Instruction & Services – Kansas Association of School Boards

20 Feb

KASB’s Daily Education Roundup, Wed. Feb. 20

The Statehouse was busy with committee meetings Wednesday with KASB testifying on numerous bills. In House Taxation, KASB voiced opposition to SB 22, the tax cut bill that was approved by the Senate. KASB’s Mark Tallman, associate director for advocacy, said the Legislature should first address the Kansas Supreme Court ruling to add an inflation adjustment to school funding before working on tax cuts. “Kansas is falling behind other states in education funding, and therefore investment in its own people,” Tallman said. “Before adopting a major reduction in revenue, KASB urges the Legislature to adopt the inflation adjustment to the school [...]

Newsroom, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, Safety and Security, State Board of Ed, Teacher Issues, Risk Management, Testimony19

19 Feb

KASB’s Daily Education Roundup, Tue. Feb. 19

The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday recommended approval of legislation that would require schools conduct at least nine safety drills. SB 128 would require four fire drills, three crisis drills and two tornado drills. Last year a proviso had been placed in the budget requiring 16 safety drills, including nine crisis or shooter drills. Some schools said that was too many. KASB supported the bill. The committee also approved SB 16, which adds Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas and the Boys and Girls Club to a list of groups that can be funded by school districts with at-risk dollars. KASB testified as [...]

Newsroom, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, KPERS, Local Boards, Student Issues, Safety and Security, Testimony19

18 Feb

Legislators ask, schools answer: #FundingHelpsStudents

For the first time in eight years, Meade USD 226 will have summer school to help struggling students. The district of approximately 400 students in southwestern Kansas has also expanded pre-school, improved its ability to address the social and emotional needs of young people and added a Career Academy to help students better prepare for life after graduation. Meade’s efforts are an example of how public schools across Kansas have used recent increases in K-12 funds from the Legislature to drive student success after years of funding that trailed inflation, causing schools to pullback on many initiatives. Last week, KASB and USA-Kansas [...]

Newsroom, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, Safety and Security, State Board of Ed, Teacher Issues

18 Feb

Numerous education bills to be heard, voted on this week

It is important for school leaders to try to stay up to date on happenings in the Legislature this week as House and Senate committees will be busy voting on and hearing numerous education bills and schedules could change on a moment’s notice. On Monday, the Senate Education Committee will consider SB 47, which would create the student opportunity scholarship program. This would grant students who graduate a year early a scholarship equal to 95 percent of base aid that would be paid to the postsecondary institution the student attends. The committee has scheduled final action on the measure Wednesday. [...]

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

12 Feb

KASB’s Daily Education Roundup, Tue. Feb. 12

On Tuesday, KASB testified in favor of Gov. Laura Kelly’s school finance plan — SB 44 — and against HB 2166, which would require high schools offer a course on financial literacy and all students pass the course to graduate. No committee action was taken on either bill. KASB’s Associate Director for Advocacy Mark Tallman told the Senate Select Committee on Education Finance that SB 44 provided the funds necessary for student success and a path to ending the long running Gannon lawsuit. Based on questions from committee members, school leaders are urged to contact their legislators and provide information [...]

Newsroom, Financing Schools, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, Safety and Security, State Board of Ed

08 Feb

Education bills with hearings Week of Feb. 11

Here is a list of bills coming up, beginning Feb. 11. School leaders and advocates are urged to provide oral or written testimony on issues where they have concerns or information for the committee. Follow KASB communications as more hearings may be added at any time. School safety drills. Senate Education Committee hearing Monday, Feb. 11, 1:30 p.m. on SB 128 - Requiring at least nine safety drills

Newsroom, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, KPERS, Local Boards, Safety and Security

29 Jan

KASB Legal will conduct Successful Student Discipline workshop Feb. 7

The KASB Legal/Policy Services Department will conduct a Successful Student Discipline workshop on Thur. Feb. 7. The one-day session at the KASB office in Topeka will cover strategies and legal requirements and address threats, social media and other state and national trends surrounding successful student discipline. For more information on the event and to register, go to this link. Donna Whiteman, KASB Attorney, Assistant Executive Director/Legal Services, will provide an overview of student discipline statutes. KASB Attorney Ashley Rohleder will lead a breakout session on Discipline of Special Education Students; KASB Attorney Sam Blasi will lead a discussion on School Consequences for [...]

Newsroom, Instruction & Services, Professional Personnel, Student Issues

11 Jan

Follow KASB for latest education news as 2019 legislative starts Monday

The 2019 legislative session opens Monday with school finance at center stage and political intrigue driving the plot. KASB will be monitoring each twist and turn of the session, reporting back to education leaders and advocating on behalf of Kansas public school boards. To get the latest education news, please follow KASB on Twitter, like us on Facebook, open the daily KASB News Briefs email and monthly School Board Review and bookmark our website www.kasb.org. KASB also will be producing a Facebook Live summary of each day’s events in the Statehouse, conducting KASB Live webinars each Friday and dispatching action alerts [...]

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

10 Jan

Dyslexia task force puts together set of recommendations

The Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia has put together a set of wide-ranging recommendations aimed at helping educators help students who are struggling in reading. The proposals, finalized Thursday, will now go to the State Board of Education on Tuesday and then later to House and Senate education committees for review. A pricetag wasn’t put on the recommendations, but task force members said they would like to keep the group going for the next several years to monitor progress and implementation. The task force tabbed the State Board of Education for putting the proposals into motion with funding approved by the [...]

Newsroom, Instruction & Services, Kansas Legislature, Local Boards, Student Issues, State Board of Ed, Teacher Issues

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