It took less than an hour Sunday night for state representatives to agree to meet the minimum requirement to fund schools and in the process strip the rights of those who work there.
Kansas has eliminated tenure — the system that protects teachers, school counselors and librarians from being fired without a hearing — in order to agree to fund K-12 schools.
What do the two have in common?
Absolutely nothing.
So how did that help the Senate and House bridge their differences?
Because the ultraconservative majority is pressing on the jugular of moderate Republicans and Democrats that unless teachers unions are emasculated, they will not come to the table to discuss a budget package.
Unions are in the bull’s-eye of ultraconservatives and especially those beholden to ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and Americans for Prosperity, whose goals are to privatize education. That’s right. Private companies would run our schools. Think of it as pay-go for education. You pay, you can go to school.
