Tagged: education

Critics of the Kansas Board of Education's decision to adopt national standards for math and reading urged the board to reconsider its decision Tuesday.

Kansas is among 46 states that have adopted the national standards; they set academic expectations for students from kindergarten through high school.

The state adopted the standards in 2010, and school districts have begun implementing them in the classrooms and in teacher training.

A group of middle school students will get a chance to fly over Wichita this week to mark the end of their mentoring program.

The Flying Challenge program ends Thursday at the National Center for Aviation Training.

The program matches Airbus and Wichita State University engineering students with 80 students at Brooks Middle School in Wichita.

The students participate in a robotics lab, a paint lab, a radio-controlled airplane demonstration and this flight over Wichita,

Kansas legislators returned from a four-day break Wednesday  to discuss a bill that would narrow contract negotiations between teachers and public school districts.

Substitute House Bill 2027 has been criticized by as an "attack on educators" by the Kansas National Education Association.

The House Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development considered the bill today . The measure would reduce the number of issues that teachers could negotiate with local school boards.

Gov. Sam Brownback's new budget proposals would phase in a $76 million increase in aid to public schools over two years.  He would would also use $77 million in revenue from state-owned casinos to help fund teacher pensions.