VVV Stop finger-pointing , get the job done .

By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Governor Sam Brownback will call a special legislative session to address education funding . Brownback made the announcement on Tuesday morning .

“ After discussion with legislative leadership , I have decided to call a special session to keep Kansas schools open , despite the court ’ s threat to close them ,” Brownback said in a release published to his website . “ It is distressing that the Kansas Supreme

“ I am confident that we will get something done that will satisfy the court and keep the schools open .”

JEFF LONGBINE , Senator

Court has put the schools and legislature of Kansas in this position over less than 1 percent of school funding .”

No specific dates for the special session were announced , however , legislators must be given 10-days notice of the session . The session will also have to occur before June 30 to meet the deadline set forth by the Kansas Supreme Court .

“ I will do everything I can to keep this session focused on education ,” Brownback said . “ I am working to arrange the particular dates of the session , which will occur later this month .” Brownback ’ s goal may be to keep the session focused on education , however , legislators are free to act on any issue . If it is necessary to get enough votes to move forward with school funding legislation , legislators could initiate action in other areas .

Senator Jeff Longbine said all new legislation will have to be drafted during the special session . Since the regular legislative session came to a close last week , all previous bills are dead . Legislators will not be able to “ gut and go ” with bills from the regular session . Brand new legislation will be drafted and there will be at least one full debate regarding the bills in the House and Senate .

If lawmakers are unable to reach a decision regarding education funding that meets the requirements set forth by the Kansas Supreme Court by July 1 , Kansas schools will close and state officials will be held in contempt of court . Longbine , however , remains optimistic that a resolution will be reached .

“ I am confident that we will get something done that will satisfy the court and keep the schools open ,” Longbine said .

By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com

Kansas seniors may be eligible for a program which provides checks to receive healthy foods at farmers markets across the state .

Julia Wilson , Lyon County Human Services Coordinator , said for many seniors living on a budget , it can be difficult to have fresh produce on hand .

“ With what we ’ ve seen of folks who receive benefits or are low income , sometimes it ’ s difficult to be able to afford fresh produce ,” Wilson said . “ From what I ’ ve heard , fresh produce grown locally lasts longer . If someone only has $ 100 a month for food , keeping fresh produce on hand can be a struggle .

“ For folks who use food pantries , those are usually staples that have longer shelf lives . A lot of times fresh produce is not offered at these pantries . People have all kinds of dietary restrictions from low-sodium to high fiber . In receiving food from the food pantry , many times , those canned items have more amounts of sodium .”

The Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is providing low-income seniors who meet age and income requirements with $ 30 in checks for farmers market products from June 1 through November 1 . The checks are available in $ 5 increments .

Items seniors will be able to purchase include fresh , nutritious , unprepared , locally-grown fruits and vegetables and locallyproduced herbs and honey which are produced in Kansas under normal growing conditions from authorized farmers .

To be eligible to receive the checks , seniors m u s t meet the following criteria : ✦✦A senior must be 60 years old or older on the day the money is issued .

✦✦A senior ’ s annual gross household income ( before taxes are

Please see Program , Page 5

By Zach Hacker zach @ emporia . com

It was only natural TJ Frevert ended up with a career in technology .

“ I ’ ve always been fascinated with technology ,” the 37-year-old Emporia native said . “ I was that kid who would take apart the TV remote or the VCR to see how it works and then try to get it put back together before my parents got home .”

Frevert has been vice president of product and technology at Callcap in Wichita since 2011 . His enthusiasm toward his work and success in the field helped earn him a spot on Wichita Business Journal ’ s

Please see Frevert , Page 5

Kimberly Bearden Debra Hurst June Teisan

Wade Whitehead Jennifer Williams

By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Five career educators will be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame on Thursday evening . Kimberly Bearden , Debra Hurst , June Teisan , Wade Whitehead and Jennifer Williams make up the 25th class of inductees .

VOL . 124 , NO . 291

“ This is a stellar group of inductees ,” Carol Strickland , executive director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame said .

The inductees sat down with Keith Geiger , trustee on the NTHF board for a roundtable discussion regarding the issues impacting education today .

“ This is the 25th anniversary of the National Teachers Hall of Fame ,” Geiger said . “ That means with our five inductees this year we have now inducted 125 classroom teachers into the Hall of Fame . This year we have five excellent inductees .”

All of the educators shared what motivates them to teach and how they first discovered their passion for education . Whitehead shared that teaching is a family affair for him .

“ I teach fifth-graders in Roanoke , Virginia ,” Whitehead said . “ I ’ m a fourth-generation Virginia public school teacher ; my brother is a teacher . That is not why I teach but I ’ m proud of my family ’ s contribution to public schools in Virginia .”

While each of the educators began their career with great passion , they all insist that maintaining the passion and commitment to education is an ongoing process . With a high number of educators leaving the profession within the first three years of teaching , the group spoke of the importance of providing new teachers with mentors , ongoing

support and the opportunity to view other teachers at work .

Bearden said she was ready to throw in the towel and call it quits during her first year of teaching . Even though she was passionate about her career , she was overwhelmed and felt unsupported . Her hope is that new teachers have a supportive environment so they can continue to learn and grow themselves .

Please see NTHF , Page 5