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Aligned is dedicated to strengthening education and workforce development in Kansas and Missouri. We bring together businesses, educators, and policymakers to craft practical solutions for reform.
Latest Policy Updates & Research
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Monthly Update — June 2026
What a new Texas study teaches us about teacher compensation We are back and excited to bring you evidence from one of the more ambitious teacher compensation strategies in the country, with early research suggesting that it may be paying…
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Weekly Update — 05/15/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Also note that this will be our last weekly update; in June we will switch to monthly updates. New report shows academic recovery is still…
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Why CEP Is More Than a School Meals Debate in KansasÂ
A simple bill with a complicated question underneath Kansas HB 2402 looks simple on paper. It requires eligible school boards to consider whether to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, commonly called CEP, if more than 50% of students in one or more schools qualify for free meals via direct certification. The…
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Weekly Update — 05/08/26
This originally appeared in Aligned’s weekly newsletter. Want future updates in your inbox? Sign up today. Phone-free schools are not a shortcut to better learning Last week, we noted one emerging second-order effect on school cell phone bans: when phones are…
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Education choice continues to be a major conversation across the country, including here in Kansas and Missouri.
In 2026, states continued to debate:
📌 Expanding access for students and families
📌 Increasing or adjusting program funding
📌 Strengthening accountability and transparency
📌 Deciding the future role of school choice
As Kansas and Missouri continue these conversations, it is important to keep students at the center of the discussion.
Funding Expands, Access Grows, and New Battles Emerge in 2026
www.edchoice.org
With most legislative sessions winding down in 2026, no new choice programs have been created, but the volume of legislation remains high.
Employer-supported child care is becoming a stronger tool for workforce retention.
The federal Employer-Provided Childcare Credit helps businesses offset certain costs when they support child care for employees. Kansas recently built on that idea by expanding its own employer child care tax credit through SB 82.
For businesses, this is another tool to help working parents stay in the workforce, strengthen recruitment and retention, and support local communities.
Child care is not just a family issue. It is a workforce issue.
Aligned’s monthly newsletter begins next week.
As we move out of the legislative session, our updates will shift from weekly to monthly, bringing you a concise look at the education policy conversations, resources, and developments shaping Kansas and Missouri.
Be sure to sign up today to receive next Friday’s newsletter directly in your inbox.
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Join our regular newsletter to stay updated on education in Kansas and Missouri.
Great to sit in on the Kansas Legislative School Finance Formula Task Force this week and continue the conversation again today.
Yesterday’s discussion included a strong focus on chronic absenteeism and the connection between school funding, spending decisions, and student outcomes. Dr. Marguerite Roza with Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab, a valued partner in this work, brought a strong national perspective and practical data tools to the conversation.
Grateful to see Kansas leaders continuing to engage with thoughtful, data-driven resources as school finance conversations move forward.
