Senate and House GOP leaders in Topeka have insisted that lawmakers pass a constitutional amendment stating that the Legislature has sole authority to determine how state money is spent. But the state’s constitution should be amended only when there are no other options. And that should be determined by careful, nonemotional review — not rushed through during a special session in a fit of frustration. And here’s another rule of thumb: If you have to force lawmakers against their will to vote for an amendment by holding school funding hostage, it’s not a good amendment.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/20
- donndublin on Open thread 11/20
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/20
- Regular on Open thread 11/20
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/20
- donndublin on Open thread 11/20
- george on Open thread 11/20
- XXX on Open thread 11/20
- GMC70 on Will GOP contenders be nice to Obama?
- Regular on Open thread 11/20
32 Comments
I agree. The KC Star did a survey of Kansas legislators and it seemed that those who answered “NO” to the question – Do you believe the court has the authority to order the Legislature to increase school funding by $143 million this year and $568 million next year? (too bad it is a compound question) and “YES” to the question – If no, should the legislature defy the court and refuse to appropriate an additional $143 million? – had little in the way of alternatives to offer on resolving the problem.
Given that this is true, it is not surprising that some legislators would try to make the session about something else. Also, making the session about something else has worked well for them in the past.
I do disagree with the folks who try to make the bad guy(s) the governor, the reps in house or state senators. We voters elected these people, so ultimately WE are responsible.
On 6-20-05 the Kansas City Star published its story on a survey of the KS legislature (_Kansas lawmakers surveyed on court’s education decision_). This article can be found at http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/living/education/11935032.htm.
The questions to the 150 (out of 165)legislators were:
Q1. Do you believe the court has the authority to order the Legislature to increase school funding by $143 million this year and $568 million next year?
Q1a. If no, should the Legislature defy the court and refuse to appropriate an addional $143 million?
Q2. Do you support some form of tax increase to raise money to address the ruling?
Q3. Do you support using revenue from expanded gambling to address the ruling?
Q4. Do you support cutting the existing budget to address the ruling?
Q5. Do you support relying on forecasts of economic growth and ending balances to address the court’s ruling?
And an additional question was asked that does not bear on the analysis offered here.
Responses to the survey were: Y (Yes), N (No), U (Undecided), NA (not applicable).
Responses to Q1 AND Q1a could reduce to the following five combined categories:
Y/NA – Yes the court had the authority, defying is not applicable
U/NA – Undecided if court had authority, defying not applicable
N/Y – No the court did not have the authority and supports defying the court
N/U – No the court did not have the authority and undecided on defying court
N/N – No the court did not have authority and No on defying the court.
If we use the above categories and then count the number of YES answers to the remaining questions, we have a numerically based idea of the willingness of legislators to consider alternatives on addressing the school funding problem. In order to make the numbers comparable from category to category, it is necessary to compute the average. The findings of this analysis supports the position I state in a previous posting.
RESULTS
HOUSE
Y/NA – 1.87
U/NA – 1.67
N/Y – .58
N/U – .55
N/N – 1.71
SENATE
Y/NA – 1.78
U/NA – .71
N/Y – .50
N/U – .83
N/N – 1.5
I thought it inteeresting that in both the House and Senate those who thought the court had exceeded its authority AND were against defying the court were almost equally willing to consider alternatives for dealing with school funding as were those legislators who thought the court had not exceeded its authority. Whereas, those who thought the court had exceeded its authority and were either undecided or in favor of defying the court were less willing to consider methods of addressing the problem. Both the Y/NA and N/N groups were willing to consider alternatives by a 2 to 3 fold margin over the other legislators.
Of course there is no way to propose a direction of causality with these results. It could be that if a given legislator sees few to no alternatives available to solve the school funding problem, then the emotional coping of willingness to defy the court might more readily come into play.
The above link will work if one adds
935032.htm to the end of what appears above. The preview suggested the whole link would appear. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Its the Court’s that need to respect the Constitution. They have pretty clearly over-stepped their authority in this case and I think its fine that the legislators make this session about that rather than about the funding issue. Without the Court overstepping its bounds – there would be no funding issue.
Response to Bret: you obviously don’t know the details of what the Kansas Const. provides. Be that as it may, this Special Session is being abused by the Republican Party. It is costing taxpayers $35,000/day, and Doug Mays is using it to launch his gubernatorial campaign. The Kansas Supreme Court appears to be genuinely concerned about preserving a constitutionally minimal public education, as well as the school district plaintiffs, and the Republican Party is only concerned about divisiveness and political advantage. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
I’m not sure about the courts assigning a dollar value, but they’re right to judge that the Legislature hasn’t done it’s job. The Constitution says that the state will provide a suitable education and in my mind, it’s questionable whether the state has. We hear discussion about what “suitable” means…the legislature commissioned a study to define that. They apparently didn’t like the results, so they ignored it.
Regardless of politics, something is broken in the education system and needs to be fixed, perferably without a huge tax increase, although a remedy that doesn’t include tax increases is hard to imagine. I think it’s time to consider consolidation, as politically charged as that is. I know everything keeps getting more expensive, but education seems to have become a black hole when it comes to money, and throwing more money at the situation without doing what’s needed to constrain costs seems like a poor solution. The Legislature knew the courts were about to come down on them over education. Instead of making an honest effort to deal with the problem, the Legislature wasted our time with other issues, gay marraige etc. I think it’s time the Legislature stopped the pandering and finger pointing, and got to work finding an answer to the education problem in this state.
Leave it to the legislature. Strings tied to everything. They have sidestepped the education issue the last few years, only managing to use the bandage approach to solving the situation. And it seems they always divert attention to some other crisis. Something is always more important than funding education. The legislators need to read up on the separation of power, and figure out that there is a reason for three bodies of government. Quit crying about who done it and fix the situation. I’m tired of the reactionists who lead the legislators and the idiots who follow them. Do your job and fund Education, and leave your admendments for punishing the court out of the equation.
YES!!! I can’t believe this legislature we’ve got. How dare they side step this problem for years. How dare they. Heaven forbid any of you work to get them out of office.
Here’s a tip…if you don’t like what they are doing then work to get them out of office. You know, Reps have to run every two years so if they have been avoiding this issue for years then you’ve had plenty of time to take action yourself.
Liberals have been great lately at hating the legislature…so it begs the question as to why they aren’t working harder to get them out of office. Maybe it’s because the message they try and sell to the voters doesn’t go over well. Maybe it’s because they know that they are in the minority. Maybe it’s because they know the majority of voters say the court overstepped its authority. Yes…maybe. And maybe that’s why liberals have to run to the courts everytime they want something…because they know they could never sell it to the voters.
Jay, I didn’t know you were a teacher! And why did you change your name? Your sputtering and your etch-a-sketch have given you away!
WarLocke, have you read the incompetent report that the legislature commissioned. No wonder they ignore it. It’s just garbage. The consultants spent 5 days in Kansas interviewing school administrators and …guess what? The school administrators wanted more state money! Nevertheless, the consultants managed to conclude that expenditures were already sufficient for the established education goals; but then went on to propose huge increases in spending.
Go figure.
Tricia, I didn’t pass judgement on the report’s merits, I haven’t read it, so I’m not qualified. I just pointed out that they ignored it. If it’s nonsequitor, shouldn’t we be upset with our Legislators for wasting even more taxpayer dollars? And I believe I even pointed out that education was a black hole financially. I don’t even feel like I came down on any particular side, I just think we have a problem and it needs to be fixed. I don’t think either side really has a viable answer (or if they do, they’re hiding it well). I’m pretty certian that finger-pointing and wasting time on yet another constitutional amendment really doesn’t serve Kansans.
Oh, and Tricia…it’s Warlok.
I agree with your last comment. It was a waste of money. Education is a black hole. This country spends about $1 trillion annually on education at all levels when private, corporate, and government expenses are added up. As for the constitution, amendments probably need more consideration than what is happening now.
It would be a mistake, though, to allow what the court has done as a precedent. Everyone and his dog will bring suit when they’re not satisfied with their entitlements. At a minimum, the legislature must not approve the amount demanded by the court.
I was particularly upset when, immediately after the court ruling, Winston Brooks had the gall to crow about all the extras he could now afford. Extras. Nothing essential was mentioned. Maybe he just forgot to mention everything. Fine, but it was bad form on his part.
Tricia,
Rather than talk about dems and repubs, I think a lot of the problem is with parents. This is going to date me, but in my school years, if I screwed up, the teachers had carte blanche to all but kill me. And if I got clobbered at school, I could count on getting clobbered at home. It’s amazing how much better your behavior is and how much more you learn if you get smacked for smarting off. I deal with about 900 people where I work, dem and repub, and both sides get wild-eyed at the very thought of a teacher administering the “Board of Knowledge” to the “Seat of education”. And discipline is probably one of the most disruptive and expensive issues in education today, to my way of thinking. The amount of time wasted with discipline problems in the classroom is staggering. Of course, there’s the cost of educating students that don’t speak English and main streaming disabled children. I’m ok with teaching foreigners English, but only to a point…it’s gone overboard. And liberal though I may be, illegals have no business in our schools. There’s a reason they call it “illegal”.
And mainstreaming disabled kids has gone way too far. My sis is a Para, and she has a kid in her class that has no brain…what’s the point of a thing like that? Do you have any idea what it costs to deal with special needs?
And of course there’s religion. I have no problem with “one nation under God”. The pledge is great; if you got a problem, don’t recite the part that bothers you. But don’t be trying to inject religion in science class. Kansas kids got enough to deal with without taking away from learning time with prostelizing. Want your kid to build strong faith? Concept idea…teach faith at home in the family and in church.
The court was right in pointing out that the Legislature wasn’t carrying out their duties. The Legislature is a pack of idiots whose only goal is to get re-elected and feed their bloated carcasses at the public trough. They NEED a good swift kick in the butt! I don’t particularly agree that the court has any business putting a price tag on education (I’m a property owner and my taxes are outrageous anyway). What about consolidation? Why should we pay $12-$15,000 per student in a high school that graduates 9 students a year (and before the troll latches onto that one, it’s an example). It doesn’t cost near that much to bus farm kids and if you want to live in the middle of nowhere, live with the idea of your kids riding a buss for an hour or so.
In education we need to cut out the fat.
Band isn’t crucial to education. Neither is football. In my household budget, if I run short, the extras get cut. Why should schools be any different?
I’m totally in favor of kids getting a suitable education…I did. But we need to focus on education. I don’t want to hear all this teary-eyed bull about non-educational items. Want your kid to play football? YOU pay for it.
Tricia, this may surprise you, but I’ve had a real problem with Winston Brooks ever since he threatened to leave and the business leaders got together and sweetened his pay. I would have liked to see him hit the road.
Gee…for coming from opposite sides of the political spectrum; its amazing how much there is to agree on, even if we don’t agree on everything. My point is, we need to get over the politics and DO something about education.
Tricia T.
I liked your point about not letting this set a precedent. If it does, then special interest groups (people supported by SRS, to mention just one example) might sue the legislature for not providing suitable enough payments.
I believe that the language in Article 6 of the state constitution is horrid. It is easy to misread; and of course, the plaintiffs and judges read it to say that school funding should be whatever they think “suitable” means to them at the moment; and that education (which they take to mean “education funding”) must continually improve (which they take to mean “increase”). It is a terribly written section and needs revision. I agree, though, that a hurried rewrite may not be the right approach.
Locke,
I strongly agree with your take on discipline and parental support of it, as well as what you say about going overboard with special needs programs and intermural sports — to which I would add music and art. On the other hand, I would make sure that each school had at least one nurse.
I’m also concerned about the “illegals” problem. For the most part, I see the illegals as honest people looking for a job when their own country is too corrupt to provide a business environment that gives them work. On that basis, I suspect we’re better off assimilating them as gracefully as possible. That would include education for their children, including instruction in English. Otherwise we will have a huge underclass that could Balkanize the country.
My key here is “workers”. Education for the children of working immigrants is acceptable to me. I do not favor supporting Mexico’s welfare and criminal elements.
I also agree that science classes should stick to observable phenomena. In general, trying to adapt public school curricula to a religious belief or any kneejerk scam that calls itself a religion is bad policy for all citizens and all religions.
The only thing in favor of Brooks is the comparison to his two predecessors. As I recall, the first was barely competent and the next was a megalomaniac. Not much to praise there.
Special session at $35,000 a day! How about the millions of taxpayer dollars that School districts like Salina, Dodge City, and Derby spent to sue the State.
It is a difficult situation when you are trying to put a dollar figure per pupil spending for suitable education.
What more do they need? Especially these rural districts? They ship their special needs kids to Wichita. The refuse the consolidate, and they millions on sports program, when it is not a necessary function for education. Yeah! Yeah! It builds teamwork, confidence, and potential scholorships, but it is not education.
I go to many schools across Kansas regularly and there is a lot of self interest going on with Administration. Job programs for family members, legal embezzelment, and many other things happening that I would love to talk specifics with names, but will keep cool.
Lets just say this extra money school wants has little to do with kids. They only use kids to get their means.
W.R. – I have to say I agree with about 75% of what you posted above, which is amazing based off some earlier comments. I just graduated from Emporia State and they have “smart classrooms.” They have projectors that are hooked up to computers that can play anything from the internet to DVD’s on a large white screen at the front of the classroom. One classroom costs over $200,000 – the projectors cost over $40,000. The projectors were installed in 2000 and in 2003 the university replaced them with my increased tuition dollars. Even though they weren’t broken…even though not one of the 40 classrooms had had problems. 40 projects at over $40,000 a pop replaced that weren’t broken.
When I went to school in France I had class in a building built in 1628 where part of the ceiling actually fell down in the middle of class. I learned just as much in those classrooms as I did in Emporia in the $200,000 “smart” classrooms. (No I am not advocating for crumbling school buildings, just showing that a nice school doesn’t get kids to learn more.)
And yet the editors of this paper have the nerve to talk about a session that costs $35,000 a day. I say it’s money well spent if they can avoid adding over half a billion dollars later that will never make it to the teachers or students.
As a just graduated student I can tell you it doesn’t matter how much state education spending is increased, my tuition is going to go up no matter what. And it will be wasted on things like “smart classrooms.” The only way more education funding effects me is that I pay higher taxes.
The 25% I’m not sure I agree with you on is religion and education. The two should be separated, but at the same time evolution (which I assume is what you’re talking about when you speak of mixing education and religion) has been given free reign in our schools with little to no criticism. I recently took an Earth Science class, which as you can imagine is heavily based on evolution, and the first day my teacher listed 5 aspects that makes something science. One of them was being able to replicate your hypothesis in a lab. That can’t be done with evolution. In fact, nothing higher than a protein has been “thrown together” in a lab setting. So, even though I’m not for teaching intelligent design in public schools, I don’t agree that evolution should be taught as if it is problem free, because that isn’t the case. In fact, according to my teacher, evolution isn’t science at all because it did not meet all five requirements for being considered science.
All I know is that only 60% of education dollars are spent in the classroom. Of that 60%, only about 10% makes it to teachers in the form of pay increases or benefit increases. (KS Legislative Research Dept.)
Finally, my State Representative recently wrote a letter the editor of the Emporia paper and made a great point. The average teacher salary in her district is over $38,000 per year, but the average detectives salary in her district is $19,000. Don’t our children benefit from both public servies? How can we as the public justify over 2/3 of the total state budget going to edcuation and then fund things like police and fire protection and the care of our elderly with the left overs?
Let em eat cake !
James, only 75%? (J/K) But there’s an underlying point here. Very few of us are liberal or conservative purists. As I told our friend Ireland, I’m a redneck liberal; Fiscally I’m about as conservative as I can reasonably be. As for earlier posts, it’s hard to play nice when you’re being badgered by an “internet troll” (Nathan). Point is, liberal or conservative, most of us have issues we can agree on and I think we could all do a better job of working from that position. While there are things we do dissagree on, I support your right to not see everything the way I do. That’s a major part of what our country is based on.
James, your comment about $40,000 projectors caught my attention. I’m deeply involved in technology and I buy 6-10 of those a year. I buy nice ones, top of the line for $5,000-$8,000 each. Are you sure of your figures? If you’re correct, that’s an outrage and demonstrates there’s a lot of waste that could be cut out of the education budget. And I think that kind of thing needs to be part of the formula for fixing our education problems.
I respectfully dissagree with you about the $35,000 per day expenditure being worthwhile, not because of anything to do with looming half-billion expenditures, but because we’ve all seen this issue coming for years and the Legislature is too busy pandering to their most radical base and giving away everything that isn’t nailed down to their cronies. If they had done their jobs in the first place, we wouldn’t even be discussing this. I don’t for an instant think that money is the sole answer to the education issue, But blaming the courts for the problem is a mistake. The Legislature caused the problem and the Legislature needs to get off their fat usless gorge themselves at the public trough behinds and do something constructive for a change. An earlier comment stated that Legislators were just representing the intrests of their constituents. I dispute that. Educating our kids is in all of our intrests. The crux is how we accomplish that, and I think it would be wise to set aside our differences and deal with the problem. There’s a solution out there…we just need to find it.
James, I didn’t understand your last paragraph. Were you talking about a Police detective?
In my opinion, teachers earn their pay. I spend some time in classrooms (the tech thing) and my observation is, they’re full of snotty little monsters, Heh, heh.
Although many have some interesting comments as to the eductaion crisis, what you (as the adults in this situation) have to remember is what the children need.
As a senior at one of Wichita’s high schools, I’ve seen the effects of funding cuts. Maybe you haven’t realized, but the Legislature has been cutting education spending for the last 5 years. My school has gone from receiving an entire new wing of classrooms to not having enough money to put teachers in those classrooms. Our German program has just collapsed because the school administration hasn’t the money to pay a German teacher.
Some subjects, in your eyes, may not be “essential to education”; however, without these classes many more students would fail. Without music, whether it be band or orchestra or choir, many students would have no reason to succeed. Without a foreign language as interesting as German, many of my friends have no reason to go to school. Without debate, young politicos (such as myself), your future leaders, will have no training, no basis on which to hinge their young analytical minds.
To say that some subjects aren’t worth the money taxpayers put into them is to turn your backs on some of the brightest minds in public schools.
To say that the legislature should consolidate districts is to add more fuel to the fire.
To deny funding is to deny my basic right to education.
To deny hundreds of thousands of students an appropriate education, whether they be ESL, special-needs, gifted, or even average, is to deny this state and this nation a future.
Education has changed since you were in the classroom, and the changes aren’t good.
It’s time to stop whining about the Constitution or re-election.
It’s time to get serious and do something for the children of Kansas.
W.R. – Yes, my last paragraph was referring to a police detective. It is just hard for me to understand how the salaries could be so lop-sided. It is true that our children are served by more than just education, that’s a great example in my opinion.
As far as the projectors I am sure about the price because I thought the same thing you did. I double checked with the school and it was correct. The reason I was so upset is because my tuition increased by 8% and that is what half of the 8% went to buy. Just an utter waste of money. Even if they had only been $4-6000, why fix something that isn’t broken?
My main point of disagreement with you W.R. is where to place the blame for the finance fiasco. In 1992 when the current finance formula was created, it was in response to a lawsuit just like this past one, and the formula was approved by none other than Judge Terry Bullock. So, if it the formula was constitutional then why isn’t it constitutional now?
Also, if you look at local and state spending on education combined since 1992, the average over that time period puts education spending increasing at about twice the rate of inflation (Kansas Legislative Research Department). So I can’t really blame the legislature – they HAVE funded education. That is an average though, so it should also be pointed out that of all those years, in only 2 was education spending cut or remained the same from one year to the next. These were in the early 2000’s when the recession hit and all state budgets were taking a hit.
How can I blame the legislature for following a formula approved by the same judge who later ruled it unconstitutional while at the same time they were increasing funding by ruffly twice the rate of inflation? I guess maybe you could explain a little more clearly how this is the legislature’s fault. All I’ve seen you post is that they haven’t done their job, but I don’t remember much more detail than that. Maybe it would help me understand if you could explain a little more.
I place blame with Terry Bullock and the Supreme Court. I think it is interesting reading their ruling – half of it is spent justifying that they have the authority to issue the ruling in the first place. It’s clear from my reading that they knew they were treading on ground where they didn’t truly have authority to go.
But I also place blame with the school districts themselves. They want more money but instead of taking their issue to legislators or the public they turn to the courts…I find this unacceptable. We are all taxpayers and we have a process for a reason…so that our tax dollars are spent according the will of the majority. The six justices of the Supreme Court effectively spent taxpayer money yet have absolutely no accountability to me as a taxpayer. If everyone feels fed up with the actions of the legislature, then they need to get out and do something about it come election time. As you said, this has been brewing for years, everyone has had plenty of time to get those do-nothing legislators out of office. But they haven’t. I can only conclude that the reason is that the legislature represents the interests of those who elected them.
B Pearson – You have good comments and as a former high school debater and foreign language lover I see your point of view. In fact I switched high schools so that I would have more opportunities to take foreign languages. Where I think you and I differ is that you probably don’t pay taxes. I worked in HS and paid taxes, but you never really understand the toll they take until you have to pay for your own shelter, food, and education.
I would love to give more money to schools to increase programs that help kids learn. But how can one justify throwing money at the problem when clearly the education community can’t spend the money they do get wisely? Kansas is 44th in the nation when it comes to getting education dollars in the classroom. That’s an awful showing. 40% of all education appropriations go to administration costs in Kansas. Imagine if we could consolidate districts and cut administration costs. What if 80% of that money made it to the classroom? It would be a 20% increase. The current court order only increases spending by 10%…cutting administration costs would more than double what the court wants. Don’t be sucked into the education lobby mind-set that only new money can fund these programs. The money is there…it’s just that the schools need to be forced to be more efficient to get that money where it needs to be.
I was avoiding saying it because I know it will set off a lot of people, but the best way in my opinion to get schools to be efficient is to introduce vouchers. As I said before, I changed high schools because of classes that were offered. If high schools were forced to fight to keep their students rather than having them just handed to them I know they would operate quite differently. Private schools currently have to keep their students by finding a market nitch. And low and behold, it is private schools that produce some of the best students in the nation (not all, but a much larger proportion than the total number of students they have.) More proof is our nation’s universities. We have the most advanced universities in the world, and I believe it is because of competition for students. Even public universities have to fight to keep their students…they aren’t just handed to them. If public schools competed like private schools and colleges do, I think student learning and academic achievement would skyrocket.
James,
I’ll be the first to say that I don’t know what to do about education in this state, which is why I’m more than willing to listen to ideas, yours and others. I’ve offered several ideas, consolidation (I think that’s a very good idea), cutting out BS like the projectors you talked about, just as examples. As far as the Legislature is concerned, I still think they spend far too much time on political grandstanding and not enough time taking care of the state’s business. But I do tend to defer to your opinion because you’re a lot closer to the issue. It’s been 30 years since I graduated college. As a property owner I do have first hand knowlege of the bite taxes take, and I’ve had about enough of that. My parents are retired, their house is paid for, but their tax payments are outragous. And something that we really haven’t gotten into is the issue with teachers. I don’t really see slamming them over their pay. I have family members who teach. One just finished his masters at WSU and has 10+ years in education. Why should any field that requires so much education and involves that much responsibility not pay reasonably? We entrust our kids to teachers…what could be more important? I believe $38,000 was the figure you quoted. James, I make almost twice that, and all I do is sit in front of a computer. Of course I’m not saying you personally have taken an attitude about teachers, but I read the letters to the editor and Opinion line and I’m shocked at some of the comments about teachers.
As I said before, I really don’t have the answer to our education problems, but I’m sure willing to listen to ideas from all sides (unlike a lot of our fellow Kansans).
Well, realizing that you’re not asking W.R….I cherish teachers very much. I work as an insurance agent, but my wife is an elementary teacher. She had been working in a small school and just this past summer quit to do substitute teaching because we’re getting ready to have our first child and she wanted to be at home more. So, I appreciate teachers very much. However, as an economics major in college, I have to say that if teachers are willing to teach for $38,000 a year, then that’s a decision they have made. In a market economy (which is what our nation has whether you like it or not) labor is supplied based on demand. If there is no widespread teacher shortage then salary increases aren’t going to happen because those working as teachers are willing to work for whatever they are getting paid. My wife could have made a lot more money working with me in my agency, but she chose not to because she liked teaching better. So, even though you and I might sit back and say teachers deserve more pay for all they put up with, the bottom line is they still do it for the pay that is offered.
In high school and college I worked as a CNA, and I used to think “How can I get paid $7.00 an hour to do this stressful work?” But the fact of the matter is I still did it…even though I could have waited tables or something else and made more. I liked my job, so I was willing to stay even though I thought I deserved more pay. And I complained a lot about it. But my pay didn’t jump from $7 to more than $9 an hour until there was a CNA shortage in my community. The supply had decreased so much, that employers were forced to pay more to increase the supply. My complaining had nothing to do with my wage increase; it had everything to do with how many other people were willing to do that job for seven bucks an hour. And when enough other people had had it, the health care industry was forced to pay more. That’s the way it’s supposed to work. The same applies to teachers. When enough of them have had it and go to other fields and we begin to see a shortage, then you’ll see wage and benefit increases. And, in my opinion, that is the way it should work. Supply and Demand work much better than what society deems suitable.
As far as the legislature not doing their job, I can agree with you that there are those in office that care more about getting reelected than doing their job. But I also know some legislators that could care less about getting reelected. There’s 165 of them and I can’t lump them all together…they are clearly very different people…no need to look any further than the current special session gridlock to see that. But I still haven’t seen any specific examples that puts the blame for this mess on the legislature and not the court.
This has been a good conversation, thanks!
James, I’d find it very difficult to argue since I agree with most of what you say.
As for good conversation, the pleasure is mine.
Enjoy the holiday,
Warlok
B. Pearson,
I have read a lot of student papers over the years. You are not a student. I suspect you are just another teacher using your summer free time to lobby for more money.
I beg to differ, Tricia. I’m a senior at Wichita Northwest; I take AP classes, meaning I have above average writing abilities. I’ve fought for my writing skills through six years (middle school and high school) by taking the hardest classes. If you would rather I talked like a typical high school senior I will. Please, don’t try to put me with a group I don’t belong in.
(I also agree with James and W.R.Locke – thanks to both of you for putting the situation in another light.)
You’re welcome B Pearson. And may I wish you best of luck in your studies and the persuit of a higher education. If what I’ve seen so far is a valid example of your skills, I don’t doubt you’ll go far. Keep it up, my young friend.
Thanks very much! I only wish they were one step closer to solving this problem (without a tax hike, I hope).
OK, B. Pearson; I accept your claim to be a student, and I commend your hard work. However, I take issue with your comment that “To deny funding is to deny my basic right to education.”
You insist on one heck of an entitlement there. The taxpayers beg to differ. Already 2/3 of the state budget goes to education, but you seem to think you have a basic right to anything anyone can think of to make it better.
Who, exactly, is about to (in your words) “deny hundreds of thousands of students an appropriate education, whether they be ESL, special-needs, gifted, or even average?” It sounds like you have gotten what you need and more. That kind of talk sounds like words right out of the NEA handbook. That’s why I thought you were a teacher.
Everything involves tradeoffs. Your empty classrooms would have teachers and more languages would be taught if Kansas’ wasteful administrative costs weren’t next to the highest in the country. More money is usually not the right answer, especially when so much is already being spent and wasted. Admit it now, you’ve seen it wasted.
I do agree that “education has changed since [older bloggers] were in the classroom, and the changes aren’t good”. The junk that passes for education today is terrible — the grade inflation, the dumbing down of curricula, the use of huge, slick-paged textbooks heavy enough to break backs, the application of zero tolerance in place of common sense, parental neglect, and so on.
Tricia – I understand your point of view, and also understand that a tax increase isn’t the answer; however, the SC may shut down schools in order to force the Legislature to do something about the funding. Maybe cutting admin costs works.
I may have gotten what I need, but I had to fight for it. Look at any of the schools – the ones who want educated have to fight for their knowledge.
I’d like to see some of this grade inflation – I’ve heard of it but not seen it (not in my classes anyway).
I was in no way trying to pick a fight; I was just trying to express frustration at a system that isn’t working.
Grade inflation is proved by the large increase in average grades over the last 40 years. It may not apply to every class in your case. Also, many fewer students flunk today.
College grade inflation is also rampant. It has been caused by colleges taking a consumer mentality, rather than maintaining a serious teaching-learning contract. The worst cases are colleges like Friends, Newman, Southwestern, WSU, and the jucos, who all offer watered down courses for full time workers who need a “degree” for their next job advancement. They invent 2 and 4 year programs overnight; and, magically, everyone graduates with a B average or better!