Student Issues – Page 3 – Kansas Association of School Boards

10 Jan

Get the latest K-12 information at Advocacy in Action Conference

Discussions on school funding, student trauma, building safety and numerous other state and federal education issues will be highlighted during the Advocacy in Action Conference next week. The conference, a joint effort of KASB and United School Administrators of Kansas, will be held Wednesday and Thursday Jan. 16-17 at the Maner Conference Center in Topeka. To register, go here. Along with expert presentations, the annual conference also gives education leaders from across Kansas the chance to visit with legislators in the Statehouse as the 2019 legislative session gets under way. Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers, a longtime school advocate and former Wichita [...]

Newsroom, Federal Issues, Financing Schools, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, Safety and Security

10 Jan

Mental health program, recommendations before State Board of Education

More than 600 students have been served in the first few months of a new public school mental health pilot program, according to a report by the Kansas State Department of Education. The report will be received Tuesday during the monthly meeting of the State Board of Education. Here is a link to the board’s agenda and backup materials. The Mental Health Intervention Program was approved by the Legislature last session as a one-year, $10 million pilot program. Discussion on whether to continue the program, and if so, whether to expand it, will likely occur during the legislative session that starts [...]

Newsroom, Student Issues, State Board of Ed

07 Jan

Experts on trauma-informed schools will lead breakout sessions during Advocacy in Action Conference

Two experts on trauma-informed teaching will lead breakout sessions during the Advocacy in Action Conference this month in Topeka. The conference, a joint effort of KASB and United School Administrators of Kansas, will be held Wednesday and Thursday Jan. 16-17 at the Maner Conference Center in Topeka. To register, go here. Dr. Marcia Weseman and Susan Pinne, both with the Crittenton Children’s Center at Saint Luke’s Hospital, will offer information on trauma-informed schools on Thursday, Jan. 17. Pinne is director of Trauma Smart at Crittenton Children’s Center and Weseman is a Trauma Smart trainer. Sessions at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. [...]

Newsroom, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, Teacher Issues

04 Jan

Dyslexia subcommittee wants training, resources

A subcommittee on dyslexia said the state should fund the training and screening resources necessary to help schools detect students with dyslexia. The subcommittee on Screening and Evaluation Process was finishing up its recommendations on Thursday. The subcommittee, however, didn’t come up with an estimate on how much the training and screening resources would cost. The full Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia will meet Thur. Jan. 10 to wrap up its work before the Jan. 14 startup of the legislative session. The task force recommendations will be forwarded to the Legislature, State Board of Education and incoming Gov. Laura Kelly. State Sen. [...]

Newsroom, Instruction & Services, Student Issues

02 Jan

Get the latest information on education issues at the Advocacy in Action Conference set for Jan. 16-17 in Topeka

With school finance at the top of the 2019 legislative session, education advocates can get the latest information on K-12 issues, visit with legislators and hear from state leaders during the Advocacy in Action Conference in Topeka. The conference, a joint effort of KASB and United School Administrators of Kansas, will be held Wednesday and Thursday Jan. 16-17 at the Maner Conference Center. To register, go here. On Wed. Jan. 16, the conference will include talks from state officials and bus transportation to the Statehouse for meetings with legislators. The conference will also include a watch party as incoming Gov. Laura Kelly [...]

KASB Updates, Conference, Newsroom, Federal Issues, Financing Schools, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, Safety and Security

18 Dec

Work of two students reflected in Governor’s Education Council report

Two students who served on the Gov. Jeff Colyer’s Education Council said if educators could do one thing to help students it would be to de-emphasize the importance of the ACT score to get into college. Alexis Gaudreau, a senior at Topeka West High School, said she has a 4.0 GPA and participates in numerous extracurricular activities. But she has test anxiety and doesn’t do well on high-stakes tests, such as the ACT. That has hurt her ability to get scholarships, she said, as she plans to pursue a college degree. Max Glaze, a senior at Maize High School, surveyed 50 students [...]

Newsroom, Student Issues

18 Dec

Colyer’s education council approves recommendations; Kelly transition says she will continue council’s work

Gov. Jeff Colyer’s Education Council approved its final recommendations Tuesday and the incoming administration of Gov.-elect Laura Kelly says it will continue the work of the council to provide advice on improving education and workforce opportunities in Kansas. Cindy Lane, a member of Kelly’s transition team and a former Kansas City USD 500 superintendent, indicated Kelly would appoint a new council and Lane asked members of the current council who are interested in continuing to serve to contact the transition office. “The work you have done should be the launching pad for what the next council does,” Lane said during the [...]

Newsroom, Student Issues

18 Dec

Federal commission releases report on school safety

The Federal Commission on School Safety released its report today. The Commission recommends increasing school safety through intergovernmental cooperation and funding of school safety training and building security measures and increased cooperation and funding to provide school-based mental health services. It recommends schools develop crisis training and media plans to respond to and address school shootings, advocates for emergency and crisis training for law enforcement and applauds efforts to funnel retired law enforcement officers and members of the military into education-related jobs. Many of the issues and recommendations identified in the report were addressed on the state level by the [...]

Newsroom, Federal Issues, Student Issues, Safety and Security

14 Dec

KASB Live at 12:30 p.m. today on special education audit

KASB Live will broadcast at 12:30 p.m. today to review a new state audit on special education in Kansas and discuss other education issues. To join the conversation and view the KASB Live broadcast, please go to this link. Heidi Zimmerman, principal auditor with the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, will join KASB staff to discuss the audit, which was released Thursday. The audit said the Legislature has underfunded Kansas school districts for special education and also noted that school districts are having difficulty hiring staff because of a lack of availability. Here is a link to the audit.

Newsroom, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Student Issues

12 Dec

KASB Live on K-12 special education audit at 12:30 p.m. Friday

KASB Live will broadcast at 12:30 p.m. Friday to review a new state audit on special education in Kansas and discuss other education issues. Heidi Zimmerman, principal auditor with the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, will join KASB staff to discuss the audit, which is to be released Thursday. To join the conversation and view the KASB Live broadcast, please go to this link. The K-12 Special Education Audit was authorized by the Legislative Post Audit committee to go over how much does special education cost, have the distributions of funds been in accordance with state law and how other states [...]

Newsroom, Student Issues