State legislators heard concerns about the education labor market and multiple economic questions from area educators recently during the 32nd annual Legislative Luncheon in Salina.
The Smoky Hill Education Service Center’s (SHESC) annual event brought together approximately 40 people on Wednesday, including state lawmakers, SHESC staff, district administrators, and school board members from across the region. An annual tradition since SHESC’s founding, the luncheon gives educators an opportunity to communicate directly with government leaders and for those leaders to learn more about current concerns within education.
Roger Stumpf, USD 306 Southeast of Saline superintendent, said the struggles schools are experiencing in filling open positions goes beyond economic struggles; other major factors are criticism, scrutiny, and proposals for new laws from legislators that Stumpf said shows a lack of respect for educators and creates “crisis levels” of retirements and resignations.
“They’re feeling under attack. Educators are no longer feeling respected,” Stumpf said. “It’s lost its luster. People don’t want to sign up for that.”
Rep. Clarke Sanders (R-District 69) said that it’s an issue stretching beyond education.
“Just drive up and down the street. Everyone’s looking for help,” he said. “It’s not unique to education,” he said.
Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-District 110) also added that social media and political polarization hasn’t helped with retaining educators. After encountering a politically charged story or having a political discussion, he said that most people have an immediate and visceral reaction.
“We immediately want to do two things,” he said. “Be mad or be scared to death.”
Rep. Steven Johnson (R-District 108) said that retaining educators is proving to be a problem without easy solutions.
“It is everywhere and it is unfortunately going to persist,” he said. “I don’t think money is going to solve it.”
Rep. Jim Minnix (R-District 118) also encouraged individuals to act locally and not necessarily wait on action from the state to start finding and enacting solutions.
“In Kansas, if it snows you go get a shovel; that doesn’t happen in all states,” he said. “I think we can do better in Kansas and I would challenge everyone to be positive instead of pointing fingers.”
Ann Zimmerman, member of the Salina USD 305 Board of Education, encouraged the legislators to take an active role in discouraging those who may be driving a wedge between lawmakers and educators.
“If you hear those things, I urge you to stand up,” she said. “We are anti-bullying in the schools, but we don’t have anti-bullying in the legislature.”
Other topics of discussion included:
●Ongoing prevention of COVID-19 spread in schools.
●Expansion of Pre-K to more communities.
●Learning loss during remote learning.
●The best way to handle the current state budget surplus.
●Helping to secure affordable housing and child care for families.
●Tougher transportation laws as they relate to school bus safety.
●Working toward full special education funding levels from state and federal sources.
●Medicaid expansion in Kansas.
●School board versus state legislature control of curriculum standards.
Rep. Mike Dodson (R-District 67) encouraged educators to continue to communicate with state legislators and express their concerns beyond the annual luncheon.
“Educate those up in Topeka and let them know what life is like there in the districts,” he said.
Moddelmog closed the day by echoing that sentiment and adding: “I hope that events like these help with that education piece.”
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