Marching backward on schools, guns, gays
School daze, continued
Another week, another grenade lobbed out of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration.
The latest is a suggestion that evaluations of public school teachers be posted online for all to see. Tucked into the governor’s school financing proposal, the plan would rate teachers 50 percent on growth in student achievement, 40 percent on input from supervisors, peers, parents and students, and 10 percent on a teacher’s contributions to the profession.
How bad is this idea? Let us count the ways. Brownback wants to turn a teacher’s job performance review partially into a popularity contest. Hand out good grades, coddle the parents, get along with your coworkers and you’re golden. Serve up a rigorous curriculum, stand your ground, clash with a colleague and you may be in trouble.
There is a lot of good research coming out on the topic of teacher performance and evaluations, and it’s likely that the Kansas process could use updating.
But, as Rep. Ronald Ryckman, a Republican from Meade, Kan., said during a hearing, a teacher’s job evaluation is no subject for an online symposium.
In the crosshairs
Several Missouri lawmakers returned to their offices from a lunch break Tuesday to find stickers depicting a rifle crosshairs on their nameplates. Sen. Jolie Justus, a Democrat from Kansas City, said she removed a sticker only to find it replaced later by a larger one.
Most recipients were Democratic senators. Kiki Curls of Kansas City and Victor Callahan of Independence were targeted, along with two Democratic senators from St. Louis. So was Rep. Scott Dieckhaus, a Republican House member from Washington.
The Capitol is an open environment in which members of the public (and lobbyists, of course) can walk freely through the hallways, in and out of the galleries, and into lawmakers’ offices. That’s good for access, but not so good for security.
There are some nasty strains to Missouri government. People who come to the Capitol can be intensely zealous about their issues. Lawmakers and Capitol security are right to be concerned about the appearance of a threat. At the end of the week, there was no word on who planted the stickers. A spokesman said security will be ramped up in the building.
Repeal the repealer
With considerable fanfare, Brownback a year ago designated his secretary of administration, Dennis Taylor, as the state “repealer.”
It would be Taylor’s job to scour the books and travel the state, looking for outdated and pesky regulations that hold back Kansas and its people.
Now, the repealer has spoken. And the results are, frankly, not very dramatic.
True, if the Legislature follows Taylor’s ideas, the pest control operators’ fee fund will no longer be around to burden Kansans. Also, counties won’t be required to appoint “a competent woman” to be matron of the jail — not that we think having a competent woman around is a bad idea.
In all, Taylor has proposed that the Legislature consider eliminating 51 statutes or regulations — none of them “a barnburner,” as even Brownback acknowledged.
Somehow, the repealer missed the state’s anti-sodomy law, which a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling rendered unconstitutional. For the time being, it will remain on the books — an offensive reminder to gays and lesbians that their state government illegally rejects their relationships as criminal.
All together now
Hup one, hup two. Missouri has a workout for you.
Rep. Pat Conway, a Democrat from St. Joseph, has filed a bill to designate jumping jacks as the official state exercise.
Conway is acting on behalf of the fourth grade at Pershing Elementary School in St. Joseph, which is eager to make its mark on the state’s official record books.
After all, Missouri has an official state animal (mule); flower (Hawthorn blossom); bird (bluebird); insect (honey bee); song (Missouri Waltz); dessert (ice cream cone), and many other official things. Why not an exercise?
We would suggest, however, that the state already has an unofficial exercise. That would be marching in place. The legislature sets the pace very well.
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Kay Fox
Kansas City
3 weeks, 5 days agoHas the Star come up with a better way to improve teacher performance? Maybe shaming them publicly will work nothing else has.
What has the editorial board suggested to improve teachers in the KCSD? Teachers either refuse or can’t do their jobs…it’s not about the kids, it’s about teachers, look what the former KC kids are doing now in the Independence School District…it’s academic dear ones…it’s academic fire the lot and start over again. KCSD can’t or won’t do their jobs…true?