SEX ED
The board has developed Model Standards for sex education. These are suggestions, not mandates, for local school boards to use if they wish. Even the Kansas City Star Editorial Board who would rarely support my positions, found these model standards to be in the best interest of our children. The standards encourage an abstinence until marriage based curriculum with additional information provided to kids that encourages healthy living habits. Information is given to children concerning sexually transmitted deceases and other risks associated sexual activity.

SCIENCE STANDARDS
The board has adopted standards that encourage the teaching of science honestly, allows students to critically analyze any scientific evidence, without limiting students to only evidence that supports one particular bias or another. Although not required by our current science standards, I would note that the vast majority of Kansans, and Americans for that matter, believe that students should be taught about the controversy surrounding the origin of life, which is still a mystery. The standards allow teachers an opportunity to discuss scientific evidence that may be critical to certain claims of evolution. This was not permitted in the previous standards. These standards allow for more academic freedom for the teachers in the classroom.

The negative information about these standards in the press is all rhetoric and is geared towards the strategy to demean rather than to discuss the controversy surrounding the origin of life.

The misconception that these standards somehow introduce religion into the science classroom is totally false. The story of where we came from and the origins of life have been in science text books for years. This view is not neutral and very much supports non-theistic religious beliefs. These standards seek to eliminate rather than advance the religious bias that permeated the old standards.

COMMISSIONER
The job of the Commissioner is to manage the Department of Education and implement Board Policy. Bob Corkins has been our commissioner for a little less than a year but I believe he is doing a great job. We are looking for innovative ideas for improving education in Kansas and we appreciate the Commissioners ability to think outside the box, work with legislators, and approach problems with ideas other than assuming more money will solve any problem.

LOCAL CONTROL
Local control doesn’t stop at the local school board. It speaks to community, parents, or the board of a local charter school.

The board has received numerous complaints from parents of local school districts. As my opponents are fully aware, the State Board has not taken control over the local board that continues to require the reading of pornographic & vulgar materials…. preferring to leave the issue to the local voters in the Blue Valley District. Incidentally if parents want to learn more about these controversial books required by the communication arts ciruculum go to www.classkc.org. As a parent of a child at Blue Valley West and a patron of the district I will continue to urge the district to find better required materials that don’t have the “f” word 2 or 3 times per page, graphic depictions of humans having sex with animals, graphic details of rapes, opening kids minds to suicide as a way to solve problems and other horrible stuff. Our kids deserve better. When I think of the position of the administration in the Blue Valley District I shake my head and wonder why are they doing this to kids. It isn’t necessary and it must change.

My opponent agrees with requiring 15 year olds to read pornographic & vulgar materials with or without their parent’s knowledge.

PROJECTS OF STATE DEPARTMENT OF ED
Student engagement project – This project is geared toward finding creative ways to encourage junior high and senior high student to become authentically engaged in their school subjects. Parents are happy when they hear their child is excited and eager to participate in learning. Students need to understand the relevancy of education as it relates to their desired careers or their college potential.

New Division of School Innovations (DSI) at Kansas Department of Education - DSI will roll together the agency’s research, evaluation, technical assistance responsibilities to promote effective best practices…that in, how to better utilize each school’s resources to get maximum student outcomes. This division will place a greater emphasis on consultation rather than compliance. The goal is to become more pro-active with research-based advocacy rather than reactionary. Compliance will remain the primary focus of the Learning Services Division.

Data Warehouse Project - This is a project that has grown out of the Federal “No Child Left Behind” Legislation. It may not sound “glamorous”, but is still crucial for k12 in assuring accountability, identifying effective and cost-effective practices, and in producting research that will help to tailor education to meet the needs of each student. Once the data has been entered it will achieve sizable administration efficiencies for KDSE and for local districts.

$10 Million Dollar Federal Grant for Charter Schools - The United States Department of Education has recognized substantial potential for Kansas charters to be used in closing the achievement gap, and lowering the dropout rate especially tailored to At-risk students. Kansas was awarded the grant despite intense new competition among states this year for limited charter funding.

Key Role of the State Board of Education in Influencing K12 finance bill (SB549) -- The budget recommendations of the State Board of Education made it a key player in the solution. The Legislature has allowed greater USD flexibility including the use of at-risk funds for all-day kindergarten. There are encouraging signs from the Supreme Court that SB549 may resolve constitutional questions and end the 7-year litigation.