1,000 Issues in Kansas Education

We have good schools.

Nobody has all of the answers for fixing all of the ills in our schools. Our schools in Johnson County are actually quite good. But as Jim Collins wrote in his book From Good to Great, "good is the enemy of great." His point: having good government keeps us from having great government, and having good schools precludes us from having great schools.

Make no mistake, Johnson County has very good schools. The Blue Valley School District has a 98 percent graduation rate, as compared to a statewide rate closer to 90 percent, and a much lower graduation rate in Wyandotte county.

There are ten members on the State Board; five seats are "up for election" this year, the other five come up in 2010. The term of service is four years. As Roberts sits on the board, he will be a better listener than a talker, beyond the Three Primary Fixes that he will champion. There are 3 Big Fixes, but there are a thousand issues that schools face across the Sunflower State. Some of them follow, and Steve encourages you to email him with your own ideas and concerns. Share issues, perspectives, solutions, accolades and complaints with your local school.

The Free-and-Reduced Lunch began in the Truman administration. It has outlived its utility. Roberts advocates elimination of the Free-and-Reduced Lunch Program. But instead of making poorer citizens pay for lunch on top of their tax dollars, Roberts sees a way to provide lunch for all students, with no* tax increases, for all students. All kids who go to school should get books, quality teachers, and a building that is heated in the winter. And in the same vein, students should be provided a lunch. A "free lunch" should be part of the educational day, even though, of course, no such thing as a "free lunch." The savings realized from eliminating the bureaucracy of the Federal Free-and-Reduced Lunch Program will more than pay for the lunches currently being provided. And any modest increase in taxes that might be required to pay for a truly free lunch program would be more than offset by the savings that parents would realize from not having to pay for lunches as they do now -- on top of their tax burden.

New schools should have stairways. In the "old days" kids climbed stairs. They were healthier and more active then. Of course, there are many reasons for the increases in childhood obesity and asthma and a whole range of increasing maladies. Roberts believe that if the State Board began to insist on two-and-three-story buildings, at least in the classroom configurations, that kids could be healthier. There are engineering issues, architectural issues, local zoning issues, and a whole range of issues related to giving our children, simply, stairs to climb. But the advocates of the handicapped, who claim that an elevator is an inconvenience for those in wheelchairs, should be mindful that elevators are not inconveniences for the handicapped -- elevators are conveniences.

Steve Roberts will push civics and "social studies" texts toward recognition of another branch of government. Most American government and history textbooks tout the three branches of American government. There are, of course, four branches of government in the United States of America. Our Founding Fathers intended four branches for the checks and balances that have made this country the greatest in the history of the world: 1. The Executive Branch of Government; 2. The Legislative Branch of Government; 3. The Judicial Branch of Government; and 4. The Citizenry. We the people, of course, are a critical check and balance to government. We vote for executives and legislators. In some cases we vote for judges. We serve on juries. And, of course, we serve on government boards. The Citizenry is just as important as the other tree branches of government, and our textbooks should reflect that.

Religion has no place in science class. Religious discussions in public schools belong to history courses. In private and parochial schools, of course, religion can be discussed in all aspects and in all courses. But even in a parochial environment, the focus in a science class should be on science. Roberts is a Registered Professional Engineer in Missouri; his first degree was a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri in 1982. His second degree was a Master's Degree in Education from Grand Canyon University in 2007. He has taught mathematics for 20 years, in public, private, and parochial schools. Parochial schools may, if they choose, integrate religion into courses other than history or sociology. But while America has done a good job with the first clause of the First Amendment (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion) the country, in Roberts' view, has done a poor job with the second clause (or prohibiting the free exercise thereof). In short, we should relax the prohibitions of discussing religious history or sociology in our public schools.

We should welcome the public into our public schools. The small reading groups that are essential for kindergarten through third grade can be facilitated by volunteers, paraprofessionals, and even older students. Imagine that a retired citizen, wanting to improve our literacy rates and to help kids, is actually welcomed into the local school. We have many Kansas schools doing this already. This should be encouraged. And if we reject the nonsense of the Free-and-Reduced Lunch, we could give these docents and volunteers a nourishing meal as a modest "payment" for their public service.

Smaller class sizes, of course, are better than larger ones. Nobody disputes that -- all things being equal. But all things are not equal, and any discussion we have about class size should come after we discuss whether children are motivated learners. The motivation we need to instill in our children will be enhanced by the reading skills and habits inculcated in the small reading groups. Roberts has a wealth of school experience to see how the pieces fit together.

There are, of course, thousands of issues that befall our educators. We can increase teacher pay without raising taxes.

We can increase literacy without compromising the wide array of programs, from athletics and music to debate and fine arts.

We can make our public schools more public, indeed, centers of our communities.

Help bring these ideas close to reality. Contribute today!