Dave Trabert, Author at Kansas Policy Institute

With $1 billion in reserve, schools don’t need a $200 million gift 0
- Education
- January 17, 2022
Gov. Laura Kelly’s budget proposal to gift $200 million to schools this year – on top of a court-mandated $243 million increase – isn’t needed for several reasons. It’s just an election year stunt to paint opponents as being unwilling to ‘fully fund’ public education. Under Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the Legislature deferred about half ofREAD MORE
In Memoriam: Ethelmae Humphreys, Lioness for Liberty 0
- Education
- December 30, 2021
Her friends at the Cato Institute call Ethelmae Humphreys the grande dame of the libertarian movement. Her business colleagues say she was the matriarch of the roofing business. She was a cherished Advisor of the Kansas Policy Institute family. To David, Sarah, and John, she was Mom. The world lost an amazing woman when Ethelmae
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Achievement gaps persist despite KSDE claims 0
- Featured
- December 13, 2021
Deputy Commissioner of Education Brad Neuenswander last week told legislators that achievement gaps began to close after funding was "restored," but as is often the case with KSDE, both claims were misleading. Funding was increased, not cut, and achievement gaps have remained persistently wide. Legislators were told that proficiency – Levels 3 and 4 onREAD MORE
KSDE deceives legislators about student achievement 0
- Education
- December 9, 2021
It’s pretty telling when student achievement is so low that the Kansas Department of Education will only talk about it in generalities. Testimony presented by Deputy Commissioner Bran Neuenswander said state assessment scores were on a decline between 2015 and 2018, began to “level off” in 2019, but then fell in 2021. (The assessment wasn’t
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