Superintendent's Blog: 2017

Friday, December 29, 2017

New Year's Resolutions that can be done

I got this graphic off of the LinkedIn professional social media site I thought was worth sharing. It is not specific, but anyone can do something that fits a category. Good luck!

Thursday, October 12, 2017

KS Association of School Boards: Funding Used for Teacher Pay

Schools reinvesting in teachers with new funding

A major part of the new funding for public schools is going toward teacher salaries, according to the Kansas State Department of Education.

During the last legislative session, lawmakers approved a new school finance formula and appropriated approximately $200 million more in state K-12 funding for the current school year and $100 million for the next one.

But legislators will have to continue work on school finance after the Kansas Supreme Court ruled last week the new system doesn’t provide adequate funding and is unfair to poor districts. The Legislature must propose a remedy to the court by April 30.

Kansas Deputy Education Commissioner Dale Dennis recently told the Legislative Budget Committee that under the new school funding law, teachers across the state on average received 4.5 percent pay raises, which costs approximately $95 million. That is about half the amount it would take to restore average salaries to 2010 levels when adjusted for inflation.

The raises follow years of austere budgets under the former block grant system, which essentially froze school funding, and earlier cuts to K-12. Kansas currently ranks 42nd in average teacher pay, according to the National Education Association.

Until this year, teacher salaries in Kansas fell more than eight percent below inflation since 2010. Districts would have to spend $175 million to bring up average salaries to the 2010 adjusted-for-inflation level, KASB has reported.

Unclassified salaries have increased an average 4 percent ($37.3 million) and licensed personnel other than teachers, 4.5 percent ($12.3 million), Dennis said.

Dennis said his figures are based on estimates from information received during the state education department’s annual budget workshops held this summer and individual school district budget reviews.

Recently, KASB asked school districts how they have targeted their new funds. In addition to reinvesting in teachers, most districts that responded have restored programs that had been cut during lean budget years, increased programs and personnel designed to help students who are at risk of failing and enhanced pre-school opportunities. KASB has been posting these findings on Facebook and Twitter.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Supreme Court Decision on School Funding: A report from the Kansas Association of School Boards

Kansas Supreme Court rules against state again in Gannon school funding lawsuit

The Kansas Supreme Court on Monday ruled the new school funding law fails to provide enough money and fails to allocate funding equitably.

But the court gave legislators until June 30 to fix the system and allowed schools to remain in operation under the current law for the current academic year.

The court, however, indicated it was losing its patience in the long-running school finance lawsuit, which started in 2010 when the state cut school funding.

“Staying the issuance of our mandate until June 30 is consistent with our general practice. But we also `must heed our duty to ensure Kansas students receive the education system guaranteed them by the Constitution.’ Without counting today’s decision, the education financing system has been judicially declared to be inadequately funded for at least 12 of the last 15 years—through school year 2016-2017. So after June 30, 2018, the demands of the Constitution cannot be further postponed.”

Gov. Sam Brownback, who is expected to leave office soon for a federal appointment, called the court’s decision regrettable and said the court shouldn’t substitute its decision for that of the Legislature.

Senate Republican leaders issued a statement criticizing the court’s decision, adding they “remain committed to providing every Kansas student with an exceptional education, however, raising taxes to fund this unrealistic demand is not going to happen.”

House Minority Leader Jim Ward, D-Wichita, said in a tweet: “We’re ready to work on crafting constitutionally sound formula that ensures success for all Kansas school children, no matter their zip code.”

KASB Associate Executive Director for Advocacy Mark Tallman said the ruling wasn’t surprising because studies indicate much more funding is needed to help all students succeed.

Last session, the Legislature approved a new school finance formula to replace the block grants that had froze funding for two years and were declared unconstitutional by the court. The Legislature added $200 million in new K-12 funding this year and $100 million next year.

Schools for Fair Funding, which represents plaintiff districts, described the ruling as “a great decision” and said a request made by the State Board of Education for an $893 million increase “is still the best evidence as to what increase is needed.”

The group said the only downside to the decision “was the timing of the remedy. Should the next legislative attempt fail, count on a special session for sure next summer.”

In its decision, the court said adequacy is met when the finance system “through structure and implementation is reasonably calculated to have all Kansas public education students meet or exceed the standards” that have been set by law.

In addition, the court said under a constitutional finance system, “school districts must have reasonably equal access to substantially similar educational opportunity through similar tax effort.”

The court also stated: “Suffice it to say that in our view the Kansas K-12 public education system has been inadequately funded for far too long.”

The court said the Legislature has a “myriad of choices available to perform this constitutional duty” of funding schools.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

KASB reports findings from state advocacy tour

During the recently concluded KASB Advocacy Tour, hundreds of Kansans expressed appreciation for the new school finance formula and investment approved by the Legislature and the Kansas State Board of Education’s Kansans Can vision.

The tour — dubbed “A New Day for Kansas Education” — drew more than 600 people in 27 locations in July and August.

At nearly every stop, attendees voiced support of new Kansas education initiatives, but also expressed concerns that the increased funding may not be enough, especially since total per pupil funding is lower now than 2009 when adjusted for inflation, and that leading the world in the success of each student will require patience.

Many of those in attendance said teachers need to be raised up, both money-wise and in respect for the profession. They also spoke about the difficulty in finding and retaining teachers, citing low pay, difficulty in getting young people to move to rural areas, increased duties and challenges and the feeling that teachers generally aren’t appreciated.

There was general support for the Kansans Can vision, although some questions about carrying it out and concerns about ensuring the success of students after they graduate high school. Many noted that some students face a variety of factors unrelated to their K-12 education that could impact how they are doing after graduation.

To help students find their passion, many said more counselors are needed, and to help students cope with challenges in their life, more social workers are needed. In nearly all stops, administrators noted how they are expanding early childhood and at-risk programs to help students be better prepared and to raise up those who are struggling the most.

Many comments were made about the need to increase partnerships between schools and businesses to help students know what kind of jobs are available and what kind of skills are needed in the workplace. More community buy-in was also seen as a way to foster more overall support of public schools.

Some conversations focused on the current political climate in Topeka and the need to stay informed and active for the 2018 election cycle when statewide and U.S. House and state House offices are up for grabs. There was concern about what the Kansas Supreme Court may do in the Gannon case — some saying an order of more funding could produce a public backlash against schools, while others said a stand-pat order could leave schools underfunded. There was fear expressed by some that moderate, pro-school legislators will face an onslaught of negative campaigning in the next election because of the tax increase.

Related to this, there was also recognition that school districts must be diligent in communicating with their communities how the new investment in K-12 is being used to help students.

Although there were general topics that seemed to arise at every stop, it was also true that every stop produced a new crop of questions or concerns, such as the rising cost of health insurance, the need to increase supports for foster children, changes to CTE, KESA and other topics.

Below is a summary of the top issues from the advocacy tour.

Post-secondary measurement

There were numerous questions, concerns and comments made about the Kansas State Department of Education’s new post-secondary achievement measure. These include:

· Concerns about the fairness of a measurement that will rely on the success of students once out of the K-12 system; and whether higher education institutions will be held accountable after two years.

· Concern that some students are left out of the calculation, such as military enlistees, some postsecondary secondary institutions; and training not provided by provided by postsecondary institutions.

· Concerns that the measurement will be used in a negative way against certain schools. While districts can provide additional information about the success of students two years after graduation, it will not be reflected in the “official” data provided by KSDE.

· Suggestions that students who complete high school in the first two years after the fourth year of high school should be included in the graduation rate.

Qualified, effective educators

Many meetings raised concerns about the shrinking pool of qualified applicants for teaching and school leadership positions, which are especially critical in certain geographic areas and subject areas. These concerns include both numbers and quality of applicants. Suggestions for addressing this issue include:

· Increasing the salaries of teachers, which have fallen behind inflation and are becoming less competitive compared to other states. The increased state funding for the next two years will help, but long-term funding to sustain competitive salaries is uncertain.

· Considering strategies to improve respect for the teaching profession.

· Further examination of alternative licensure and reciprocity of licenses with other states. There was some discussion that districts and teaching candidates may not be aware of multiple options already available.

Early Childhood Education

Strong support was addressed at many locations for continuing to expand resources for early childhood education. Funding for additional at-risk preschool positions was provided in the 2017 school finance bill. Other suggestions include raising pre-school teacher salaries, supporting Parents as Teachers programs, and sustainable revenue for programs under the Children’s Initiatives Fund.

Assisting at-risk and low-income students

As the new school finance law substantially increases funding for at-risk education programs based primarily on the low-income population of the districts, many meetings stressed the need to direct more resources to help children with high risk factors.

Frequently mentioned were the special needs of students in foster care or others dealing with childhood trauma and mental health issues. Suggestions included full funding for special education aid at both the state and federal level; and funding for more counselors, social workers and school psychologists.

Post-secondary planning, preparation and transition

With increased focus on how students do after high school graduation, many spoke of the need for programs that will help in the transition to post-secondary work, especially for students who represent the first generation seeking post-secondary degrees or credentials. Suggestions included support for career counselors and advocates to assist students and families in developing meaningful individual plans of study; expanding career technical education opportunities; and improved coordination with postsecondary institutions to prepare students for success.

Post-secondary affordability

Multiple meetings expressed concerns that increasing postsecondary educational attainment by Kansas students requires addressing financial as well as academic and planning issues. Specific concerns include:

· While postsecondary technical education programs are provided to high school students without tuition as a result of SB 155, the cost of fees, equipment and assessment are not covered and can amount to hundreds or thousands of dollars, creating substantial barriers for low income students who do not qualify for federal student aid because they have not graduated from high school.

· Rising tuition costs may discourage low income students from attending and completing all postsecondary programs.

· Additional college costs may discourage individuals from receiving teacher training, both as a primary or second career.

Business and Community Partnerships

While many meetings reported successful and expanding partnerships with businesses and local organizations for internships, apprenticeships, mentoring and other education support, more will be needed, and could be encouraged with recognition and other incentives.

Public awareness

While schools address the new post-secondary success model, they also are receiving increased funding, living under a new school finance formula and new accreditation and accountability system. Continued explanation of all this change – both inside and outside the schools — will be necessary.

Officials repeatedly said many of the changes will require time, so communicating with the public on where school funding is being directed is crucial in maintaining community support. School leaders were quick to point out where businesses and local organizations were helping support the missions of the schools, noting that education was a community-wide effort.

Kansas advocacy tour news story links

Thursday, August 24, 2017

KASB: Districts responding to declining teacher salaries

Districts responding to declining teacher salaries

From headlines and news stories around the state, it is clear many school districts are using increased state funding to raise teacher salaries more than previous years, with school leaders saying educator pay has fallen behind.

According to reports from the Kansas State Department of Education, the average Kansas teacher salary rose from $42,558 in 2004 to $54,737 in 2017, an increase of nearly 30 percent. However, when adjusted for inflation to 2017 dollars, salaries actually peaked in 2010 at $59,235, and have been declining ever since.

For the 2016-17 school year, the average teacher salary was lower than in 2004, when adjusted for inflation, and almost $4,500 less than the high point in 2010, seven years ago.

Average salaries would have to increase 8.2 percent to reach 2010 levels when adjusted for inflation. With over 33,700 teachers and nearly 5,000 additional licensed personnel often paid similar amounts (counselors, social workers, nurses, speech pathologists, etc.), districts would have to spend nearly $175 million to restore average salaries to 2010 levels. That does not include any increase for other school personal, such as principals and school office staff, central office administrators, and non-licensed support personnel such custodians, cooks, bus drivers, and others. It also does not include any inflationary adjustment for the current school year and next year.

The Kansas Legislature provided an increase of nearly $200 million for this school year and a further $100 million for next school year. In addition to increasing salaries, districts are also expected to replace some of the nearly 2,000 positions school district positions cut since 2009, and to add new positions and programs in areas such as preschool, counselors and social workers, career and technical education, and more intensive support for students struggling academically or at risk of failing to complete high school.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

KASB: Research and Analysis: Education of Kansas 18-24-year-olds

Research and Analysis: Education of Kansas 18-24-year-olds

KASB Updates, SBR 2017

From the Census

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2015, 87.5 percent of Kansas adults under age 25 had graduated from high school. This makes Kansas 20th in the nation in terms of high school graduation rates.

In addition, 57.8 percent of 18-24-year-olds Kansans had some college or postsecondary education. This means they may have attended but did not yet complete a degree or certificate, or they earned a technical certification, an associates degree, or a higher degree. Kansas ranked 16th in the nation on this measure.

Of young adult Kansans, 8.9 percent had completed a four‐year degree or higher ‐ 30th in the nation. An estimated 36 percent of Kansas jobs in 2020 will require some postsecondary education.

This data alone doesn’t look too bad for Kansas, but it does when you compare the 2015 data to that reported for 2014.

Compared to 2014, Kansas attainment rankings for 18-24-year-olds have gone down considerably; from 18th to 20th for high school graduates, from 7th to 16th for those with some college or higher, and from 19th to 30th for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

If you look at the long term trends, Kansas high school completion by young adults increased 3 percent from 2005 to 2015, which is below the national state average of 5.6 percent. Kansas ranks 44th in the U.S. for the amount of change in this area.

For some postsecondary enrollment and completion, Kansas increased 5.9 percent, compared to the national state average of 9.3 percent, ranking 46th.

In four‐year or higher college completion, Kansas decreased 0.8 percent, compared to the national states average of an 0.8 percent increase, ranking Kansas 46th in growth.

The chart on the following page shows that the levels have actually changed very little since 2005.

From KSDE

According to KSDE, 71 percent of Kansas jobs in the near future will require a postsecondary credential; approximately half requiring a four-year degree or higher and the other half an industry credential or two-year associates degree. Approximately 90 percent of jobs will require at least a high school diploma.

Although current Kansas adult education levels are at an all-time high, they remain well below those levels, which means a higher percentage of young Kansans will need to graduate from high school and earn postsecondary credentials or degrees.

National Student Clearinghouse data, which goes back to 2010, shows that statewide in Kansas, approximately 65 percent of 2010 graduates were enrolled in some type of postsecondary program the first year after graduation (2010-11), and 35 percent were not enrolled in any postsecondary program. A very small number of students had completed a technical certificate or other credential in high school.

Six years later (2016), just under 40 percent of those high school graduates had completed a postsecondary program, and another 10 percent were enrolled in postsecondary programs but had not completed any credential. The remaining 50 percent had either never entered postsecondary programs or had dropped out without completion, or were part of a small number (about 3 percent) that are not tracked by the NSC because they opted-out under privacy laws, attended institutional that do not report to the NSC, or are in the military.

Using the same data, approximately 50 percent of students who graduated high school in 2010 were still enrolled in the second year out (2011-12) and five percent had completed a credential, most likely a one- or two-year technical certificate or a two-year degree. That equals a 55 percent “success rate” for high school graduates.

However, for the class of 2010, the “on time” or four-year high school graduation rate was 80.9 percent, so just under 20 percent of students did not graduate high school.

For the five years currently reported by KSDE, 2011 through 2015, the statewide graduation rate average is 85 percent; the success average is 52 percent and the effective average is 44 percent.

What does this data mean?

Kansas must continue to improve educational levels to meet employment and economic needs. By 2010, studies say 90 percent of Kansas jobs will require a high school diploma and 71 percent some level of postsecondary education; with about 35 percent requiring a four‐year degree or higher.
However, Kansas is beginning to fall behind other states. Kansas no longer ranks above the national state average and most similar states in educational attainment by young adults.

Kansas does well in graduating and getting students into college (top 20), but as of 2015 we are in the bottom half of the states when it comes to college completion for this age group.

Most alarmingly, Kansas ranked in the bottom 10 states in improvement in postsecondary attainment by young adults since 2005, suggesting that Kansas workforce is in danger of becoming less competitive with other states. This decline has occurred as Kansas school funding has also declined compared to other states.

Welcome Back to School Video - YouTube

Parents and students:

Please enjoy this back to school video developed by the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of the Kansas State Department of Education.

https://youtu.be/

Friday, August 4, 2017

KASB Post: Stay Politically Engaged

Legislators urge education advocates to stay politically engaged

Three legislators who voted for increased school funding and the tax changes to support K-12 and other parts of the state budget urged education advocates to stay politically engaged to protect the new direction of Kansas.

State Reps. Russ Jennings of Lakin, Bradley Ralph of Dodge City and John Wheeler of Garden City offered brief comments Wednesday during KASB’s advocacy tour on “A New Day in Kansas Education.” KASB’s advocacy team has been traveling statewide to have conversations about new education initiatives.

During the 2017 regular session, Jennings, Ralph and Wheeler were part of a GOP-Democratic coalition that approved a new school finance formula and reversed much of Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax changes that led to severe revenue shortfalls.

Jennings, in his fifth year as a legislator, said the Legislature was able to start repairing the damage to state government from the past few years, but serious challenges remained. “We’re on the right path,” he said, but added it will take “a long period of restoration” to recover from years of inadequate state revenue.

He urged education advocates to reach out to the business community to help restore the value of educators in Kansas. Garden City USD 457 School Board President Lara Bors also emphasized the need for school districts to work with the local business community. She praised business leaders in Garden City who have a long-running program of providing monetary awards to local teachers for their work.

Ralph, who is a freshman legislator, said many legislators don’t understand the intricacies of public school operations like school advocates do and it is the responsibility of advocates to help legislators understand. “You can’t just sit tight. You have to keep talking to them,” he said.

Wheeler, also a freshman, said while the legislative process can be frustrating sometimes, “This year our Legislature worked very well.”

Jennings said he expects those who supported the tax changes will be pummeled with negative campaign tactics next year. “We’re up to the challenge,” he said. “We do it because we care about our state.”

This year, the Legislature approved a new school finance plan and increased K-12 funding by approximately $290 million over two years. The increase represented the first time in years that state funding surpassed inflation and the new formula replaced a two-year block grant system that kept funding flat. The formula and new dollars are being reviewed by the Kansas Supreme Court which ordered the Legislature to provide adequate funding.

In addition, the Kansas State Board of Education is implementing its Kansans Can vision, which calls for the state to lead the world in student success; the Kansas State Department of Education is set to announce selection of 14 schools for a major redesign project to coincide with the Kansans Can vision and the department has implemented a new school district accountability system.

KASB says the confluence of these efforts to increase student success represents “A New Day in Kansas Education.” KASB urges school board members, administrators, legislators, State Board members, and local leaders to attend these sessions. You don’t need to register and there is no cost. Below is a schedule of meetings.

Thur. Aug. 3

10 a.m. in Colby at the Board of Education Room, 600 W. 3rd St.

3:30 p.m. in Great Bend at the Board of Education office, 201 S. Patton Rd.

Mon. Aug. 7

10 a.m. in Hiawatha at Hiawatha High School, 600 Red Hawk Drive.

11:30 a.m. in Herington at Herington Elementary, 1403 N. 6 St.

6 p.m. in Hutchinson at the Hutchinson Career & Technical Education Academy, 800 15th Cir.

Tue. Aug. 8

9:30 a.m. in Haysville at the Haysville Activity Center, 523 Sarah Lane.

6 p.m. in Wichita at the AMAC (Alvin Morris Administration Center), 903 S. Edgemoor, Room 310.

Wed. Aug. 9

3:30 p.m. in Leavenworth at the Board of Education Office, 200 N. 4th St.

Thur. Aug. 10

10 a.m. in Lawrence at the College & Career Center, 2910 Haskell Ave.

4 p.m. in Iola at the Iola High School Lecture Hall, 300 E. Jackson Ave.

Fri. Aug. 11

9 a.m. in Emporia at the Mary Herbert Board of Education Room, 1700 W. 7th Ave.

2:30 p.m. in Paola at Paola Middle School library, 405 Hospital Dr.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Welcome to USD 331 Kingman-Norwich Schools

August 2017

From: Dr. Bob Diepenbrock, Superintendent of Schools USD 331

To: Parents and Students of USD 331 Kingman-Norwich Schools

Welcome

On behalf of the Board of Education of USD 331 Kingman-Norwich we welcome you to a new day in Kansas and public education as five key factors converge to drive historic changes in the way we educate our children:

The Kansas State Board of Education has adopted a vision that Kansas will lead the world in the success of each student through emphasis on kindergarten readiness, improving graduation and postsecondary achievement rates, individual plans of study and social/emotional success. The USD 331 Board of Education adopted a vision that USD 331 will lead the state in the success of each student and is set to approve changes to the 2017-2018 Strategic Success Plan that reflects the same emphasis as the Kansas State Board;

The Kansas legislature enacted a new school funding formula with additional funding targeted to lower-achieving students;

This year launches a new accreditation system that shifts from a focus merely on reading and math tests to a broader view and a new measurement of how students succeed after high school; and

The State Board selected 14 schools across seven school districts to lead a redesign of Kansas schools to help all students succeed.

Educational attainment results in higher incomes, less poverty and more employment. School funding puts money into our communities through jobs, salaries and purchases. After years of neutral or declining funding, Kansas and USD 331 Kingman-Norwich schools can finally begin to restore important programs and give teachers and staff a salary that exceeds inflation.

We know what has made Kansas schools and USD 331 successful in the past, and how to build on that success. We have made decades of improvements in all levels and have continued, despite funding challenges, to expand programs like early childhood, career and technical education, Project Lead the Way Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum, virtual and alternative education, individual plans of study, special education and at-risk programs. Our students succeed when these efforts, which often require additional staff and funding, respond to local needs.

The members of the USD 331 Kingman-Norwich Board, Administration, Faculty, and staff embrace this new day with optimism and ask for your support as we work to improve our students’ education and support their continued success. Furthermore, Kansas Commissioner of Education, Dr. Randy Watson will be addressing the staff at their beginning of school in-service at Kingman High School Friday, August 18^th at 10 -11:30 a.m. All parents, students and community members are welcome to Dr. Watson’s address on the new Kansas vision on education. We hope you can join the staff on the 18^th.

Again, on behalf of all members of the USD 331 community, welcome to our schools. We want to work together with you so our students lead the state in success.

Sincerely,

Robert G. Diepenbrock