Welcome back to The Advocate!

Leah Fliter and Shannon Kimball discuss the recently passed K-12 Budget bill, SB 387, which fully funds the Gannon formula and provides an additional $75 million in state funding to special education. The team also looks back at the successful lobbying efforts for public education earlier this year. Though the regular legislative session has ended, Governor Laura Kelly could call everyone back due to not reaching an agreement on a state tax cut bill. Thank you, Leah and Shannon, for your work this session!

Listen now!

Join Mark Tallman, Dr. Bret Church, and Dr. Jessica Dain as they discuss the Kansas Teacher Retention Initiative. KTRI offers insights into the reasons for the state's teacher shortage and possible pointers for helping retain and recruit future teachers. 

Listen now!

Tune in for the latest from Leah and Shannon at the Statehouse! 

This week, they cover House Sub for SB 387, enrollment count and literacy bills in the Senate and the conference committees that will begin meeting next week. 

Listen now!

In this episode, Leah & Shannon discuss the recent Day at the Capitol hosted by KASB, which brought together advocates from across the state to meet with their legislators and share their stories about the successes of public education. They also discuss the upcoming debate over the K-12 Education Budget bill and how the legislature is trying to attempt to give the façade of a fully funded special education by diverting local tax dollars through SB 387. 

Listen now!

Leah and Shannon cover SB 387, the K-12 education budget. SB 387 has numerous controversial provisions, including counting local taxes as part of SPED funding.

Also, join us on March 21 for KASB's Day at the Capitol! This event brings public education advocates together to tell the story of public education at the capitol and meet with their legislators. Register here!

In this episode, Mark is joined by administrative staff from the Haysville and Salina school districts to discuss chronic absenteeism and how they have been working to reduce the rate.

During the COVID pandemic, chronic absenteeism was reaching all-time highs; now that we are on the other side, districts must work diligently to bring students back into the classroom. Listen as these districts share their methods and insights on how they have successfully reduced chronic absenteeism rates and continue to do so.

Read Mark's article here: Haysville and Salina Reduce Chronic Absenteeism Using Parent Outreach and Support

This week, Leah and Shannon discuss the controversial voucher bill, SB 509, which received overwhelming opposition compared to supporters. They also talk about the continued SPED funding shortfall, and how the upcoming K12 Education Budget Committee may affect funding in the future, plus much more. 

Listen now!

Unlock the secrets behind Derby USD 260's educational success! Dive into our latest podcast as we dissect their robust needs assessment process, linking it to strategic planning and accreditation. Explore how data-driven decisions, strong teacher support, and student engagement led to impressive improvements in state test scores.

Tune in now for a closer look at Derby's innovative approach to student and district improvement!

Access some of Derby's Resources that they use for Building Needs Assessments here.

Catch up on the latest from the Kansas State House with The Advocate!

Leah and Shannon discuss Thursday's SPED Funding briefing in the Senate Education Committee, setting the record straight about SPED funding, totaling a $432 Million shortfall in SPED funding for districts across the state. The team also covers SB 509, another attempt to create voucher programs in Kansas, and much more. 

Listen now!

It was turnaround week in the legislature with two big bills not making it out of the Senate Education Committee, including SB 437, the KEEP program bill, and SB 465, providing additional capital outlay for safety, security, and ADA compliance. 

Also, listen in to learn about recent developments on SB 469, an ESA voucher bill recently "blessed" by the legislature. 

Listen now!

Leah and Shannon covered HB 2738 this week, which received a hearing in the House K12 Education Budget Committee. HB 2738 would change how funding is counted and then falsely assert that the legislature is more than fully funding special education. 

They also discuss bills testified on by KASB in the House Education Committee. These bills included legislation prohibiting cell phones in school buildings during the school day and another that would set up a book rating system by the legislature rather than keeping the issue to local control. 

Tune in now to catch up. 

Leah Fliter and Shannon Kimball have had a busy week of hearings and testifying against several controversial bills making their way through the legislature. 

Some of these bills include provisions that can allow almost anyone to challenge the accreditation status of any public school in Kansas, as well as a bill that could cut at-risk funding to districts. 

Looking forward, next week is set to be just as contentious with several high-profile bills being heard, including a bill on banning cell phones in school buildings, and one on censoring books. 

Submit testimony to k.12.budget@house.ks.gov for next Tuesday's hearing.

Tune in now!

In this episode, Leah and Shannon discuss several bills KASB testified on this past week. Leah also discusses her recent trip to D.C. to advocate for public education at the Capitol! Several KASB Staff and public education advocates had the opportunity to meet with some Senators and staffers to discuss the importance of fully funding special education.

Tune in now!

This week, Leah Fliter and Shannon Kimball discuss a busy week of testimony given by KASB at the K-12 Education Budget Committee. KASB testified on several bills, including HB 2514, which deals with open enrollment amendments, HB 2506, concerning virtual student participation in extracurricular activities, and many more.

Tune in now!

In this episode, Mark sits down with Todd Roberts, Director of the Kansas Future Teachers Academy, to discuss how KFTA can be used as a tool for teacher recruitment.

KFTA is a five-day program designed for high school students interested in teaching as a profession.

KFTA will be hosting two sessions this year:
June 3-7
&
July 15-19

Click here to apply for the KFTA.

Want to read an interview with Todd? Click here.

Welcome to another episode of The Advocate.

This week, Leah and Shannon discuss some House Bills that could harm public education, including a flat tax bill passed by the legislature earlier this week. Learn about this and other bills KASB will be testifying on in the future.

Listen now!

Resources
HB 2485
HB 2489
HB 2506
Flat Tax Bill

The 2024 Kansas Legislative Session has kicked off, and the KASB Advocacy Team is here to update you on all new and developing news from the state house. 

Join Leah Fliter and newly added Advocacy team member Shannon Kimball as they discuss the January 5 Special Education Task Force, Governor Laura Kelly's budget proposal, school vouchers, and much more!

Stay up to date and listen now!

Tune in for a Special Edition of Tallman Talks!

Mark sat down with Stan Reiss to discuss his 40+ years of service on his local school board. Hear about Stan's journey from teacher to long-standing board member in Kismet-Plains USD 483. Thank you for your service, Stan!

You can also read about Stan's journey here.

Welcome back to another episode of Tallman Talks!

Mark Tallman and Scott Rothschild discuss Mark's recent travels throughout the state to highlight exceptional Kansas districts. Most recently, he has visited much of the North Central Kansas region, including Pike Valley, Washington County, and Concordia, among many others.

Tune in now to hear Mark's stories from the field.

Also, click here to read about Mark's travels. 

The Advocate is back with a special guest, Dr. Randy Watson, Commissioner of Education!

Join Scott Rothschild and Dr. Watson as they discuss the Commissioner's encouraging news in his annual brief to the State Board, efforts to boost literacy in Kansas, tackling chronic absenteeism, and a whole lot more! 

Tune in now!

As a new school year begins and legislative sessions approach, we delve into the nuances of education finance in Kansas. From the percentage of the state budget allocated to public education to the evolving definitions of K-12 funding, tax policies, and the impact of special education funding, we cover it all. 

Listen now!

In this episode, join Mark Tallman and Scott Rothschild as they discuss and decipher contrasting national education rankings, and explore the real story behind academic outcomes and funding. Dive into the evolving student landscape and the pandemic's impact on education. Tune in for valuable insights into Kansas public schools.

Listen now!

Join Mark and Scott as they celebrate positive news in Kansas education! From increased graduation rates to career-focused education through CTE programs and other postsecondary offerings, Kansas education continues to improve!

Listen now!

Welcome to Tallman Talks, hosted by Mark Tallman!

This week, Mark is joined by Dr. Laurie Curtis, the Early Literacy/Dyslexia Program Manager at KSDE, and Jeri Powers, the USD 232 District Literacy Specialist, as they explore the captivating realm of developing reading skills in children. Gain insights into the importance of early childhood learning and how Kansas is working to improve reading skills in its students through evidence-based reading practices, professional development, and much more. 

Tune in now!

Links: 

• Mark's Blog
• KSDE Dyslexia Webpage

Welcome to "Tallman Talks!"  A new KASB podcast focused on highlighting the great things happening in the world of education in Kansas.  

In each episode of "Tallman Talks," we'll delve into the triumphs, challenges, and innovative ideas shaping our state's educational landscape. 

Sit down with Hosts Mark Tallman and Scott Rothschild this week as they discuss Kansas graduation rates and what it means for Kansans. 

Listen now!