Is Wichita willing to invest in people who make public education possible? | Opinion

I love Wichita.

This is where I work. This is where I raise my family. This is the community I want my children to inherit, strengthen and one day lead.

And because I believe in Wichita, I believe deeply in Wichita Public Schools.

Our public schools are not just buildings. They are where children learn to read, argue, create, solve problems, build friendships, discover talents and imagine a future bigger than the circumstances they were born into.

They are one of the few places in our community where every child is supposed to matter.

That is why the current impasse between United Teachers of Wichita and Wichita Public Schools should concern every person who cares about the future of this city.

This is not just a labor dispute. It is a question of whether Wichita is willing to invest in the people who make public education possible.

Teachers are facing enormous challenges. Student behavior, workload, planning time, staffing, compensation and morale are not abstract issues. They show up every day in classrooms.

They affect whether teachers have time to prepare strong lessons, contact families, respond to struggling students, manage behavior, complete documentation, collaborate with colleagues and stay in the profession.

When teacher working conditions deteriorate, student learning conditions deteriorate too.

That is why planning time matters so much. It is not a luxury or a break from work. It is where the work gets better. It is where educators adjust instruction, review student progress, prepare supports, grade, communicate with families and make sure tomorrow is stronger than today.

UTW brought forward proposals to give educators more time back, including options that would cost the district no additional money. Restoring teacher-led team time and reducing some district-directed professional development would not weaken schools. It would allow educators to use their professional judgment to meet the needs of the students in front of them.

Most of those ideas were rejected.

At the same time, educators are being asked to accept limited salary movement while public questions continue to grow about district spending priorities, administrative growth, outside contracts, professional development spending, technology platforms, and whether enough dollars are being directed toward the people who work closest to students.

School finance is complicated. Enrollment has declined. Health insurance costs are real. Special education is underfunded. Facilities’ needs are serious. No honest person should pretend these pressures do not exist.

But complexity cannot become an excuse for avoiding priorities.

Budgets are choices. Before the district tells educators there is no room to move, the public deserves to know what was reviewed first. Were vacancy savings examined? Were administrative costs reviewed? Were vendor contracts reviewed? Were technology and software renewals reviewed? Were professional development and in-service structures reviewed? Were unrestricted funds and year-end transfers reviewed?

If the answer to educators is “no,” the district should be able to show the community why.

This moment is also about trust.

Teachers are asked every day to carry public trust for Wichita Public Schools.

Families do not usually call the central office when they are worried about their children. They talk to teachers. They talk to counselors, nurses, social workers, paraeducators, coaches, secretaries and principals. The people closest to students are the people who give the system its credibility.

But trust cannot only flow one direction.

If educators are expected to help families trust the district, district leadership must demonstrate that it trusts and values educators.

Not through slogans. Not through polished updates. Not through social media posts. Through action.

The Wichita Board of Education has a responsibility here that cannot be outsourced.

The superintendent works for the Board. The budget is approved by the Board. Bargaining direction comes from the Board. If this moment is broken, the Board has the authority to help fix it.

Board members have an opportunity right now to step in and demonstrate the kind of leadership Wichita needs. They can instruct district leadership to return to the table with real authority. They can demand a serious review of budget priorities. They can insist that planning time, compensation, behavior support and staffing are treated as central to student success — not as side issues to be managed after everything else.

This does not have to be a moment of division. It can be a moment of course correction.

— Mike Harris is the president of the American Federation of Teachers-Kansas