Kansas

Action
Committee
715 WEST 10th.
1'OPEK.A. KANSAS 666'I2
June 5, 2008

The Kansas NEA applauds your decision to join the political process by running for election to the Kansas
legislature. This is no small undertaking and we appreciate the dedication to service to our great state
that is reflected in your decision.

Kansas NEA has a process for determining which candidates for public office to recommend to our
members. We would like to invite you to participate in that process.

Each candidate is asked to complete a questionnaire and to participate in a face to face interview with
local KNEA members. Candidate responses to both the questionnaire and the interview are used in
making our decisions.

I have enclosed a copy of our questionnaire for your use. If you choose to participate, please complete
the questionnaire and send it to the chairperson of our local interview team. (See below.) In addition,
please FAX a copy of the questionnaire to my attention at 785-232-6012. Alternatively you may mail a
copy to me at KNEA, 715 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, KS 66612.

You will be contacted by the local interview team chairperson about scheduling an interview. You may
also feel free to call the chairperson yourself.

Local Interview Team Chairperson:

PAULBABICH
604 N BROADVIEW ST
WICHITA KS 67208-3426
316-681-0248 (H)
pbabich(o)utw-ks.orq

We sincerely hope that you will participate in our process. We look forward to meeting with you and
discussing the future of education in the great state of Kansas.

Sincerely,

Mark Desetti
Director, Legislative and Political Advocacy

cc: Paul Babich

 Kansas NEA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

House District #:

Party:

Candidate Name:

Address:

Phone:

lyiapager:

Candidate Statement

In a general statement, please tell us why you seek election or re-election to the Kansas
Legislature. Please address your beliefs about public education and public school
employees. What do you see as the major challenges facing public schools in Kansas?
What role do you intend to play in the legislature in terms of addressing those
challenges?
 Kansas NEA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

Ensuring Quality Public Schools for All Kansas Children

1. KNEA opposes efforts to enact tax and spending limitations such as the so-called
"Taxpayer Bill of Rights" (TABOR) or "Taxpayer Empowerment Act" (TEA) on the
Kansas State Legislature or local units of government. Such proposals will
severely limit the state's ability to meet the needs of citizens and react to
unforeseen circumstances.

Will you oppose efforts to pass tax and spending limitations including
TABOR and TEA?

Yes No

2. The Kansas tax system is no longer providing an adequate revenue stream for
the needs of the state. Tinkering with the system over the years has resulted in a
system that is increasingly viewed as unfair. An analysis by the independent
Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy shows that low income Kansans pay a
disproportionate amount of their income in taxes and residential property owners
are becoming increasingly frustrated by the reliance on local residential property
taxes. KNEA believes that the Kansas tax system needs to be overhauled to
bring it back into balance and to provide a stable revenue stream for the state in
both good and bad economic times.

Will you support the creation of a blue ribbon, non-partisan commission

to review the Kansas tax system and make recommendations for the
improvement of the system?

Yes No

3. KNEA opposes private school vouchers or tuition tax credits. Such proposals wilt
divert needed resources from public schools. KNEA believes that every child in
Kansas deserves a quality public school.

Will you oppose private school vouchers and tuition tax credits?

Yes No
 Kansas NEA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

4. KNEA opposes limitations on the Kansas Court system that would hamper the
Courts' ability to rule on issues of school finance or to issue a remedy in such
cases. KNEA believes the Courts are a necessary check on unlimited legislative
or executive power and we support their ability to enforce constitutional rights.

Will you oppose constitutional amendments that would limit the ability
of the Courts to rule or issue remedies in school finance litigation?

Yes No

5. Following the school finance lawsuit, the Kansas legislature appropriated a

significant increase in school funding for one year followed by two years of
increases keeping pace with inflation. The net effect still falls far short of the
funding needs found in the Legislative Post Audit Study, the Augenblick and
Myers Study, the Kansas State Board of Education findings, and Governor
Graves' 21st Century Commission recommendations. KNEA believes that it is
imperative that the state make further progress to fully meeting the needs for
school funding AND that the state not revert to a pattern of sub-inflationary
annual increases in school funding. KNEA further believes that in a weak
economic environment, it is important to, at a minimum, meet inflation to maintain
programs.

Will you support additional funding increases for public education to

ensure full implementation of the Post Audit cost study funding levels,
including funding for student outcomes?

Yes No

6. Promises made to post-secondary education in Kansas have been suspended in

recent years due to budget constraints. As a result tuition rates have increased
dramatically. Despite this, groups such as Americans for Prosperity have called
for large increases in student tuition at public institutions of higher education. In
addition, recent changes in the governance of vocational/technical schools have
resulted in the loss of programs and funding challenges for those institutions.
KNEA believes that the economic future of Kansas depends on a vibrant public
education system from pre-school though graduate school.

What efforts would you support to increase and stabilize post-

secondary education funding to ensure that all Kansas residents have
access to affordable, high-quality post-secondary education
experiences?
 Kansas NEA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

Ensuring the Well-Being of School Employees

7. The rising cost of health care is a great problem for school employees. Many
school districts pay nothing toward the cost of health benefits and some do not
even offer health benefits. KNEA believes that the state of Kansas must bear
some responsibility in ensuring that school employees have adequate,
comprehensive health insurance benefits.

What role might the legislature take to support school districts in

providing health insurance benefits to employees? What would you
support in this effort?

8. Kansas teacher salaries are in the bottom 20% in the United States. Beginning
and career salaries for teaching lag significantly behind comparable professions
in the same geographic markets across the state. Exacerbating the looming
teacher shortage in all content areas and grade levels, a large percentage of
Kansas teachers are within five years of retirement and enrollment in teacher
preparation programs has been in decline.

What initiatives would you support that would make the teaching
profession an attractive career option for young people? Please address
salaries, benefits, working conditions, and other support systems for
school employees.
 Kansas NEA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

9. Legislators have recently proposed that certain teachers be given "bonuses" or

"incentive pay" based on their license and endorsement. For example, a bill in
the 2008 session would have encouraged school boards to circumvent the
collective bargaining process, taking salary funds off the table to provide salary
boosts to only math and science teachers. A new recommendation would do the
same thing for only English as a Second Language teachers.

These plans have the effect of paying some teachers more by taking salary
potential away from most teachers. They ignore the fact that elementary and
middle schools also need teachers that have strong backgrounds in math and
science in order to build solid foundations and to encourage students to pursue
these areas of study. Success in math and science relies heavily on strong
reading skills. We want the best and brightest in ALL classrooms, not just in one
or two content areas.

Research shows that pay plans crafted without employee involvement and
agreement are less successful in meeting the desired outcomes. KNEA believes
that compensation systems - including any bonuses or incentives - must be
subject to local negotiations between the teachers association and the local
board of education. KNEA further believes that calls for retention incentives are
indicative of the poor state of teacher salaries in general and that the appropriate
approach to the recruitment and retention of teachers is first to dramatically
increase the salaries of all teachers. KNEA therefore opposes any effort to
undermine the collective bargaining of compensation through legislative
mandates.

Will you oppose efforts that weaken collective bargaining by

legislatively imposing or encouraging bonus or incentive pay?

Yes No
 Kansas NBA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

10. The long-term viability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System
(KPERS) is of grave concern to all state and school employees. Until recently,
the Kansas legislature has not taken responsibility for ensuring that KPERS is
adequately funded. As a result, KPERS retirees have not been given a cost of
living increase and there have been efforts in the legislature to make significant
changes to the system. KNEA opposes changes that would reduce benefits to
future retirees including any reduction in the benefit multiplier. KNEA also
opposes changing KPERS from a defined benefit to a defined contribution
retirement system.

Will you oppose any proposals to reduce benefits to current or future

KPERS retirees?

Yes No

What actions would you support in an attempt to deal with the KPERS
unfunded actuarial liability and allow for a cost of living adjustment for
current retirees?
 Kansas NEA Legislative Candidate Questionnaire; 2008

Strengthening the Teaching Profession

11. Kansas has a teacher evaluation system that includes regular assessment of
teachers by school administrators, a probationary period of three years during
which a teacher's contract can be non-renewed, a rigorous performance
assessment, and a due process provision for veteran teachers that protects
teachers from arbitrary and capricious actions. KNEA believes that this system is
both rigorous and effective. KNEA supports efforts to increase support for
beginning teachers through teacher mentoring programs and for veteran
teachers through peer assistance programs. KNEA opposes changes to the
current system that limit an employee's due process rights.

Will you oppose any efforts to weaken the teacher due process
provisions in Kansas law?

Yes No

12. KNEA supports efforts to guide novice teachers through their first years of
teaching and to assist veteran teachers in improving their practice.

Please comment on the role of the state in supporting teacher

evaluation, the Kansas Performance Assessment System, teacher
mentoring and peer assistance.