Parents, teachers demand Kansas fully fund special education

Parents, teachers demand Kansas fully fund special education

Sara Jahnke received a call from her son’s elementary school that made her heart drop.

Jahnke said her 6-year-old, Crosby, had escaped his school last fall and run outside toward a busy street. The Shawnee Mission first grader, who has Down syndrome, needs to be closely monitored because he’s mastered unlocking doors and is known to run off — and when he does, he’s fast.

“They gave me a call to let me know it happened and that he was safe. Honestly, he’s a runner. And I think they were doing everything they could. But the class is just so understaffed,” Jahnke said. “He is a high-needs child. And I think that a lot of the kids that are in his class have really high needs and take a lot of attention. When you’re watching a lot of kids, it’s hard.” The district declined to confirm to The Star that

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Kansas lawmakers must fully fund schools’ special education

OPINION AND COMMENTARY

Editorials and other Opinion content offer perspectives on issues important to our community and are independent from the work of our newsroom reporters.

Laura Robeson and her son Danny were Gov. Laura Kelly’s guests at her State of the State address.

Laura Robeson and her son Danny were Gov. Laura Kelly’s guests at her State of the State address.

In Kansas, we’re known for our great public schools. It’s what led me to pursue my own career in teaching. Unfortunately, we aren’t providing the same quality public education to all of our students, particularly our students with disabilities.

That must change.

I was honored to be a guest at Gov. Laura Kelly’s State of the State address this year, where she announced her plan to put Kansas on track to fully fund special education programs for the first time in over ten years. With me was my son, Danny, a fifth grader in the Shawnee Mission School District.

Danny has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and

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