Posted on 06/06/2005 12:39:40 AM PDT by Hacksaw
Ruling elates schools' leaders
Superintendents see new money funding smaller classes and higher teacher salaries, among other things.
BY JOSH FUNK AND KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH
The Wichita Eagle
School officials were thrilled with the Kansas Supreme Court's ruling Friday ordering millions more for education.
Officials with several districts said they were optimistic that the Legislature would comply with the court order.
So they are already thinking about how this money might help provide smaller class sizes, more all-day kindergarten, better technology and higher teacher salaries.
"We're dancing in the streets up here," Newton superintendent John Morton said. "It's just everything we had hoped for."
Newton was part of the coalition of school districts that helped pay for the lawsuit filed in 1999 by parents and students in the Dodge City and Salina districts. The Derby, Augusta, El Dorado and Winfield districts also helped pay for the lawsuit.
Wichita superintendent Winston Brooks called the ruling, which arrived on his 53rd birthday, exciting because the additional money will help the district meet students' needs.
"We just want to have the resources necessary to educate the youngsters in this community," Brooks said.
Earlier this year, the Wichita district estimated that it needed $137.3 million more to help all the district's students succeed.
This latest court ruling, combined with the new money legislators already approved, will provide roughly $32 million to the Wichita district next year, Brooks estimated.
Some of the district's top priorities are reducing class sizes in kindergarten, first and second grades to 15 students and expanding all-day kindergarten and prekindergarten programs.
Those reforms are proven to help students, Wichita school board president Lynn Rogers said.
"Our district knows how to help kids improve," he said.
Morton said he'd also like to expand early childhood programs in Newton and invest in better technology and higher teacher pay.
He said teachers deserve better pay because they are held to higher standards under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
"Our staff members are working harder with the mandates, and I think that needs to be recognized," he said.
Salina schools spokeswoman Carol Pitts said her district wants to know how this new money will be distributed before making plans for how to spend it.
The Supreme Court order did not specify how the money should be divided among districts.
"Until we know how the money's going to be distributed, we won't know the bottom line," she said.
Don Adkisson, the Derby district's finance director, said the ruling was good news for the state's schools.
"We're excited about the opinion, and we eagerly await what the Legislature is going to do," Adkisson said.
Brooks expressed optimism that the Legislature would follow the court's directions.
"I can't imagine the Legislature would not follow a direct order of the Supreme Court," Brooks said.
Wichita school board vice president Connie Dietz said she shared Brooks' hopeful outlook.
"I hope it isn't false hope," Dietz said. "It still has to make it through the Legislature." Reach Josh Funk at 268-6573 or jfunk@wichitaeagle.com.
Looters, all of them.
I voted "no" on retaining the jerks, but didn't win :(
Hopefully the legislature will tell them to go where the sun doesn't shine. There is nothing that Court can do to the legislature.
LOL, I suppose we are about to find out if the Legislature is a pack of spineless cowards, or if they understand that there is a "balance of powers" and that the Court has just sauntered into territory where it has no business.
My money is on "spineless cowards".
Our legislature is completely whipped by the liberals.
Sebelius says no, legislature complies. No override, period.
Court says no/yes/order, legislature complies. They already designed a budget to the court's order from last year. This is the court saying it stinks, change it.
So they are already thinking about how this money might help provide smaller class sizes, more all-day kindergarten, better technology and higher teacher salaries. I am not necessarily a fan of throwing money at the schools, but I am one who thinks that giving a little time can go a long way in helping a child. It is curious to note that I often hear the above-mentioned things as things in other schools that appeal to parents that some regular schools don't have.
The governor ought to be able to order that the ruling stay unenforced and the State legislature should be able to ignore it, too.
The courts have no power to enforce what the other two branches do on behalf of the people.
Ever heard of "court police"?
Our governor is a flaming liberal. I mean a complete flaming liberal.
She recently vetoed conceal-carry and a bill that would allow even the SLIGHTEST AMOUNT of health regulations on abortion clinics.
The legislature swore up and down to override, then they rolled over and played dead when the time came.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Kansas: the education State!
[...little downbeat humor from 1950s ads.]
I don't envy Kansas' taxes, feminism or brain drain but hope things eventually get better there.
One problem I know at the federal level is 75% of our elected officials are lawyers themselves. So they are sworn emissaries of the court.. a clear violation of the seperation of powers.
"We just want to have the resources necessary ..."
"...to help all the district's students succeed."
"...to help students..."
"Our district knows how to help kids improve..."
And the answer is: raising the pay of the teachers and administrators that are not getting the job done now. Sure, that's what the private sector does, isn't it?
Good luck with the Five Year Plan, comrades. You're gonna need it.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
You got it right the first time (don't throw money at schools). ALL of the things proposed (smaller class sizes, instituting all-day kindergarten, and "pre-kindergarten programs") are about ONE THING, and ONE THING ONLY---expanding the number of teachers employed (and at higher salaries) and swelling the ranks of the commie-infested National Education Association, and nothing whatsoever to do with "helping a kid".
None of those factors has anything at all with REAL quality of education. Smaller
I don't have to read much of the article to know the only - ONLY - proper response for this:
IMPEACH THE JUDGES - Today.
I believe it has been done in Nevada, and one other state as well. Why courts (and worse, legislatures) believe that judges have the power to levy taxes is a mystery to me.
Maybe there is another good response:
Take, immediately,all this money from another and give it to the blasted teachers. Don't get fine about it: Something like IMMEDIATELY STOP ALL new building construction and road work. Let the Construction unions fight it out with the Teachers unions. Fire HALF OF ALL GOVERNMENT WORKERS - let people wait in monster lines for license plates, and welfare stamps, and massively overload the fool government workers. Let them duke it out with the teachers, too. Fire half of the court's assistants, too.
I hope Kansas beats down these judges, and soon.
I believe it has been done in Nevada, and one other state as well. Why courts (and worse, legislatures) believe that judges have the power to levy taxes is a mystery to me.
Holy Cow!!!! Have they forgotten what interpret means???
I thought the Legislature made the laws...That's what I get for thinkin'...
"I am not necessarily a fan of throwing money at the schools, but I am one who thinks that giving a little time can go a long way in helping a child. It is curious to note that I often hear the above-mentioned things as things in other schools that appeal to parents that some regular schools don't have."
Problem with this is that the school board will not use the money for what they are saying they need it for. They will use it for nepotism at the local level and nothing will change.
That is what happened in my school district and my property taxes went through the roof.
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