Concern about the teacher tenure issue drew attention during a legislative coffee in Junction City on Saturday

The school funding bill approved by the Legislature also contains the proposed elimination of teacher tenure in Kansas. The measure has gone to the Governor for his consideration.

State Senator Jeff Longbine noted the bill did not have a hearing in the House or Senate, didn’t have a hearing before a committee in either chamber, and was added on as a floor amendment. “There was no debate, there was no discussion, there was no ability to change that, and have it be properly vetted through the process.”

Longbine expressed concern about what he termed the “policy and the ugly politics” it took for House and Senate leadership to get this measure approved. “We had procedural things on the Senate floor that eliminated debate. We had situations where we had Senators waiting for five hours from when our scheduled time was to go on the floor. We would go on the floor and sit there four or five hours while our leadership was strong arming, breaking legs, whatever it took for them to get votes.”

State Senator Tom Hawk said on the due process issue it tells an experienced teacher they’re going to be treated like a first year teacher, and can be non-renewed without a reason.

State Representative Tom Moxley noted the elimination of teacher tenure and their due process was done the final day before the Legislature’s spring break. For that reason he voted against the school funding bill that contained the teacher tenure action. “Now teachers will unite in large organizations, and hire the biggest gun lawyers they can hire to protect each one of them. They’ll have to. That’s the consequence of our action. And it will cost everyone more, both the teachers and the school districts. But that’s the decision of the House and the Senate, and I didn’t vote for it.”

The legislative coffee, sponsored by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.