The following summary includes education-related proposals from the 2005 state of the state addresses. To assure that this information reaches you in a timely manner, minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) or format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the state.
To view these BY ISSUE, click here.
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| Governor Kathleen Sebelius' State of the State Address
Challenges include: - an education system that requires not only more resources, but real reform
Fiscal Issues
This year's budget will actually reduce General Fund expenditures by 9.3 million dollars from the figure approved by the Legislature. And my budget for Fiscal Year 2006 will also be lean - a proposed total increase of less than one percent over our fixed spending obligations.
Since 1999 the Kansas Legislature has deferred any decision to address issues of the adequacy and equity in K-through-12 school funding. Many proposals have been made, and many opportunities missed. Now we have no choice. We must act, and soon. The Supreme Court has spoken, and we must make responsible and effective decisions in the next three months, with the best interests of our children in our hearts and our heads.
Last Spring, I offered a package of educational reforms to strengthen Kansas schools, and I was disappointed when the Legislature failed to pass these initiatives, or the bipartisan proposals that others introduced. But this is a new year, and a new Legislature. We do not have the luxury of failing to act. So let's work together, to make sure that no Kansas child is actually left behind. We must back up rhetoric about commitment to schools with actions and resources that will guarantee a high quality education to all Kansas students, from the day they enter preschool to the day they graduate from high school, and beyond.
The Supreme Court's ruling requires the Legislature to fund a truly suitable education for all Kansas children. Neither the people of Kansas nor the Court will accept gamesmanship in interpreting the words of the decision. Reducing the standard for a "suitable" education is not an option. We cannot "dumb down" our standards, nor should we. We must strive for real improvement, rather than employing rhetorical devices that the Court might well reject.
Nor should we consider any one-time funding proposals or short-term fixes. We must address the issues raised by the Court through solid, long-lasting solutions, based on dedicated resources that will serve Kansas students for decades to come. At the same time, we must be sure that Kansas school districts are spending their funds as effectively and efficiently as possible. Last year I proposed state-funded audits of school systems, but to no avail. Because I feel so strongly about ensuring accountability for every tax dollar spent, I sought private funds for these audits. I'm pleased that the Kauffman Foundation has agreed to support a series of efficiency evaluations for a number of Kansas school districts, both large and small. These evaluations will show us where our money is well spent, and where changes are needed. We should spend every tax dollar as if it were our own, because, in the end, it is. This year's budget calls for more audits, and I hope you will join me in supporting increased accountability for Kansas school districts, as we have demanded throughout state government.
I believe we all agree that, for the health of Kansas, nothing is more important than education. In a knowledge-based economy, first-rate schools -- from preschool classrooms through our Universities' graduate programs -- represent the best investment we can make for our children and for the future of our state. That is why we must respond to the Court's urgent call for action with dispatch, common sense, and a commitment to educational excellence. Failing to do so would abdicate our most fundamental obligation as public servants.
Nowhere is this more important than in supporting our schools. We in this building must listen to the Court, listen to the people of Kansas, and listen to each other, as we strive to meet our constitutional obligations and maintain our control, as elected officials, over the schools of our state.
http://www.accesskansas.org/news/governor_stateofthestate.shtml
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