Candidates for school board seats in Kansas have repeatedly brought up state standardized test scores in advance of the November 7th election. Conservative candidates point to falling scores as proof that teachers are spending too much time on social-emotional learning and interpersonal skills — and not enough time on reading, writing and math. KCUR’s Madeline Fox sat down with KMUW education reporter Suzanne Perez and Jodi Fortino of KCUR to talk about whether scores really are falling — and what the exams can, and can’t, tell us.
Plus more on these stories:
- More than a dozen satellite voting centers will open Thursday in Sedgwick County.
- The Kansas Department of Transportation says it will take longer to clear highways of snow and ice this winter because the agency is short on staff.
- Spirit AeroSystems says it had a net loss of more than $200 million dollars in the third quarter.
- Kansas legislators are looking to other states to find possible solutions for child care shortages
- Applications for Wichita's largest holiday assistance program are now open for low-income individuals and families.
- Wichita will plant 700 trees in a city park with the help of 100 students from Southeast High School.
- The Wichita Police Department and Bike Walk Wichita are giving out free bicycle lights Friday.
Producers: Beth Golay and Lu Anne Stephens
Editors: Beth Golay and Tom Shine
Contributors: Kylie Cameron, Jodi Fortino, Madeline Fox, Celia Hack, Blaise Mesa, Suzanne Perez, Tom Shine, and Taliyah Winn
Theme music: Torin Andersen
Digital editor: Karlee Cooper
