Education Initiative Asks "Why Not?" Provide Effective Learning Opportunities
|
A new statewide initiative to inform parents about opportunities to raise student achievement launched earlier this month. A joint effort of Kansas Policy Institute and The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, "Why Not Kansas?" lays out the facts about student achievement and school spending and informs Kansans about learning opportunities that are bearing fruit in other states.
KPI hosted a press conference at the Wichita Central Library on Thursday, May 12 to announce the campaign. Watch the unedited video of the press conference here. The video is in five segments on KPI's YouTube channel and the Q&A begins at 3:50 on "Why Not Kansas press conference 3." Leslie Hiner from FFEC was scheduled to participate in the press conference but was unable to attend due to weather.
"Total aid to Kansas public schools increased by $1.3 billion between 2005 and 2010 but student achievement levels remain unacceptably low, with national assessments showing roughly 25% of Kansas students are unable to read at grade level. Other states with similar experiences have begun to implement a broad range of reforms to attack the achievement problem but many in Kansas continue to say 'no' to expanding school choice and other reforms. We're saying 'Why Not Kansas?'" said KPI president Dave Trabert.
Trabert concluded, "Many people in the education industry maintain that continuing to spend more money is what works. Thank goodness 'just spend more' isn't the answer because if $1.3 billion barely moves the needle, we'd never have enough money to provide students with the learning opportunities they deserve."
Kansas students do perform well compared to most states. For example, Kansas is tied for 6th place with two other states for the percentage of 4th grade students rated Proficient or better in Math; for 4th grade Reading, Kansas is tied for 17th place with five other states. The bad news is that Kansas compares well in a country that performs at unacceptably low levels. Massachusetts has the highest proficiency levels in 4th grade Math and Reading, at 57% and 47%, respectively. That means less than half of 4th grade students are proficient in Reading in the best performing state in this country! Here are Kansas' proficiency levels on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP);
"Every child deserves access to an effective education, and every family deserves the right to choose the educational approach that is best for their children," said Leslie Hiner, Vice President of Programs & State Relations at The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. "States across the nation are enacting innovative, parent-empowering education reforms. This campaign will prompt Kansas parents to ask, 'Why not give kids in our state better opportunities to succeed?'"
|
|
# # #
The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, solely dedicated to advancing Milton and Rose Friedman's vision of school choice for all children. First established as the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation in 1996, the foundation continues to promote school choice as the most effective and equitable way to improve the quality of K-12 education in America. The foundation is dedicated to research, education, and outreach on the vital issues and implications related to choice and competition in K-12 education.
Kansas Policy Institute is an independent think-tank that advocates for free market solutions and the protection of personal freedom for all Kansans. Our work centers on state and local economic policy with primary emphasis on education, fiscal policy and health care. We empower citizens, legislators and other government officials with objective research and creative ideas to promote a low-tax, pro-growth environment that preserves the ability of governments to provide high quality services. To speak with Kansas Policy Institute, please contact James Franko (316) 634-0218.
|
