Kansas SB 492 rider to give county DAs moral authority over curriculum.

[patrice]

This from an activist friend of mine:

There is a very important resolution before the Kansas House Education Committee. SB-492, otherwise known as 'the obscenity bill' was approved by the Senate 2 weeks ago and sent to the House. Senator Karin Brownlee added a 'last second' amendment which would Prohibit teachers from using, reading, or displaying, and principals from allowing individuals to use, read, or display, any obscene material without approval of the school board. The KEY here is that ANY Parent or individual may complain to the District Attorney that a teacher is using 'inappropriate' material in the classroom.

Please read the following Excellent commentary by Connie Owen,Attorney and former PTA President which appeared in Wednesday's 3/12 'Kansas City Star'.

www.kansascity.com | 03/11/2008 | AS I SEE IT: Bill would let JoCo district attorney judge obscenity in schools

This Bill MUST Be Stopped - or at least have Karin Brownlee's amendment removed at the Hearing on Thursday.

I urge you to e-mail ALL of the following legislators TODAY (Wednesday) and take a stand for our Olathe Teachers.
Clay Aurand - Committee Chair...............House Dist 109 [e-mail]
Pat Colloton ...................................................House Dist 28 [e-mail]
Sheryl Spalding............................................House Dist 29 [e-mail]
Sue Storm ......................................................House Dist 22 [e-mail]
Marti Crow ....................................................House Dist 41 [e-mail]
The following Legislators are also on the House Education Committee and would it would also be beneficial to contact them.
Deena Horst - Vice Chair...........................House Dist 69 [e-mail]
Barbara Craft ...............................................House Dist 65 [e-mail]
Owen Donohoe ..............................................House Dist 39 [e-mail]
John Faber .....................................................House Dist 120 [e-mail]
Don Hill ............................................................House Dist 60 [e-mail]
Benjamin Hodge ............................................House Dist 49 [e-mail]
Steve Huebert ...............................................House Dist 90 [e-mail]
Bill Otto ............................................................House Dist 9 [e-mail]
Ted Powers .....................................................House Dist 81 [e-mail]
Marc Rhoades .................................................House Dist 72 [e-mail]
Bill Wolf ...........................................................House Dist 112 [e-mail]
Geraldine Flaharty .......................................House Dist 98 [e-mail]
Judith Loganbill ............................................House Dist 86 [e-mail]
Ann Mah ............................................................House Dist 53 [e-mail]
Shirley Palmer ................................................House Dist 4 [e-mail]
Eber phelps ......................................................House Dist 111 [e-mail]
Ed Trimmer ......................................................House Dist 78 [e-mail]
Vaidenia Winn .................................................House Dist 34 [e-mail]

Thank You for being a supporter of Public Education!



My letter:

Please vote against Karin Brownlee's amendment to SB 492. Protect your constituents from those who seek, through agency of state government, to usurp their roles as parents. Parents who object to curricular content may request alternatives for their own children, but they should not seek to impose their arbitrations of good and bad on others. What bigger government is there than that which seeks to be the moral arbiter of all?

Seeking to force their own views on other families through the Attorney General is not only an expansion of the powers of government, it is also crippling to the mental and moral development of those others whom they seek to control. The end result of such oppression will almost universally be the opposite of what they expect. Students will have less moral understanding not more.

Readings in the works of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg will reveal to you the ignorance and misperceptions concerning cognitive development harbored by those who think good effect will be achieved by externally imposed uniformity and universally blind obedience. Challenge is what makes genuine intimate personal identification with values possible and it is within relationships with parents or personally significant others that challenge is most fully met and the answers to moral questions articulated. These processes are relatively unique to each set of relationships. The intervention of others only confuses, damages, and delays real learning.

I sincerely hope you will do the right thing and oppose Brownlee's amendment and I assure you that I will be doing my part to stay informed about your vote and to engage others of my community in discourse on this vitally important issue.



Update from local education PAC:

Thank You So Much for taking a firm stand for our public schools!

Let me provide you with some additional background on this bill, before I mention yesterday's House action. The original Senate bill which had no major flaws was headed for sure passage on the floor. At the last minute Karin Brownlee attached this amendment at the last-possible minute - without discussion or a public hearing. The bill passed the senate 31-9 with all 3 Olathe Senators voting in favor of the bill.

We were alerted to the amendment by Kathy Cook of Kansas Families for Education (www.fundourpublicschools.com). When we got word Connie Owen & I of Olathe Schools First sent out alerts to everyone. I spoke with all 23 legilators on the House Education Committee on Wed. At that point MOST of them were NOT aware of the Amendment - Can You Believe That? The day BEFORE the public hearing and they had NOT read the Amendment.

Anyway, at the hearing Connie spoke (she is the Most Articulate person I know) and she informed them of the flaws in the Amendment. Consequently, we now have the votes required to remove the Amendment. However - we fully anticipate that Brownlee will make ANOTHER attempt to 'tag this amendment onto another bill' later in the session.

This is the reason why WE - as private citizens must be Informed & Diligient!!