Kansas.com: Education

Outcry reverses decision to cut KU whistle

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:40 CDT

The steam whistle that signaled the end of class periods at the University of Kansas for nearly a century will toot once again.

Earlier this week, university officials said they were silencing the whistle to save the $3,000 it costs each year to operate atop the university power plant.

Following an outpouring of support for the whistle and criticism for ending its life, Chancellor Robert Hemenway reversed course Friday, announcing the whistle will be back on the job Monday.

"One way you know something is truly a tradition is the way people react when it's suddenly missing," Hemenway said in a statement. "Jayhawks have told us how important this tradition is to them and what a memorable part of their lives at KU it is and was."

Hemenway said finding ways to save money is important and called the decision to silence the whistle "a well-intentioned move to save money."

Silencing of KU whistle steams alumni

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:39 CDT

For nearly a century, the University of Kansas used a steam whistle daily to signal the time to change classes.

Over the years, it became a familiar sound heard throughout the city and part of the university's traditions, along with the Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant and the Campanile bell tower that's a World War II memorial students pass through during graduation.

But the whistle-blowing tradition has been ended by the university to save $3,000 a year. School officials said Wednesday the money could be better spent elsewhere.

"Our utility budget is over $10 million a year, so $3,000 out of $10 million is not much," vice provost Don Steeples said. "But every $3,000 that we spend on blowing steam into the air is $3,000 that we can't spend on paint, or other things that are necessary to keep the campus running. And the whistle is simply not necessary to keep the campus running."

News of silencing the whistle generated dozens of critical comments on the Lawrence Journal-World's Web site's reader comments section.

K-State named No. 2 campus for technology

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:39 CDT

According to a new survey, Wildcats are wired.

Kansas State University ranked second on a list of universities with the most comprehensive technology offerings in a study released Thursday by PC Magazine.

The magazine, in a partnership with the Princeton Review, surveyed more than 360 U.S. colleges. Questions covered computer science course offerings and online lectures to computer labs, wireless networks and online security.

K-State was named the No. 2 most teched-out campus, just below the University of Illinois. Rounding out the top five were the University of Utah; Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.; and Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.

" (K-State) offers a lot of interesting high-tech courses, and they have a lot of stuff available online," said Eric Griffith, senior writer for PC Magazine.

Technical college searching for ways to fund program

CHRISTINA M. WOODS — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:12 CDT

Technical college searching for ways to fund program

With more than 200 students on its waiting list, the Wichita Area Technical College's adult basic education program is struggling to find a solution to its funding woes.

Program staff and classes have been cut in the past two years, while demand for adult literacy and GED testing services grows, program officials said.

A 2004 legislative mandate to separate technical schools from K-12 school districts caused the financial rift because the Wichita school district was no longer required to fund it.

The split cost WATC's adult education program $827,000 to $1.5 million a year -- money that the school district generated through property taxes. The district cut off WATC starting in the 2007-08 school year.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:41 CDT

Projects win ribbons for 4-H members

Following are area 4-H members who won top ribbons at the Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney. Numbers indicate that a member won more than one top ribbon in a category. Winners are listed by hometowns, and by clubs if the name of the club is different from the town.

Goddard -- Ashley Igo, dog showmanship, crafts, foods; Emily Igo, dog showmanship junior reserve champion; Madison Terstriep, rabbit.

Goddard, Delano -- Mariah Jack, crafts, foods 2; Sophie Hanson, clothing.

Goddard, Quail Valley -- Clayton Ricken, crafts, beef, horse; Kaleb Snyder, crafts, photography; Makenzie Snyder, crafts; Clara Towey, crafts 2, plant science; Connor Eastburn, dairy, dairy goat showmanship, recorded grade; Graham Eastburn, dairy goat showmanship, recorded grade champion, dairy.

Special ed has fewer kids, but costs more

LORI YOUNT — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:41 CDT

The head of Wichita public schools' special education program says stopping the "runaway train" of special education enrollment hasn't put the brakes on rising costs.

In the past four years, special-ed director Neil Guthrie and his staff have cut the numbers of students in special-ed classes by 10 percent.

Even so, the district this year plans to spend $100 million on special education, including $30 million from local funds -- the most the district has had to subsidize special education -- because state and federal governments have handed down new mandates but not much more money.

Guthrie said the district has lowered enrollment in special ed because it now uses a more detailed process to identify kids who need intensive special-ed services versus those who would benefit from extra help in the classroom.

"Sometimes we know a kid needs help, but we really want to make sure they're in the right place for the right reason," he said.

'Trikkes' pump fun into Wichita's P.E. classes

LORI YOUNT — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:46 CDT

Sixth-grader Vida Nguyen admittedly isn't into perspiration. "I'm not a sweater," she said.

But as far as P.E. class goes, she said it's enjoyable to ride a Trikke, a three-wheeled machine that is loosely a hybrid between a bike and skateboard.

Even though maneuvering the Trikke behind Coleman Middle School in the August heat causes her to "kind of sweat," there are benefits.

"We go around and ride and talk to friends," Vida said as she placed a helmet over her pony-tail and carefully side-swept bangs.

Students like Vida are the ones physical education directors at Wichita schools meant to reach by buying 120 Trikkes this year with more than $34,000 in grant money, said Karla Stenzel, who heads up the district's P.E. curriculum. She said it's a challenge to get students not involved with athletic teams interested in physical activity.

Medical school dean steps down

KAREN SHIDELER — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:42 CDT

S. Edwards Dismuke announced Friday that he is resigning as dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.

He will continue to teach and work with medical students and residents.

Dismuke, 61, who became the school's fifth dean in 2001, announced his resignation during a meeting with faculty and staff. The resignation is effective Sept. 10.

"It caught pretty much everybody by surprise," said Russ Scheffer, chairman of the school's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Fred Chang, who has held a number of positions at the school, will serve as interim dean during a search for Dismuke's replacement.

Middle schools beginning to revive recess

SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:12 CDT

Until recently, moving up to middle school meant saying goodbye to a cherished school-day respite: recess. "It doesn't seem normal to have recess in middle school," said 12-year-old Andrea Gomez, a seventh-grader at Truesdell Middle School, as she enjoyed the sunshine Wednesday.

"I guess they think we're all grown-up and stuff.... But I like it. I get to walk around and talk with my friends."

Little by little, recess appears to be making a comeback at Wichita middle schools, driven primarily by principals who see the benefit of fresh air and free time for young adolescents.

"Even prisoners get yard time," said Jennifer Sinclair, Truesdell's new principal, who reinstated lunchtime recess at the school this fall.

What once was a common part of the school day is being reduced or eliminated in many parts of the country, as schools deal with increased academic standards.

SPACESUIT FACTS

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:43 CDT

Now you know

• Astronauts wear two basic types of suits: An orange one during launch and re-entry in case they need to be visible when making an emergency exit from the space shuttle, and a white one on spacewalks.

• The technology in the "Snoopy cap" that attaches astronauts' earphones to their heads hasn't really changed since the Apollo missions of the 1960s.

• The labels on the control panel, which are on the hardened torso, are written backward because the astronauts can't bend over and read them through the helmet. Instead, they attach mirrors to their gloves to read the labels, which identify controls for earphone volume and other suit functions.

• Astronauts' boots don't have treads because they don't need to gain traction on surfaces. This will change in the redesign of suits for NASA's upcoming missions to return to the moon and land on Mars.

NASA worker helps Goddard kids explore space

LORI YOUNT — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:22 CDT

The Goddard second-graders might not recognize the name Neil Armstrong. And they might be under the mistaken impression that humans have landed on Mars. But they know it's pretty cool to be an astronaut. That fact and pieces of a spacesuit were all NASA employee and 2005 Goddard High School graduate Mallory Jennings needed to capture the attention of a Clark Davidson Elementary School science class on Tuesday.

"Just for today, you guys are my astronaut class," she told students perched on stools and tabletops in a science lab.

They watched as she pulled out different pieces -- like the cumbersome glove and the "Snoopy cap" -- of the suit astronauts wear on spacewalks.

"Why do astronauts wear spacesuits?" she asked.

"To be able to breathe and block the sun," one girl said confidently.

Fahnestock can't vote on school bond issue

LORI YOUNT — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:43 CDT

A Wichita businessman who has stepped up to help lead a campaign for the $370 million Wichita school bond issue won't be able to vote on it.

George Fahnestock, owner of Fahnestock Plumbing, HVAC & Electric, lives and is registered to vote in the Andover school district. His business properties lie within the Wichita school district's boundaries, though. Those properties would be affected by a proposed 3.7-mill tax increase if the bond proposal is approved by voters Nov. 4.

"I look at this as an investment in our community," Fahnestock said of the bond issue.

Bond opponents said it was interesting that a pro-bond leader lives outside the Wichita district, especially since school board members have criticized the anti-bond group Citizens for Better Education for setting up headquarters and sending mailings from an address outside the district.

The group has since moved its office to within Wichita district boundaries.

School district to leave TIF debate up to city, county

LORI YOUNT — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:38 CDT

As city officials consider delaying the creation of a special tax district around Intrust Bank Arena so they can discuss it further with the county, Wichita school district leaders said they will probably leave most of the debate to the local governments.

"It affects our budget in a much more remote way," school board president Lynn Rogers said. "It's really an issue for the city and county."

The special tax district would divert property taxes paid on new developments into improving infrastructure in that particular district instead of going to the city, county or schools.

For the city and county governments, an increase in tax base with developed properties translates directly into a larger budget.

However, the school district's budget is primarily based on per-student funding from the state. For the most part, if the tax base grows, it wouldn't directly increase the amount of money the school district receives, said Linda Jones, the district's chief financial officer.

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:38 CDT

4-H members win ribbons at county fair

Andale -- Anna Hommertzheim, clothing, photography, meat goat showmanship, beef; Katie Hommertzheim, crafts, photography, clothing, style revue purchased clothing; Cooper Ven John, sheep and showmanship; Shelby Ven John, sheep showmanship, photography 2, clothing 2, crafts, style revue purchased clothing; Jake Sankey, reserve champion Angus; Irvin Schueller, photography, crafts; Ashley Gleim, crafts; Erin Stone, clothing 2; Kara Veith, clothing 5, fiber arts 3, woodworking, crafts, sheep and showmanship, Shepherd's Lead, style revue sewn clothing senior champion; Kayla Veith, demonstration, clothing, fiber arts, foods 2, Shepherd's Lead; Kyle Veith, sheep and showmanship, dairy; Bailey Ven John, crafts, photography 2, clothing, sheep and showmanship.

Andale, Wichita Sunflower -- Haley Hermes, clothing, foods 2, photography 2, style revue purchased clothing, crafts 6.

Andover Adventurers -- Patrick Ioerger, photography.

Classes at K-State to start despite tornado damage

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:41 CDT

Although repair work continues across campus, classes will open on schedule today at Kansas State University.

A June 11 tornado caused $20 million in damage on the campus, and repair work is expected to continue for a couple of more months.

But university officials vowed after the tornado to resume classes on time.

"Everything will be ready to run," said Ed Heptig, director of facilities maintenance at Kansas State.

But students will still see workers on campus fixing roofs, finishing new walls and replacing windows.

Bond groups' cash sources unknown

LORI YOUNT — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:41 CDT

Supporters of the proposed $370 million bond issue for Wichita schools began their fundraising campaign in earnest last week, and bond issue opponents have been gathering money since before the vote was delayed in May.

But it won't be until the end of the year -- nearly two months after the Nov. 4 election -- that the groups have to reveal who is financing them. None so far have offered to make public a list of their donors.

Unlike candidates for public office and political action committees, groups raising money to influence voters on a specific ballot issue don't have to register with the state's Governmental Ethics Commission. Nor are there limits on how much money a single donor can give. The groups are only required to turn in a list of donors and expenses by Dec. 31 the year of the election.

The pro-bond campaign, Yes for Kids, led by the group Citizens Alliance for Responsible Education, has a goal of raising $400,000 for an aggressive advertising campaign. Treasurer Keith Stevens said he wasn't willing to disclose how close the group was to its goal.

"We're going to have a lot more contributions with smaller amounts than other groups," he said.

KU falls a few notches in magazine's rankings

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:40 CDT

The University of Kansas dropped two spots to 40th in the 2009 public university rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

The university fell four spots in the national university rankings, which include private universities, to a four-way tie for No. 89. The fall comes after two years of upward movement.

KU praised its position as a top 50 public university among the 164 public institutions in this year's rankings.

"KU continues to work for Kansas," university spokeswoman Jill Jess said. "One way we do that is through outstanding academics."

Jess called this year's dip "just statistics."

Hutch High's good reports curb bad behavior

EDIE HALL — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:40 CDT

The phone rings and Dad answers it.

He listens quietly for a few seconds and then his eyes lock on his teenage daughter. It's her teacher calling.

Past phone calls from the school rush to mind and he sighs, wondering what trouble she's in now.

The teacher explains that he has something to say about the behavior of the man's daughter: It is really appreciated.

The teacher goes on to explain he thinks the daughter is a good kid and that he is proud of the way she recently helped a new student find her way around the school.

Pittsburg State's president to retire after this year

LORI YOUNT — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:41 CDT

Tom Bryant, the president of Pittsburg State University for nine years, announced his retirement Thursday.

Bryant will retire at the end of this academic year after 38 years at the university.

"This is a good time in the life of Pittsburg State University," he said in a statement. "Enrollment is healthy, relationships with alumni and the community are strong, we have accomplished some major projects and others are well on their way. We have excellent leaders in key positions across campus who are prepared to continue the progress Pittsburg State University has made."

The university, in southeast Kansas near the Missouri state line, had a record enrollment of 7,000 last year.

Bryant started at Pittsburg State in 1970 as an associate professor of health, physical education and recreation. He was named chairman of that department in 1985.

Immigrants clamor to learn

CHRISTINA M. WOODS — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:19 CDT

The Indochinese Center wants to expand classes

The Wichita Indochinese Center needs experienced teachers for its growing English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, program.

Mohan Kambampati, the center's executive director, said ESOL classes could have expanded to a third location at Evergreen Neighborhood City Hall this year, but "we're having a problem finding good teachers."

Kambampati received a $15,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, which he said would pay for the Evergreen expansion.

The center also offered evening ESOL classes at the Colvin Neighborhood City Hall for the first time this year thanks to a $23,000 Kansas Health Foundation grant.