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During the Kansas State Board of Education’s August meeting, members identified the topics and individuals who will serve on the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Screen Time in Schools.
The 36-member task force, approved by board members in July, will discuss the following areas:
The task force is comprised of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, local school board members, two legislators, two state school board members and information technology experts. The 10 state board members each chose two individuals to serve on the task force.
Board members will receive a formal report and a set of recommendations for a state board screen time non-binding policy during their November meeting with possible action on those recommendations expected in December.
“They’re not working on mandates, they’re working on recommendations,” Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson emphasized to board members of the task force’s work.
The task force’s meetings this fall will be livestreamed for public viewing on Thursdays, from 4-5:30 p.m., beginning on Aug. 22. (Click here for the task force’s agendas and livestream information. More information will be posted as soon as it is available.
The following are the members of the Blue-Ribbon Task Force on Screen Time in Schools:
Superintendents
Principals
Teachers
Students
Parents
Local board of education members
IT Experts
Legislators
State Board Members
In other business during their August meeting, board members discussed the process for their selections later this fall to the education funding task force, a requirement of House Sub for SB 387 passed by the Kansas legislature this past spring.
The legislation requires the task force to make recommendations to the legislature in January 2027 for a funding formula that meets the Rose capacities, a key component of the Gannon school funding court case.
Board members will appoint three people to the 14-member task force (11 voting members and three non-voting members): one state board member, one urban and one rural superintendent. The other members - which will include legislators, a current or retired teacher and a parent - will be selected by the Kansas House and Senate leadership. The board is expected to make its final selections to the task force by its November meeting.
In other business, board members heard a curriculum materials adoption presentation from two representatives of Topeka USD 501 - Diane Kimsey, a Topeka USD 501 elementary math consulting teacher, and Cherryl Delacruz, a Topeka USD 501 secondary math consulting teacher, and Dr. Ben Proctor, KSDE deputy commissioner of learning services.
Kimsey and Delacruz walked board members through the implementation process Topeka USD 501 uses for adopting high quality instructional materials and resources.
In showing how one district chooses their curriculum materials, the presentation emphasized KSDE’s commitment to providing “statewide leadership that informs and supports the decisions made locally related to curriculum and instructional materials,” according to information provided to the board.
Board members also heard a presentation from Amanda Petersen, director of KSDE’s early childhood program, regarding the All in for Kansas Kids strategic plan adopted in 2020.
The plan is the result of collaborative work among the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), KSDE and many other early childhood partners to comprehensively assess and address statewide early childhood needs. More information is available at kschildrenscabinet.org.
Board members also recognized the following Child Nutrition and Wellness Kansans Can Best Practices 2023-24 awardees:
In other business, board members did the following:
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Questions about this page contact:
Denise Kahler (785) 296-4876 dkahler@ksde.org
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