Comments on: Kansas school district consolidation, reorganization testimony heard http://wichitaliberty.org/wichita-kansas-schools/kansas-school-district-consolidation-reorganization-testimony-heard/ Individual liberty, limited government, and free markets in Wichita and Kansas Fri, 18 May 2012 14:45:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Mike http://wichitaliberty.org/wichita-kansas-schools/kansas-school-district-consolidation-reorganization-testimony-heard/comment-page-1/#comment-73217 Mike Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:06:15 +0000 http://wichitaliberty.org/?p=8409#comment-73217 Hi, it appears that the move to massive school districts is IN PART a move to get rid of local control. This bill makes the KNEA more powerful, and the parents far less powerful. I have a problem with that, and BOTH my parents are retired teachers. Yes, IN THEORY mega-districts need fewer administrators. IN PRACTICE, Wichita Heights H.S. has a minimum of one guidance councilor and one assistant principal per class. There may be more. That's ROUGHLY 1 councilor per 300 kids. My high school had 300 kids and we had 1 councilor. In practice, the savings will be eaten up by busing kids for two hours every morning instead of just 30 minutes. I know I wouldn't both driving that far if my kid missed the bus... The reason that the education business is taking so much of our money, is that it is forcing us (the taxpayer) to buy so many things that we don't want or need. The old standby's of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic are rarely mentioned anymore. Why? Because those who can read can form their own opinions, those that can write, can communicate that opinion, and those that can do the math, can tell if your statistics lie... Rant mode off ;^) Mike Hi, it appears that the move to massive school districts is IN PART a move to get rid of local control. This bill makes the KNEA more powerful, and the parents far less powerful. I have a problem with that, and BOTH my parents are retired teachers.

Yes, IN THEORY mega-districts need fewer administrators. IN PRACTICE, Wichita Heights H.S. has a minimum of one guidance councilor and one assistant principal per class. There may be more. That’s ROUGHLY 1 councilor per 300 kids. My high school had 300 kids and we had 1 councilor.

In practice, the savings will be eaten up by busing kids for two hours every morning instead of just 30 minutes. I know I wouldn’t both driving that far if my kid missed the bus…

The reason that the education business is taking so much of our money, is that it is forcing us (the taxpayer) to buy so many things that we don’t want or need. The old standby’s of Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic are rarely mentioned anymore. Why? Because those who can read can form their own opinions, those that can write, can communicate that opinion, and those that can do the math, can tell if your statistics lie…

Rant mode off ;^)

Mike

]]> By: John LaPlante http://wichitaliberty.org/wichita-kansas-schools/kansas-school-district-consolidation-reorganization-testimony-heard/comment-page-1/#comment-73095 John LaPlante Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:29:23 +0000 http://wichitaliberty.org/?p=8409#comment-73095 It is true that "in the business world, mergers and consolidations take place every day as companies seek to become stronger and more competitive." The world of government-owned schools is not, for good or ill, the business world. This means a number of things, one of which is that we can't necessarily look to the record of business mergers to see what will happen in school consolidation. The public school industry is so encumbered with rules imposed by the federal government on down, with a personnel system that doesn't make much sense. In a world that was more consumer-oriented and less politically oriented, schools would find a way to reduce administrative expenses voluntarily, as a way of attracting customers (parents), who, for the most part, are interested in having more teachers and fewer administrators. It is true that “in the business world, mergers and consolidations take place every day as companies seek to become stronger and more competitive.” The world of government-owned schools is not, for good or ill, the business world. This means a number of things, one of which is that we can’t necessarily look to the record of business mergers to see what will happen in school consolidation.

The public school industry is so encumbered with rules imposed by the federal government on down, with a personnel system that doesn’t make much sense. In a world that was more consumer-oriented and less politically oriented, schools would find a way to reduce administrative expenses voluntarily, as a way of attracting customers (parents), who, for the most part, are interested in having more teachers and fewer administrators.

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