COLUMN MORTON: A cautionary tale: education week

American Education Week is celebrated through Saturday this week.

I’ve always thought the time of year significant, as we also are pausing to give thanks for many things at this special time of year.

However, this year finds me more concerned about the future of education in our district and in our state than ever before in my entire educational career.

Education has been the cornerstone of every community, every state and our nation since our country’s inception.

It has been the means for many of us to realize our dream; to become productive citizens and to contribute in meaningful ways to our society.

Education has championed social advancement, has helped us reach new pinnacles of knowledge and innovation.

These things have been accomplished through the efforts of educators and staff members to provide the best educational opportunities possible for our students, past, present and future.

So, first of all, I pause to express my sincere thanks to the total staff of USD 373 for untiring efforts on behalf of our students.

However, my cautionary tale during this American Education Week focuses on the lack of vision, planning and foresight that has public schools in Kansas teetering on the abyss.

There is no question we are in tough times. Tough times call for vision; for bold, decisive action.

I keep waiting for such things to emerge from our elected leaders, but no such vision or plan seems to be forthcoming.

Continuing to cut budgets is not a plan; it is a reactionary measure that just may spell the end to progress in our state.

Because, you see, education is a constitutional responsibility in Kansas.

And, it is a responsibility that has been abdicated by many of our legislative leaders who think a combination of further educational budget cuts coupled with the now tired mantra of no additional revenue somehow will miraculously allow us to escape this dire situation.

But this story is about more than education. It is about the quality of life now and in the future for a myriad of Kansans who continue to want better circumstances for themselves, for their children and for their grandchildren.

I wrote an op-ed piece earlier this school year asking what the 2020 Vision for Kansas is.

Truth be told, there isn’t one.

There is not the courageous leadership in place which needs to call the best minds in our state together to craft a new direction for our state and for all of its people.

Although I seldom agree with Rep. Watkins, he is right in asserting Kansans don’t necessarily believe in continuing to do things one way, particularly if that one way has not yielded positive results.

Yet, I am asserting he and others are succumbing to the very tactic they are criticizing … resorting to continuing to reduce state budgets while watching revenue continue to decline with no upswing on the horizon.

Maybe we need to examine our entire revenue structure in Kansas.

Maybe there is another way to fund K-12 and higher education in a more progressive way that places less of a burden on the state.

I don’t know the answer, but I am willing to explore the possibilities. Would that they were willing to do the same.

Those of you who know me know I usually am the optimist about the future; it will get done, things will get better, we will be able to accomplish our goals, etc.

But in this instance, I am feeling that, unless we do something dramatically different, things will continue in the same vein and eventually will be much worse than they are today.

Our USD 373 staff has done a wonderful job, especially in the face of significant budget reductions last year. But they can’t keep it up forever.

We can’t keep taking up the slack so parents and students see no appreciable differences when their children enter our schools.

There will come a point of diminishing returns ... it may be closer than we know.

I challenge you to do one thing during American Education Week this year. Contact our governor, our legislators, any of our county or city elected officials, our board of education members, and offer to become part of the solution.

Together, I am confident we can craft a resolution to our current dilemma that can not only assist now, but in the future.

Inaction should not be an option. The time is now. Will you join me?

Dr. John R. Morton is superintendent of the Newton USD 373 School District.