respond to my…
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Wichita School Spending Incomplete Coverage
A Wichita Eagle article (Would economic crisis affect the sale of bonds?) contains some potentially misleading information about USD 259, the Wichita school district, spending. In answering the question “How much does the district spend per student?” the figure given by chief financial officer Linda Jones was $11,659 per student. This figure is based on…
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Wichita Eagle’s Rhonda Holman on Wichita school bond issue
The Wichita Eagle’s Rhonda Holman, in her recent editorial Business should get off fence on bond, urges voters to get educated about the proposed Wichita School bond issue. It would be helpful if she’d do the same.
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Wichita Premiere of Flunked! the Movie
School board members and school administrators were invited. Not many attended.
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Wichita School Bond: Is Opposing It Punishing Kids?
In a letter to the Wichita Eagle, Angela Sader of Wichita says “Don’t punish kids.” (See Letters to the Editor, October 8, 2008) One criticism Ms. Sader makes of myself and another school bond issue opponent in her letter is “A primary complaint has been that the Wichita school district and state generally are not…
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Wichita School Bond: The School District’s Refusal to Understand Nudging
In support of the proposed Wichita school bond issue, USD 259 claims overcrowding. It may be true that some schools are overcrowded, but the district as a whole has quite a bit of capacity. Wichita school district claims of overcrowding must be examined with caution. The article Do We Know if Enrollment Numbers Support Wichita…
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Wichita School Bond Issue: In Review
Wichita’s mysterious Boondoggler has a post that summarizes the arguments against the proposed Wichita school bond issue. The summary of the summary is this: The bond is too big and bloated. The bond plan is based on the wrong priorities. Passage of this bond will be positive reinforcement of the failures of the USD 259…
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Documentary Suggests Alternatives To Public School Orthodoxy
By Jim Erickson. Reprinted by permission of East Wichita News. It?s called Flunked, and this documentary, narrated by Joe Mantegna, is a shopping list of successful ideas to improve our schools. Those interested in the school bond issue and education in general might want to catch this movie at The Orpheum on October 8. Though…