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February 29, 2008

HB 2870 goes down on final action vote!

Traditional Republicans join Democrats in support of teachers!

The KASB bill that we have been fighting – HB 2870 – after having been advanced last night was defeated on a final action vote this morning.

HB 2870 would have encouraged school boards to go around the bargaining process to give large bonuses to math and science teachers by giving them additional money for doing so.

Cloaked in phrases like, “I want to put money in teachers’ pockets” and “We have to do something to encourage people to go into teaching math and science,” the bill would have done neither.

The Legislative Research Department was asked to review research on the effectiveness of pay differentials and bonuses. They reported to the education committee that the experts in this field have found that there is no benefit from pay differentials of the type described in this bill. It is generally agreed that such bonuses are ineffective unless they reach the 15 – 20% of base salary range.

The small bonuses in HB 2870 would have had no impact on the recruitment and retention of math and science teachers.

Some who voted NO felt that the state should pay more attention to proven programs like the UKan Teach program now being started at KU. UKan Teach, while new to Kansas, has shown to dramatically increase the number of math and science teachers in the states that have implemented the plan. Several legislators who voted against HB 2870 felt the money could be better spent backing this program.

KASB was quick to lament the loss and blamed it on YOU. Here’s what they had to say in their legislative report:

“KNEA mounted an intensive e-mail campaign among its members over the last several days to defeat the bill.  Most Democrats and a number of moderate Republicans voted against the bill.”

It should be noted that KNEA was not the only organization to mount a campaign on this bill. KASB did as well, sending out an alert asking board members to email their legislators.

Time for the thank you notes!

On the vote today, every Democrat voted NO. They were joined by Republicans Pat Colloton, Barbara Craft, Rocky Fund, Deena Horst, Terrie Huntington, Dan Johnson, Bill Light, Ronnie Metsker, Tom Moxley, Tim Owens, Ted Powers, Richard Proehl, Jill Quigley, Don Schroeder, Sharon Schwartz, Clark Shultz, and Dale Swenson. All Democrats and the above listed Republicans should be getting big thank yous from teachers. To contact any one of them by email use the following address protocol: lastname@house.state.ks.us. Let them know that you appreciate their support for professional teachers.

Three legislators did not vote – Democrat Gene Rardin and Republican Brenda Landwehr were excused absences for medical reasons. Republican Lance Kinzer chose not to vote because his wife is a math teacher. Kinzer did speak in support of the bill on the floor yesterday.

KNEA is part of the solution; not the problem. Work with us!

It should be made clear that KNEA has no position opposing pay differentials. A number of our local affiliates have negotiated pay differentials with the local school board. These negotiated agreements include pay differentials and flexibility in salary schedule placement for teachers in shortage areas. All we say is, “Bring your local ideas to your local teachers – let’s all work together to craft programs that meet local needs.”

We have also always been willing to sit down and collaboratively craft solutions to problems facing our schools. We are tired of teachers being relegated to the back bench while KASB is put in the privileged position of crafting legislation to be imposed on the people who do the day to day work with the children. It’s time to stop thinking of teachers like naughty children who need to be told what’s good for them and to take our ideas seriously.

KNEA provided the House Education Committee with a comprehensive plan to address the teacher shortage. Instead of reading it, a bare majority of the committee decided to back a bill that research has shown will be totally ineffective in solving the problem.

Also in the bill was a change in the way money for the mentoring program is distributed. Currently that money is a reimbursement to school districts that have to pay mentors up front. This bill would have made the funding a weighting. It is important to know that there was no new money for mentoring in this bill. It would not have expanded the mentoring program.

Consolidation “carrot” passed; “stick” defeated

The bill providing incentives for school  districts that choose to consolidate, HB 2734, passed final action on a vote of 99 – 24. KNEA supported the bill.

The bill’s partner, HB 2605, which would have penalized school districts with a geographic area of less than 200 square miles and fewer than 200 students who did not consolidate was defeated on final action yesterday morning. This bill would have reduced low enrollment weighting for the districts described above.

They’re gone for a few days

The Legislature has hit the half way point and Republicans are headed for home. Democrats will be in Topeka this weekend for their annual Washington Days event. Both chambers are back on Tuesday with most work beginning Wednesday morning.

Under the Dome will go on hiatus as well. We’ll be back on Wednesday of next week.

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