News: "Brownback Tax Cuts That Ravaged Surplus Hinder Re-Election Bid" (Kansas City: magnet schools, college)

[SyraBrian]

Kansas is a high birth rate state that will probably consistently need more funding for education even if all the waste is extracted.

At the same time more kids than the national average are being produced, more people of wage earning age are leaving than arriving.

That's why I think it was shortsighted for Brownback to cut the tax rates. He should have waited until Kansas started gaining 18-64 year olds from the other states.

He could have waited until Wichita promised to provide hipster-attracting amenities like light rail or microbreweries.

[Dustyroad70]

I doubt if most people have any idea of the crap they are being taught in the public schools in Kansas. Throwing money at this rat hole will not help anything as years of doing so has proven to anyone willing to open their eyes. Mediocrity and teaching to the lowest common denominator is the rule and it gets pretty low. 80% of the teachers are there for a paycheck and do the very, very, very least they can do to keep getting it. The administration is all out for themselves also, period.

[grs1]

i have to laugh at the people who say kansas has low education standards. the results from common core were delayed for a year, til after the elections. when california went below mississippi they changed results in an orwellian fashion.

[Dustyroad70]

Just because there are worse, doesn't mean than they aren't bad.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by chronic65

I doubt if most people have any idea of the crap they are being taught in the public schools in Kansas. Throwing money at this rat hole will not help anything as years of doing so has proven to anyone willing to open their eyes. Mediocrity and teaching to the lowest common denominator is the rule and it gets pretty low. 80% of the teachers are there for a paycheck and do the very, very, very least they can do to keep getting it. The administration is all out for themselves also, period.

Then why does KS do pretty well in terms of student test scores and graduation rates etc. against the rest of the nation?

Lets see some facts instead of hyperbole.

[AnywhereElse]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

Then why does KS do pretty well in terms of student test scores and graduation rates etc. against the rest of the nation?

Lets see some facts instead of hyperbole.

Your facts showing that KS grads do pretty well?

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by AnywhereElse

Your facts showing that KS grads do pretty well?

The person that initially makes the claim has to support their position.

Besides, every post you've ever made around here has been factually incorrect. If you disagree, then feel free to prove otherwise.

#irony.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

The person that initially makes the claim has to support their position.

Besides, every post you've ever made around here has been factually incorrect. If you disagree, then feel free to prove otherwise.

#irony.

I remember when I was in high school (Shawnee Mission district) we were featured on 20/20 as a district that was doing things right. I'm quite pleased with the education I received in Kansas.

The issue I see today that's going on in all states is that public schools aren't receiving the funds they need. Now we get the corporate sponsors (ads on buses, outside schools), crappier school lunches, constant begging for money from the parents, etc. And at the same time we hear from the "fiscally conservatives" that "throwing money at schools won't solve the problem". Well, there's a line where more money is a wasted, and on the other side, not enough money is a problem. Seems like we've crossed that line in the past decade on the side of insufficient funding of public schools.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by denverian

I remember when I was in high school (Shawnee Mission district) we were featured on 20/20 as a district that was doing things right. I'm quite pleased with the education I received in Kansas.

The issue I see today that's going on in all states is that public schools aren't receiving the funds they need. Now we get the corporate sponsors (ads on buses, outside schools), crappier school lunches, constant begging for money from the parents, etc. And at the same time we hear from the "fiscally conservatives" that "throwing money at schools won't solve the problem". Well, there's a line where more money is a wasted, and on the other side, not enough money is a problem. Seems like we've crossed that line in the past decade on the side of insufficient funding of public schools.

Depends, my home state of Illinois is so broke that they've definitely gone this route. Even within a state it varies wildly.

Did you know that EVERY highschool student in the Shawnee Mission School District got a macbook air as part of their tech initiative this year? Great way to make sure that ALL kids are learning important skills and not just the ones that have parents that can afford these items.

(Junior high age and lower got ipads)

There is a reason a lot of poorer families (many immigrants) pay higher rents to live in the SMSD and get their kids a quality education and get ahead.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

Depends, my home state of Illinois is so broke that they've definitely gone this route. Even within a state it varies wildly.

Did you know that EVERY highschool student in the Shawnee Mission School District got a macbook air as part of their tech initiative this year? Great way to make sure that ALL kids are learning important skills and not just the ones that have parents that can afford these items.

(Junior high age and lower got ipads)

There is a reason a lot of poorer families (many immigrants) pay higher rents to live in the SMSD and get their kids a quality education and get ahead.

Back when I was in the SMSD, all we had was Trapper Keepers and overhead projectors lol! But I would fully support that for all students. Our kids use iPads to do homework and it works great. Plus we download apps for other learning on the side. But we paid for them.

Coloradans don't like higher taxes, so schools have resorted to a lot of alternative funding. For our kids' charter school, we probably contribute $500 per year per student through fundraisers. But at least there is no tuition.