During the 2023 legislative session, I was testifying to a legislative committee on a bill, and I touted Kansas' graduation rate, which is at a record high of 89.3%. That prompted a question from a legislator. She asked if I thought graduation rates were an objective measure of whether our schools were succeeding. That legislator is a frequent critic of Kansas public schools, so I wasn't sure where she was going with that question, but I had my suspicions.  

I fumbled my answer. I wish I had been quicker on my feet because I should have said, "It may not be an objective measure, but a state's graduation rate is a significant measure. I would argue it is the most important measure in our public school system and that high school graduation is probably one of the most important achievements in a person's life. Generally speaking, it is one of the tickets needed for a successful life." 

“When Kansas parents bring their child to kindergarten, they are worried about whether their child will get along with others, will the teacher be kind and recognize their child's needs, and will their son or daughter be able to make it through the day without tears. Those parents probably aren't thinking about the high school graduation ceremony in the future. But that is precisely the goal of the public school system — getting that child up on the stage to receive their diploma." 

“For some children, progressing from grade to grade is relatively easy. For many, however, it is not; they need extra help. There are fits and starts along the way; there are outside events that increase the challenge. Consider students who are raised in the foster care system, some of whom have been moved to hundreds of different homes and dozens of schools during their childhood. Our Kansas public schools are focused on the success of every child, which is why our graduation rates have been improving as a whole and across the various subgroups." 

“When a Kansas student receives a diploma and handshake, they have crossed the finish line of a 13-year race that represents the commitment of students, families, teachers, school staff, administrators and whole communities. Every high school graduate is a success story. That is why our improving graduation rate is important and why we need to continue to increase it.”  

That’s what I should have said, or something like that, but I didn’t. Missed opportunity. The legislator then proceeded to read state assessment scores disdainfully. My suspicions were correct. This is pretty much how the whole legislative session went. The critics of our public schools hounded education advocates on state assessment scores while failing to acknowledge the good going on in our public schools or that assessment scores aren't the be-all and end-all and that they are affected by influences beyond the control of schools, such as poverty and family struggles. But that is an old record that gets played repeatedly in the Legislature.  

The high school graduation rate of 89.3% in 2022 shows a 2% increase over the past five years, which includes a 5.6% increase in graduation of students who receive free and reduced meals, 4.9% for English language learners and 3.7% for students with disabilities.  

So, what I would like to say now on this beautiful day in May when everything is green, flowers are blooming, and some 35,000 Kansas students are preparing to walk across the stage: Congratulations to the students, congratulations to the families; congratulations to the teachers and schools and congratulations Kansas. You did that. We did that. And it's extremely important.