THE FUTURE IS NOW

In recent years, Kansas public schools have been thrust into political and legal battles and even been used in the so-called culture wars.

What’s remarkable is that during this turmoil, Kansas teachers, parents and education advocates continue to perform the day-in day-out work that has produced a top-notch public school system.

And even more remarkable is that Kansas now has the opportunity to take a giant leap forward in improving public schools.

Three recent education initiatives show where Kansas schools stand, where they need to go and a draft proposal on how to get there.

The Kansas State Board of Education, after meeting for more than a year with Kansans from all walks of life across the state, has made it the board’s mission to “lead the world in the success of each and every student.” This is called the Kansans Can initiative.

School administrators and school board members met for about a year and recently unveiled a draft finance plan that seeks to ensure every student in our diverse state has an equal opportunity to pursue his or her dreams. This is called the Framework for a New School Finance Formula. That plan represents a starting point in the discussion on how best to finance schools.

And KASB has recently released research that shows Kansas students rank among the best in the country but funding problems in recent years have been accompanied by troubling downward trends in academics. This is the 2016 State Education Report Card.

Taken together, these reports show the status of Kansas public schools and where they need to go in the future so Kansas students are successful.

Here are some of the conclusions:

• Kansas ranks 10th in the nation in student outcomes, but 29th in per pupil funding, 38th in funding increases over six years and 41st in teacher salaries.
• Kansas schools should be funded at a level that provides every student an equal opportunity to be college and career ready and local districts should retain control over their schools to respond to local conditions.
• Kansas schools should move away from a one-size-fits-all system and focus on the success of each individual student in achieving high academic skills and employability and citizenship skills.

We urge parents, students, guardians, teachers, school staff, board members and legislators to use these reports to gather information and engage policymakers on school finance and other education issues.

While the U.S. presidential race is grabbing most of the headlines, Kansans must stay informed about their legislative, State Board of Education and judicial retention elections. These elections will have a major impact on our Kansas public school system and the future of Kansas. Just as it has taken hard work, resources and dedication to maintain our tradition of sound public schools, it will take a continued effort to get our schools where we want them to be tomorrow.

By Scott Rothschild, srothschild@kasb.org