Aligned joined the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce this morning to co-host a legislative briefing on child care. Cathy Bennett, senior vice president of public policy, told participants, "We are having this conversation today because COVID-19 has created a new crisis for early child care providers. In a recent national public radio survey, providers called January 2022 the worst month since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, and January isn’t even over yet."

Paula Neth from The Family Conservancy shared results from a survey they conducted this month that showed the serious strain on the region's child care system. She highlighted the trends that came up across an already strained system.

The true cost of child care has increased 47 percent during the pandemic (The Center for American Progress).

Responses from 173 child care providers showed the following:

"People are no longer willing to do this important work for low wages, lack of benefits,

unrealistic expectations, and ‘tough’ customers.”

“We aren’t recognized as a real career. We are treated like teenage babysitters, but get paid less and the parents complain more.”

Enrollment:

• 8,422 desired capacity
• 5,276 current enrollment

That means:

• Centers reported operating at 60% capacity due to WORKFORCE constraints
• In-home providers reported operating at 79% capacity due to increasing costs

Center-based and in-home providers highlighted their greatest needs.

• 57% need salary supplements
• 48% need hiring bonuses
• 42% need subsidy increases
• 30% need stabilization funding

We appreciate Paula sharing these valuable insights and for the KC chamber for making child care stabilization a top priority.

Governor Parson's budget includes $722 million to address the child care crisis.

Governor Kelly's advisors are calling for significant investments in child care.

Early Care and Education

💵 Pre-K funding

Legislation to increase the state aid calculation for Pre-K.

SB 816 (Arthur) - Modifies the calculation of average daily attendance for early childhood programs. Referred to the Senate Committee on Education on 1-20-22 NO CHANGE

HB 2341 (Shields) - Modifies the calculation of average daily attendance for early childhood programs. Read Second Time on 1-10-22. NO CHANGE

✔️ Early childhood quality

The Quality Assurance Report (QAR), a voluntary pilot program to provide a framework for a statewide quality rating system for early care and education, will sunset this year. Therefore, we are supporting legislation to repeal the sunset provision.

Read Aligned's QAR explainer here.

HB 2365 (Shields) - Makes the early learning quality assurance report permanent. Read Second Time on 1-11-22. NO CHANGE

SB 846 (Eslinger) - Repeals the expiration date on the early learning quality assurance report program. Referred to the Senate Committee on Education on 1-20-22 NO CHANGE

SB 800 (Hegeman) - Repeals the expiration date on the early learning quality assurance report program. Referred to the Senate Committee on Education on 1-20-22 NO CHANGE

🏛️ Early childhood governance

In 2021, Governor Mike Parson created the Office of Childhood through executive order. With the new office up and running, Senator Lauren Arthur and Representative Brenda Shields have offered bills that make statutory changes that authorize the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to manage child care services instead of the Children's Division within the Department of Social Services (DSS). The legislation also moves the Coordinating Board for Early Childhood (CBEC) away from DSS and places that board under DESE.

HB 2151 (Shields) - Referred to House Special Committee on Public Policy 1-27-22

SB 982 (Arthur) - Read First Time on 1-5-22. NO CHANGE

Teacher Shortages

🧑🏻‍🏫Alternative certifications

The following bills include language to amend the current visiting scholars' provisions.

HB 1928 (Pollitt) - Modifies requirements for a visiting scholar's certificate of license to teach. Referred to the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education on 1/27/22

SB 999 (Gannon) - Modifies provisions regarding employment of retired education personnel by school districts. Read first time on 1-5-22. NO CHANGE

Read our Visiting Scholars issue brief.

💸 Pay flexibility  

Differentiated pay will give school superintendents and local school boards greater flexibility to address teacher shortages.

The following bill permits an alternative pay structure.

HB 1770 (Lewis) allows school districts to create differentiated teacher salary schedules. Read second time on 1-6-22. NO CHANGE

SB 1098 (Burlison) Authorizes school districts to have differentiated teacher pay schedules. Introduced and read first time on 1-27-22.

Read our Differentiated Pay Issue Brief.

Personalized Learning

📝Competency-based education

A competency-based approach awards students credits within a more individualized time frame and demonstration of mastery. 

HB 1956 (Richey) - Establishes the Competency-based Education Grant Program and Competency-based Education Task Force. Referred to the House Committee on Workforce Development on 1/27/22.

SB 660 (Arthur) - Establishes the Show Me Success diploma Program, The Competency-Based Education Grant Program, The Competency-Based Education Task Force, and a competency-based credit system for high school students. Referred to Senate Committee on Education on 1-10-22. NO CHANGE

Read an overview of this concept from the U.S. Department of Education.

Reports

Click here to see the current status of all Aligned Priority legislation.

Click here to see all the bills we are tracking.

Click here to see all upcoming hearings on education-related bills.

The Senate Education Committee heard testimony this week on SB 648, a bill that will transfer the decision-making process on student access to virtual education away from school districts and give that power to the parents. The Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP) provides a virtual education to children paid for by their local districts.

Senator Caleb Rowden, the bill sponsor, explained that there are two parallel virtual education systems - the on-and-off approach related to the pandemic and another permanent path for kids and parents who need different options. He argued that the current law makes it hard for parents to access the virtual program. "It has been met with a level of bureaucratic opposition that I'm not even sure I could have prognosticated would've happened. Certainly, it is a turf war. It is meant to keep traditional public schools keeping as much money as humanly possible, and I think it's a travesty for kids."

Senator Jill Schupp countered, saying, "I think what you are proposing and doing will undermine our kids' access to a great quality education."

More than 200 traveled to the Capitol to rally in support of virtual learning.

Aligned neither supports nor opposes this bill. However, we reviewed the proposed legislation through an objective lens and wrote a summary of our analysis.

Click here to read our take on SB 648.

Click here for our full weekly report.

If the Map Fits…

The Kansas legislature used much of its time this week to pass a new redistricting map, 

Ad Astra 2. Both the Senate and House passed the map with overwhelming support. Among other changes, this map would split Wyandotte County between the 2^nd and 3^rd districts, potentially making reelection tougher for the 3rd Congressional District incumbent, Democrat Sharice Davids. It also puts the city of Lawrence, a Democratic-held city, into the large and primarily Republican 1st District represented by Congressman Tracey Mann. The shifts, heavily supported by Republicans, would make all districts equal in population representation at 734,000 each. The visual map is attached above.

The map now goes to the governor, who is expected to veto the plan, setting up a battleground with the Republican-controlled Legislature and a legal battle over whether the map is constitutional.

Show me the money….

Lawmakers in both chambers were busy voting on the APEX legislation that will offer $1 billion in tax incentives to a large manufacturer promising a $4 billion investment in Kansas. Senate Bill 347 creates a special tax incentive for economic development projects with at least a $1 billion investment. It would also be eligible to suppliers that sell more than $10 million worth of products to that entity. 

Secretary of Commerce David Toland has touted this as the largest private-sector investment in Kansas history. The project is expected to bring 4,000 jobs and includes a new 3 million-square-foot plant, the biggest in the state. Kansas is one of two states currently being considered for the project.

The Senate passed the bill on emergency action Thursday 32-7. A full vote of the House is expected early next week. The deadline for the Governor to sign the bill is Thursday, February 3rd.

Aligned Priorities & Status - Kansas

HB2525 - This bill has not yet been filed. Revising child care subsidy access for custodial parents. See child care messaging details attached. We would only testify on this child care piece if approved. 

-         Hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 31. Aligned submitted written testimony in support of this bill.

HB2466 - This bill would require computer science for graduation for all Kansas students starting in 2026. While we like the idea of offering computer science for all students, we believe the graduation requirement should be left to the SBOE.

-         Hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 31. Aligned will not submit testimony in support of this bill.

HB2414 - Eliminating the reduction of child daycare assistance tax credit in subsequent years and limitations on eligible corporations and providing credit for employer payments to organizations for child daycare services access. Right now, due to a change in tax policy in 2013, only large corporations and financial institutions are eligible for the credit. HB 2414 would allow any business – large or small – to offset the cost of providing child care for their employees.

-       No Change

PHOTO CREDIT: Oishei Children's Hospital

Some good news...

Chiefs Kingdom fans donated en masse to support the Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo with an outpouring of $13 contributions representing the 13 seconds it took to tie last week's game against the Buffalo Bills. Cheers to the great people of Kansas City and to Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen who donated $1.1 million to the hospital last year in memory of his grandmother

Read the story here.

Have a wonderful weekend, and GO CHIEFS!

Torree Pederson

President

Aligned

Torree@WeAreAligned.org

(913) 484-4202

Linda Rallo

Vice President

Aligned

Linda@WeAreAligned.org

(314) 330-8442