HiJohn, I'm Representative Jerry Stogsdill – former public school teacher and current member of the Kansas House of Representatives, District 21.

It's National Teacher Appreciation week, and I'm proud to be one of the Democratic legislators leading the way to protect public education from Republican extremists in the Kansas House. I have been a leader and advocate for public education at the local, state, and national levels.

Republican votes in the Kansas House document unequivocally that the end goal for these anti public education extremists is to permanently cripple public education in Kansas and THAT is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!

We need folks like you to help us protect education in Kansas. Before I tell you more about exactly what the far-right is doing to push back on progress, I have a favor to ask. Can you pitch in any amount today to support the commonsense Democrats the Kansas Democrats are working to get elected this year?

I have served the last eight years in the Kansas House of Representatives and during that time I have served every year on the House Education Committee – the last four as the Ranking Democrat on the Committee. During that time, I have seen the Republican extremists in the House working nonstop to cripple our public education system.

For Instance:
• During the Brownback years, Kansas was NEVER in full compliance with constitutionally mandated full funding for our public schools. 
• In 2014 the Republican supermajority, without even a hearing and, literally, in the middle of the night, eliminated due process rights for teachers who were being fired for UNJUST causes.
• They have gone out of their way to lower teacher education standards and allowed school districts to hire unlicensed teachers for science and math classes.
• They have supported a variety of voucher programs that divert public tax dollars away from our public schools and into selective private schools and completely unregulated home schools.
• They have offered bill after bill to move the rights and responsibilities of our State Board of Education and our LOCAL School Boards into the hands of the anti public education extremists in the Kansas Legislature.

Fortunately, Democrats have led the way in finally getting full funding for our public schools, and for the first time in years Democrats were able to pass the legislation necessary to get full funding for our Special Education students.

To protect public education in Kansas, we are going to have to break the Republican supermajority in the Kansas House. To make that happen we need support from Kansans like you who know the value of public education for our children, our families, and our economy.

Can you donate any amount today to support Democratic candidates who, when elected, will go to Topeka and work to protect public education in Kansas?

Thank you,
Rep. Jerry Stogsdill