USA|Kansas

Administrators appointed to education-related commissions on early childhood and graduation

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:08:52 PST

Governor Mark Parkinson has finalized appointments to the Early Childhood Advisory Council and the Commission on Graduation and Dropout Prevention and Recovery. Both commissions, which were created by Executive Orders 10-05 and 10-04 respectively, focus on maximizing and enhancing educational opportunities for Kansans.

Education administrators have strong voice on Kansas Commission for ESEA reauthorization

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:14:50 PST

Topeka - The Kansas Education Commission convened this afternoon for its first meeting since the Kansas State Board of Education authorized its formation. The Kansas Education Commission will examine the framework for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Kansas Education Commission is the state's strategic approach to reauthorization and educational change.

Mary Ellen Welshhon, Superintendent/K-12 principal in Golden Plains USD 316 and Steve Splichal, Assistant Superintendent, Hiawatha USD 415 were appointed by USA|Kansas. In total, administrators from USA|Kansas and its member associations will represent more than one-third of the total Commission.

Administrators invited to comment on proposed changes to college admissions standards

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:52:21 PST

On August 25, 2010, USA|Kansas, KASSP, KASA and KASCD will appear before the Kansas Board of Regents State University Admissions Task Force to discuss proposed changes to the undergraduate admissions standards. During the 2009 Legislative session, the Kansas Board of Regents gained authority to establish admissions standards for the state's public universities.

2010 Elections: Every Vote Counts

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:19:09 PST

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Welcome to Election Central! Please mark this page and visit us often, as we will be updating this page with information as it becomes available. Important election dates/deadlines, voter registration forms and candidate filings are all available in this section.

This year, Kansas voters will go to the polls to elect new leaders at the national and state levels. Several Congressional races have a long list of candidates vying for office. In the Kansas Legislature, the entire House is up for [re]election, as well as special elections for several Senate seats. Five seats on the Kansas State Board of Education are up for re-election...and, of course, there is the Governor's race.

Kansas Commission to focus on improving Kansas graduation rates

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:10:41 PST

To better prepare Kansas students for their future and strengthen the economy, Governor Mark Parkinson has established the Kansas Commission on Graduation and Dropout Prevention and Recovery. The Commission will include administrators from the building and district levels, as well as other education stakeholders and policymakers.

Annual Fiscal Survey of States released, finds FY 2010 most challenging since Great Depression

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:03:45 PST

The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) has released its Spring 2010 edition of the Fiscal Survey of States. The report finds that FY 2010 presented the most difficult challenge for states’ financial management since the Great Depression and FY 2011 is expected to present states with similar challenges. The severe national recession that most likely ended in the second half of calendar year 2009 has drastically reduced tax revenues from every revenue source.

Governor Parkinson calls for civility; asks leaders to work together for all Kansans

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:00:02 PST

As the Legislature returned today to wrap up the 2010 Legislative Session, Governor Parkinson released the following message. In it, he calls for civility and encourages all Kansans to come together for the common good.

Draft K-12 Common Core State Standards Available for Comment

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:19:49 PST

Washington — The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the first official public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. These draft standards, developed together with teachers, school administrators and experts, seek to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

Reduced funding for public education is the focus of a recent alert issued at the federal level

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:43:30 PST

Most education administrators are not surprised to hear that States are reducing funding for public education...quite the contrary, administrators have been sounding the alarm throughout the country. In statehouses and community meetings, administrators have warned about the long-term consequences of cuts to K-12 education. With K-12 education funding representing more than 50 percent of the state general fund budget in many states and the economic climate continuing to deteriorate, it grew increasingly evident that federal funds would be used to "backfill" in the wake of reduced funding at the state level.

School Leaders Warn of Future Budget Cuts

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:52:16 PST

Topeka - USA|Kansas and several other education organizations issued a press statement outlining concerns that state funding cuts are eroding the state’s high quality education system.

As Kansas students began returning to class this month, school district representatives say they have tried to maintain the quality of instruction and services helping students succeed. But they say important programs and positions have already been cut, and further funding cuts will affect learning opportunities for all students.

Special education funding dominates the second day of LEPC hearings

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:19:02 PST

Topeka - The second day of the Legislative Education Planning Committee (LEPC) meeting was devoted solely to receiving testimony from school districts and special education cooperatives about the recent challenges and recommendations regarding changes tot he catastrophic special education aid. This morning, 12 districts and special education cooperatives appeared before the LEPC...

LPA Committee receives School District Efficiency Audit Report

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:39:51 PST

The Legislative Division of Post Audit has been working on a two-part school district efficiency audit. On Wednesday, July 1, the results of phase one of the School District Efficiency Audit, including recommendations, were presented to the Legislative Post Audit Committee.

2010 Commission hears from school leaders regarding academic gains, budget concerns

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:18:07 PST

School leaders from across the state appeared before the 2010 Commission to discuss the results of a recent survey of school districts regarding cuts to personnel and discuss educational concerns and priorities for future years.

The hearing started with a presentation by Dale Dennis, KSDE Deputy Commissioner. At the request of the 2010 Commission, KSDE conducted a survey of unified school districts, interlocals and service centers concerning many programs and positions were reduced or eliminated due to a lack of funding of for the 2009-2010 school year.

Administrators meet with Commissioner to discuss Common Core Standards

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:52:00 PST

Representatives from USA|Kansas and other education organizations met with Commissioner Posny to discuss the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Education that nearly $350 million will be used to support ongoing efforts develop Common Core Standards.

U.S. Public Health Officials Offer H1N1 Guidance to Schools

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:35:26 PST

Washington, D.C. - Schools can be leading indicators of public health outbreaks, so the Department of Education hosted a conference call this afternoon to guide education officials on how to identify, contain, report and prevent swine influenza (H1N1) in school facilities. Public-health and epidemiology experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and President Obama’s Homeland Security Council joined officials from the Department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools to update the education community on the flu outbreak and recommend procedures for dealing with it.

Consensus Estimating Group meets; revises FY2009 and 2010 estimates

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:16:27 PST

Topeka - The Consensus Estimating Group met today to revise the estimates for FY 2009 and FY 2010. For FY 2009, the estimate was decreased by $115.3 million, or 2.0 percent, below the previous estimate, which was made in November 2008.

U.S. Department of Education releases ARRA guidance

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:13:27 PST

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that $44 billion for states and schools is now available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Department released guidelines that call for commitments from states to promote comprehensive education reform. Specifically, states are asked to collect, publish, analyze and act on basic information regarding the quality of classroom teachers, annual student improvements, college readiness, the effectiveness of state standards and assessments, progress on removing charter caps, and interventions in turning around underperforming schools.

USA|Kansas calls on House Appropriations Committee to maintain K-12 funding

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:23:36 PST

Topeka - USA|Kansas sent a letter to members of the House Appropriations Committee asking for their continued support of K-12 education. We acknowledged the Committee's recent vote to accept the Governor's Budget Amendment (GBA No. 1) that would apply the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for education and reiterated that these critical funds will help us ensure that our students are held as harmless as possible.

KSDE seeks administrator feedback on draft Teacher Leader Standards

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:53:48 PST

The Kansas State Department of Education is soliciting feedback from K-12 administrators on the most current draft of proposed teacher leader standards. USA|Kansas has created an online template to allow you to provide feedback on each proposed standard. The deadline to submit comments is April 23, 2009.

Governor signs FY 2009 rescission bill; exercises line item veto

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:33:49 PST

Earlier today, Governor Sebelius line item vetoed the $66 reduction in base state aid per pupil in House Substitute for Substitute for Senate Bill 23. Through the allotment system, the Governor has reduced the BSAPP by $33 for the 2008-09 school year. USA|Kansas had called on Governor Sebelius to exercise her line item veto authority for the K-12 education funding cuts included in the FY 2009 rescission bill.